TO BE PUBLISHED October 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for green skills provision and clean energy employment opportunities in England. Areas for discussion include workforce requirements associated with Clean Power 2030, education and training routes into clean energy employment, reskilling and movement from adjacent sectors, regional delivery and labour market needs, as well as job quality, inclusion and sustainable career development.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess progress and next steps in implementation of the Clean Energy Jobs Plan. Delegates will consider the scale of workforce growth required across the clean energy sector and implications for employers, education providers and the wider skills system. In considering the way forward, the agenda will also examine recent evidence on workforce demand, skills provision and training capacity, alongside the contribution of Clean Energy Technical Excellence Colleges in supporting routes into employment and addressing skills needs in priority occupations.
Attendees will explore approaches to achieving alignment of national employment and net zero targets with regional labour market needs, including workforce development across clean energy supply chains and infrastructure programmes, and frameworks for collaboration between employers, education providers and public bodies in responding to changing skills requirements.
Clean Energy Jobs Plan, workforce capacity, recruitment & system co-ordination
Discussion will consider how arrangements for workforce planning and delivery are developing.
Areas for discussion include:
- contribution of Skills England and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs - coordination between government, employers and training providers - responding to cross-sector recruitment pressures
- findings of Skills England’s Sector Skills Needs Assessment for the clean energy sector - implications for recruitment into priority technical occupations and pressures on existing training capacity
- approaches to addressing identified constraints in key roles such as electricians, engineers and technicians - expanding intermediate technical pathways and employer-led training
- role of the Growth and Skills Levy and wider funding arrangements in supporting employer investment in training - particularly for small firms
- questions around whether current mechanisms are sufficient to build capacity across construction, energy and manufacturing
- implications of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper for local skills planning - use of labour market intelligence and workforce forecasting to support planning and investment decisions
Progression pathways & workforce transition
Further sessions will assess the effectiveness of current pathways into clean energy employment, including apprenticeships, technical education, higher technical qualifications and degree-level routes.
Areas for discussion include:
- how qualification pathways can better reflect employer demand - strengthening transitions between education, training and employment
- improving visibility and accessibility of current routes to support participation and progression into priority occupations
- options for developing existing arrangements to provide more effective routes into clean energy employment for workers moving from oil and gas and adjacent sectors
- early progress with the Energy Skills Passport
- addressing barriers to reskilling - recognition of transferable skills, technical and digital capabilities - priorities for training provision to be able to respond to evolving sector requirements
Regional delivery, devolution & labour market alignment
Local delivery of clean energy workforce ambitions will be discussed, including employer engagement, governance arrangements and the extent to which funding structures are able to respond to differing regional circumstances. Attendees will consider implications for regional economic strategies, infrastructure programmes and investment planning.
Areas for discussion include:
- regional distribution of clean energy employment - implications for workforce planning and skills provision at local level
- the response of combined authorities, devolved administrations and local skills partnerships to differing labour market conditions - developing more responsive and place-based provision
- the relationship between national clean energy ambitions and local industrial priorities
- options for supporting consistency, where appropriate, while recognising differing regional circumstances, economic strengths and workforce requirements
Job quality, inclusion & workforce sustainability
Delegates will assess expectations around pay, progression and working conditions, including early implementation of fair work commitments in offshore wind and wider implications for employment standards across the sector.
Areas for discussion include:
- effectiveness of current arrangements in widening access to clean energy careers - supporting inclusive and sustainable workforce growth across regions and communities
- engagement with underrepresented groups - boosting awareness of career opportunities, and participation in areas experiencing industrial and economic transition
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Business and Trade; Climate Change Committee; Great British Energy; Office for National Statistics; Isle of Man Government; and the Welsh Government.
