What are your options for upskilling or switching to greener jobs and careers?

There is a rapidly growing demand for job candidates with green and sustainability skills. Tackling the climate emergency requires fundamental changes to industry, commerce and consumer behaviour, and is already shaking up the job market.

Did You Know? 

• We still need oil and gas experts and engineers to help make outgoing production methods as efficient as possible, for decommissioning and to retrain, bringing their experience to alternative energy production methods like nuclear and renewables 
• The government aims to support up to 2 million jobs in the UK green economy and its supply chains by 2030 
• Prominent green career areas in the East include: Agri-tech - Digital (including VR) - Electric and hybrid vehicles - Engineering and advanced manufacturing - Green construction - Green energy - Health and social care - Life sciences - Waste management 
• Even if you’re currently in a ‘brown’ industry that’s winding down or facing huge changes, there are emerging vital new green-aligned roles in areas like decommissioning, monitoring, retrofitting and environmental damage limitation. 
  
  

Whichever job you are applying for, or are currently in, you WILL BE affected by green changes, so there’s no better time to embrace new skills and training. The scale of change required means that green career opportunities are not limited to scientists and engineers – and the current green skills shortage means that employers are increasingly willing to consider applicants who don’t match all of the requirements in the job description -  and invest in their upskilling. 

• If you have STEM skills, you might be able to immediately apply your experience to roles that directly address green issues, in sectors like energy production, data analysis, environmental research, engineering and manufacturing.
• Good communicators, problem solvers and decision-makers are also key for green transition, often working in project management, public relations and advertising. 
• People with agricultural interests and experience are vital for the UKs food security and sustainability drive. 
• Artists, designers and digital professionals are crucial for demonstrating project concepts and achieving public and commercial support. 
• Construction professionals are implementing environmentally responsible and sustainable urban environments and infrastructure projects on a day-to-day basis. 
• Fashion & Beauty professionals and cleaning and facilities professionals can all champion the use of greener products and services, devising strategies to make this work for their employers or businesses.

How are traditional careers changing?

Oil & gas jobs in the energy industry will be succeeded by wind, solar, green hydrogen, nuclear, tidal and hydro.  Here in the East of England, there is huge Offshore Wind investment and work opportunity.

Mechanical and technician jobs for fossil-fuelled vehicles will gradually give way to hybrid, electric, or even hydrogen fuelled vehicle skillsets - as we move towards and beyond the 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. 

Gas fired boiler and heating systems engineers are upskilling to be able to  work with a large increase in green heating solutions - like heat pumps – over the next 10 years as per government targets.

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Routes to Green Careers 

Skills Bootcamps 

Skills Bootcamps are free courses to help those aged 19 or over to develop new skills that employers are looking for, including skills for green jobs. They take place at a college, another training provider or online and are a great opportunity to train in a new industry or progress in your current career.  

Direct green offerings include electric vehicle (EV) maintenance, heat pump technology, EV charging point installation, rail engineering, and smart meter installation, though there are others in for areas like construction, engineering, health & social care, digital and more. They can take up to 16 weeks to complete and are flexible, meaning you can fit learning around your family or other commitments. You can find them through the National Careers Service. 
 
Apprenticeships 

Apprenticeships are for people of all ages and are an excellent way of breaking into careers for which you have little to no existing experience. There’s already wide range of green apprenticeships on offer, from environmental consultancy and business sustainability to forestry and wind turbine technology. 

Apprenticeships are available from GCSE level (2) right the way up to degree and master degree levels (6&7). Many apprenticeship wages are now above the minimum and more generous than you may have thought.  You can find a green apprenticeship on the government’s Find an Apprenticeship site. 

Free courses for jobs 

The government’s Free Courses for Jobs scheme offers eligible adults the chance to study for a range of level 3 qualifications at no cost, supporting  them to gain new skills and secure a better well paid  job. 

There’s a range of qualifications in areas that could support a career in the green sector, such as building and construction, engineering, horticulture and forestry, agriculture and environmental conservation. 

Talk to your employer 

If you’re currently in employment, talk to your employer about re-skilling or upskilling for green skills and sustainability in a mutually beneficial way.  There is almost certainly some aspect of what you are doing now that your employer could improve on from a green perspective, putting them ahead of the curve and increasing your skillset at the same time.  
 

Useful internet links

• Skills for Careers > Bootcamps 
• City & Guilds > Green Skills & Sustainability 
• Open University > Free Nature & environment Courses 
• Rullion > Transition from Fossil Fuel jobs to green jobs 
• National Careers Service > Speak to an Advisor 
• Education Hub > What’s a green job 

See also:

> Green Futures