The North East is expected to benefit from 15,000 extra clean energy jobs as part of new plans to train up the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s industrial workforce.
A national training plan has been drawn up to train the next generation of workers amid Government plans for the nation to become a clean energy superpower. Employment levels nationally are expected to double to 860,000 by 2030, with the North East pledged to benefit from up to 20,000 clean energy jobs by 2030, an increase of up to 15,000 from 2023.
Key skills needed in the region include trades such as electricians, bricklayers and plumbers as well as engineers and metal workers, with the largest clean energy employer expected to be in carbon capture projects.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Communities have long been calling out for a new generation of good industrial jobs. The clean energy jobs boom can answer that call - and today we publish a landmark national plan to make it happen.
“Our plans will help create an economy in which there is no need to leave your hometown just to find a decent job. Thanks to this government’s commitment to clean energy, a generation of young people in our industrial heartlands can have well-paid secure jobs, from plumbers to electricians and welders.
“This is a pro-worker, pro-jobs, pro-union, agenda that will deliver the national renewal our country needs.â€
The skills plan includes training up the next generation of clean energy workers, and five new Technical Excellence Colleges will help train young people into essential roles.
For young people, jobs within the clean energy sector can offer higher levels of pay,with entry level roles in the majority of occupations in clean energy paying 23% more than the same occupations in other sectors. Jobs in wind, nuclear, and electricity networks all advertise average salaries of over £50,000, compared to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ average of £37,000, and are spread across coastal and post-industrial communities.
A new programme is also being launched to match veterans up with careers in solar panel installation, wind turbine factories, and nuclear power station.
Meanwhile, tailored schemes will also be introduced for ex-offenders, school leavers, and the unemployed, with the Government saying last year alone, 13,700 people who were out of work possessed many of the skills required for key roles in the clean energy sector, such as engineering and skilled trades.
Initiatives also include upskilling existing workers, with oil and gas workers benefiting from up to £20m in total from º£½ÇÊÓƵ and Scottish Governments to provide careers training for thousands of new roles in clean energy.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden, said: “We’re giving workers the skills needed for switch to clean energy, which is good for them, good for industry - and will drive growth across the nation.
“Our new jobs plan will unlock real opportunities and ensure everyone has access to the training and support to secure the well-paid jobs that will power our country’s future, as part of our Plan for Change.â€
