Government announces plans to create 400,000 new jobs in the Clean Energy Sector: A major opportunity for the UK recruitment sector

According to the BBC, the UK government has announced ambitious plans to create 400,000 new jobs in the clean energy sector by 2030, signaling a significant opportunity for recruiters operating in technical, engineering and energy-related markets. 

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband outlined how the government intends to double employment in renewable, wind, solar and nuclear energy to 860,000 roles within five years. The initiative will focus on 31 priority occupations – including plumbers, electricians and welders – identified as being ‘particularly in demand’. 

To help deliver this expansion, five new ‘technical excellence colleges’ will be established with £2.5 million in pilot funding across Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire. Targeted programmes will also support veterans, ex-offenders, school leavers and the unemployed into clean energy careers, while £20 million in joint UK and Scottish government funding will help retrain oil and gas workers. 

Miliband emphasised that the plan would bring ‘a new generation of good industrial jobs’ to communities across the UK, adding that ‘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.’ 

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) reports that clean energy roles currently pay an average salary of over £50,000, well above the UK average of £37,000 - a strong indication of the sector’s potential to attract and retain skilled workers. 

Industry bodies and unions have broadly welcomed the announcement. Energy UK’s chief executive, Dhara Vyas, described it as ‘a critical step forward in building the workforce required to deliver our future energy system,’ highlighting the importance of investing in both new talent and existing workers. 

What does this mean for the recruitment sector?

For APSCo members, this initiative represents a clear signal of where skills demand and government investment will accelerate over the coming decade. The recruitment sector will play a crucial role in connecting employers with the skilled professionals needed to deliver on the UK’s clean energy ambitions.