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Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to announce a stimulus package next week and green jobs will be at the heart of it. Now business leaders and politicians are calling on the Chancellor to make a commitment to ensure the UK’s workforce has the capability to switch to a zero carbon economy plan. The construction industry could be the worst affected sector if employees do not see support from the Government.

According to the Business Register and Employment Survey, BRES, there are 1.1 million people employed in the construction industry in England, and a total of 301,841 jobs could be lost if these workers are not re-skilled.

UK100, a network of over 100 local leaders, has today released figures that show 2,177,601 UK workers, or 1 in 10, will need to be re-skilled to assist in the rebuilding of a post-pandemic economy.

Workforce analysts have urged the Government to create a scheme that allows workers to develop the skills needed to rebuild the economy in a sustainable and future oriented way.

For instance, welders working on an oil pipeline could retrain as offshore wind-farm technicians.

In the automotive industry, manufacturing workers and mechanics would need to develop new skills for the transition to the manufacturing and repair of electric vehicles.

Electricians, roofers and heating engineers will need additional skills to meet zero carbon requirements or could potentially retrain as solar panel installers or in roles related to domestic retrofit.

Researchers and politicians alike have come together to declare that the UK post-pandemic recovery should be a green one.

Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and Chair of the UK100 Resilient Recovery Task Force, said: “The Government has a once in a generation opportunity to stimulate a green economic recovery to allow the UK to meet our Net Zero target by 2050.

“The chancellor’s stimulus package must include measures to replace lost jobs with green jobs, re-train workers so they can access these jobs and power the new green economy both Leeds and the UK need.”

Echoing her words, Polly Billington, Director of UK100, said: “We need to ensure this is not a car or carbon-led recovery.

“There is a huge opportunity here to skill up our workforce and invest in the jobs we need right now.

“A New Deal for Green skills and Growth will kick start the recovery, ensure we are internationally competitive and put us on a path to a cleaner, greener economy, so we can meet the Net Zero target.”

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Speaking about the nation’s recovery after the devastation caused by the virus, London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I have been clear that London’s recovery must be a green one, rebuilding a healthier, resilient, more equal city that works for all citizens and tackles the climate emergency.

“The measures we have put in place to start this green recovery, such as walking and cycling infrastructure, are popular with Londoners.

“I now look forward to working with the government and other mayors to embed these changes, invest in green jobs and skills, and power a recovery towards a zero-carbon city.”

The research suggests that BAME communities and jobs in the manufacturing heartlands will be most in need of re-skilling.

BAME is a term used to describe all ethnicities with the exception of White ethnic groups, or Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups.

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