On Thursday, 29 May 2025, Phil Beach CBE, Chair of the Board of Energy & Utility Skills Group, attended the Ministerial Launch of the Northern Ireland Green Skills Action Plan in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Energy & Utility Skills has worked in close collaboration with the Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Green Energy Skills Industry Reference Group (GESIRG), following a commission to undertake a comprehensive audit of the green skills landscape in Northern Ireland. This work runs in parallel with similar Green Jobs initiatives we are involved in across England and Scotland, aiming to ensure consistent competency outcomes across the UK skills system.
The aim was to identify the capabilities required by both new entrants and existing workers to enable a successful transition to a zero-emission economy over the short, medium and long term.
The resulting Plan outlines a series of recommended actions agreed by the Green Skills Delivery Group. It sets out a clear roadmap for embedding green competencies across education and training frameworks, designed to develop a resilient, and future-ready workforce equipped to meet the evolving demands of the green economy.
This Action Plan initially focuses on three of the green economic sectors:
- Large-scale energy production
- Infrastructure
- Domestic Low carbon technologies and energy efficiency
Phil commented “Energy & Utility Skills welcomes the launch of the Green Skills Action Plan, is proud to have contributed to the development of its proposed actions, and is committed to supporting the delivery of the prioritise outlined. We would like to extend our thanks to the Minister Dr. Caoimhe Archibald, and recognise the leadership from Chair of the Green Skills Delivery Group Gordon Parkes, and the excellent cooperation between government and industry.
Representing an industry and membership body that collaborates with government, employers, sector bodies, and other organisations, Energy & Utility Skills Group is committed to addressing the workforce and skills challenges that are critical to meeting the UK Government’s energy security objectives and supporting the transition to a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous economy.
We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland to ensure the region is equipped with a skilled, future-ready workforce capable of driving sustainable growth.”
