As concerns grow across the UK around increasing numbers of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), with today’s figures confirming more than one million young people without a pathway into work, education or training, Energy & Utility Skills Group is highlighting the significant opportunity within the UK’s clean energy transition to provide accessible, long-term careers for young people of varying backgrounds, education and ability. With over £200 billion of electricity, gas water infrastructure investment committed over the next five years, there is also increasing demand for entry-level roles across the industry.
With more than 312,000 vacancies forecast across energy and utilities by 2030 and 75,000 of those at entry-level, the sector is actively seeking to attract new entrants at scale – particularly school leavers and those currently outside the labour market.
Live vacancies and entry-level roles are already available across the sector, with over 9000 opportunities promoted through the Energy & Utilities Careers and Jobs platform in the past 12 months, helping individuals identify clear pathways into employment and training.
Connecting new audiences with the sector
Through targeted sector attraction campaigns, led by Energy & Utility Skills Group in partnership with industry leaders and supported by government, we are focused on connecting new audiences with these opportunities at scale. Our campaigns raise awareness, simplify entry routes and positions energy and utilities as a sector of choice for future talent – targeting school leavers, career changers, armed forces leavers and those new to the industry.
Two national webinars hosted by Energy & Utility Skills Group have so far engaged over 300 prospective entrants, with strong appetite demonstrated to join the sector. Feedback reinforced the need to improve visibility of vacancies and simplify access to jobs, particularly for those currently outside the labour market.
For further information on Destination Energy, head to our website.
Coordinating a national response
To deliver this at scale and ensure meaningful impact across the UK, coordinated national action is essential. Energy & Utility Skills Group is working with eleven government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), to explore how sector attraction, job visibility and entry pathways can be strengthened. This includes aligning job opportunities with employment support services, improving signposting to live vacancies and training routes, and ensuring a consistent national approach to reaching underrepresented groups.
Stephen Barrett, Director of Membership & Strategic Engagement at Energy & Utility Skills Group, said:
“At a time when over one million young people are struggling to find a pathway into employment, our sector offers real jobs, real pathways and a genuine solution.
Through our sector attraction campaigns, we are working with industry and government to better connect people with real jobs, remove barriers to entry and ensure opportunities are visible and accessible. We already have live vacancies across the sector – the challenge now is to scale awareness, align systems and ensure that individuals can easily find and access these roles.
If we get this right, we can help address the NEET challenge while building the workforce needed to deliver net zero.”
Get involved
If you are an employer, stakeholder or organisation looking to support workforce development in energy and utilities, we want to hear from you.
Get in touch with the Energy & Utility Skills team to find out how you can be part of shaping the future workforce.
