First published in The Express
Today is the start of Green Careers Week, highlighting the many routes into a rewarding career which also helps protect our natural environment.
Green industries are booming, with huge growth across the country, extending the ladder of opportunity to all people, with high-level skills and jobs in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and sustainable construction. There are also remarkable free training options, including apprenticeships where you can earn while you learn and get a good skilled job at the end.
Our Skills Bootcamps and Free Course for Jobs also provide practical training in in-demand skills. These are fully funded crash courses which enable people to get the skills they need to start a new career or boost their earning potential in an important sector for free.
This is a win-win for employers and learners and it’s an increasingly important source of skills for booming new sectors like renewable energy and electric vehicle charge point installation, among others.
Being green means building a skills and apprenticeships nation. We have to see the green industry not just as crucial for the environment, but also a fantastic opportunity which we are well-placed to take advantage of.
From construction and manufacturing to sustainable agriculture and forestry, to huge energy infrastructure projects, the potential for growth is enormous. That also means good, skilled, well-paid jobs for people up and down the country.
I am passionate about opportunity, social mobility and social justice. Green careers are a perfect fit for our ambitious skills agenda, driving innovative industries and protecting our environment whilst offering that ladder of opportunity to people in every region of the country.
This Green Careers Week, I would encourage people to think about the many routes into a green career, many of which are funded by the government. We are taking a whole range of actions to boost opportunities for people, regardless of their background.
