It’s one of the core workstreams for the newly revived Solar Taskforce which is currently reviewing its previous findings in preparation for the long-awaited publication of the solar roadmap.
Previously reported figures suggest that some 60,000 additional people would be needed to deliver the 70GW solar target.
At the same time, the Heat Pump Association estimates around 37,000 installers could be needed to deliver on heat pump installation ambitions.
And that’s just to pull out two renewable technologies. There will be thousands more required to fulfil all aspects of the Net Zero journey, from technical roles to support staff.
It’s acknowledged that the issue needs to be tackled from all aspects, with a focus on making pathways into renewable energy careers as accessible as possible.
There have been many promising developments, particularly from industry, with companies creating courses and setting up academies to provide career opportunities. There are now several routes for installers to transition into renewables, or to expand their learning to include more technologies.
Some of these we have reported on in the last 12 months or so include:
- The new Segen training academy aimed at existing plumbers and electricians
- New AIRA Academy to train the next generation of heat pump installers
- Retrofit qualifications for students in Oxford and Bucks from a Retrofit Academy partnership
- A Hampshire-based training hub from the Retrofit Academy
- A demo house for installers to train on from the Energy Training Academy
- Opportunities to learn about heat pumps at a new Ideal Heating training centre
Attracting new talent
It’s great to see that industry is playing its part in creating the workforce it needs to be able to scale up and grow, but bridging the skills gap needs to go much further.
It’s not just about encouraging existing plumbers and heating engineers to transition into renewables, it also means encouraging school children to consider green careers in the first place.
This will involve more educational pathways for students, and more awareness of renewable energy as a profession.
The new Low Carbon Heating Apprenticeship, for example, enables school leavers to learn all about low carbon heating technologies as a career path.
The government has also set up a new body – Skills England – to ensure that we have the skills needed to deliver on its ambitions of building 1.5 million new homes, an NHS fit for the future and to make our country a clean energy superpower.
Another promising avenue is the new T Level qualification route. T Levels offer an alternative to A Levels, apprenticeships and other courses for 16 to 19 year olds. They are equivalent to three A Levels and focus on vocational skills to help students into skilled employment, higher study, or apprenticeships.
There are currently 23 T Levels on offer, covering sectors such as construction, agriculture, land management and production, creative and design, catering and hospitality, digital, engineering and manufacturing, health and science, finance and accounting. More are being added all the time.
They include in-depth industry placements that last at least 45 days, where students can put their skills into action.
T Levels are created in response to industry demand and it’s expected more renewable-specific courses will be added as government policy solidifies and demand increases.
Interview with IfATE Associate Director, Pamela Rahman
We spoke to Pamela Rahman, Associate Director at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), about the issue.
“We’ve made quite a lot of progress on T Levels in relation to green, but there are also some constraints,” Pamela said. “It’s a bit chicken and egg and now we’ve had a change of government, so it’s difficult to prioritise which areas to target and which will actually have jobs available.
“Young people are quite interested in ‘green’ and sustainability which is really good, but we don’t want to have thousands joining a qualification only to find the jobs are not available for them yet, so we have to keep that in mind. However, we also have a green strategy to make sure that all our qualifications have relevant sustainability content.
“For example, in legal, finance and accounting, it’s making sure we reference green finance, while our agriculture and land management T Levels have quite a lot around crop sustainability.
“There are others, which might not sound ‘green’ on the face of it, such as the fabrication and welding T Level, yet this is one of the key skills that will be needed to make wind turbines, for example.”
In addition to environment and sustainability being factored in to the general development of all T Levels, IfATE will also be working on more specific renewable energy qualifications.
It is currently putting together a T Level covering low carbon heating which it hopes will be available from September 2026. All T Levels have to be built around occupational standards, so these need to already exist, or be developed first.
Industry trailblazer groups work with IfATE to identify what standards will be needed to support future jobs.
An apprenticeship case study – exploring the wider skills involved in Net Zero
Twenty-two-year-old Olivia Hullah thought she had her life mapped out. She was academic, and predicted to achieve high grades at A Level. There was no concern that she wouldn’t get the marks needed to secure her place on Durham University’s English Language degree course.
But then Covid happened and Olivia’s A Level exams didn’t take place. Instead she got caught up in the national grading controversy in which she was assigned lower than predicted grades. Although the government quickly u-turned on the methodology and Olivia was eventually given sufficient grades, all the relevant university places were taken.
“I just sat there with no plan and no idea of what to do,” Olivia said. “I hadn’t planned for anything else because I was an A* student and just thought I’d be going to university. I didn’t know anything about apprenticeships or alternatives at that time.”
She said it was fate that led her to a digital marketing (integrated degree) apprenticeship with family-run electric heating company, Trust Heating. It was recommended to her by a friend, and although she didn’t know anything about marketing, electrical heating, or apprenticeships, Olivia felt she had nothing to lose.
And it turns out that the opportunity was absolutely transformational.
“I loved it straight away,” Olivia said. “I didn’t realise that marketing applied all the skills I love about English. I was thrown in at the deep end and before I knew it, I was managing agencies at the age of 18.”
Her job includes all things marketing, from ensuring an online presence across website, socials and email, to targeting domestic and commercial customers via marketing strategies.
“I completed the degree in January this year and am now the marketing manager of the business, with three years of experience under my belt and an amazing job. I’ve produced a TV advert, been to the House of Lords, and am the youngest member of the senior leadership team.”
Olivia is now encouraging more young people to consider the apprenticeship route, particularly in ‘green’ careers, and is a member of an IfATE apprenticeship panel, working with the Department for Education.
“It happened by chance for me, but I want people to consider this by choice,” she said. “We talk about things like installing heat pumps, but there are so many other roles involved, such as those which support the installers.
“There’s also a lot to gain by working with a smaller business, but how do we raise awareness of that among younger people? How do we get them in the room? I talk about radiators when I’m on a night out with friends, but that’s because I’m already in the room.”
Olivia continues to champion the cause, and has recently taken part in the Future Leaders Programme, which aims to equip the next generation of leaders with the skills needed to progress the Net Zero agenda.
“Those finishing school now will be the ones responsible for our net zero targets and we need to do more to inspire them into green jobs,” she added.
Image credits: IfATE, iStock