Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Minister for Industry Chris McDonald attended the UK’s first Clean Energy Jobs Fair at the Port of Tyne on Thursday 11 December 2025. Co‑hosted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Port of Tyne and the North East Mayor, the event brought together more than one hundred school pupils and students with employers, colleges and universities from across the region.
The fair sits within the government’s Clean Energy Jobs Plan, described by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as the first national plan to recruit and train the workforce for the clean‑energy mission. Government expects up to 15,000 additional clean‑energy roles in the North East over the next five years, with this event intended as the first in a series nationwide.
Regional context is central. Blyth helped launch the UK’s offshore wind industry more than two decades ago, and the east coast carbon capture cluster is expected to directly support around 2,000 jobs in the North East as schemes move through development and operations. The North East Mayor’s office has also cited potential for up to 24,000 green‑energy jobs by 2035, subject to project delivery and skills supply.
Supply‑chain development accompanied the skills push. Great British Energy opened a £300 million fund today to support domestic manufacturing of critical offshore wind components, including blades, turbines and transmission cables. The objective is to anchor more of the value chain in Britain, improve resilience, and create sustained industrial employment alongside planned projects.
Training routes featured prominently. Newcastle College’s Energy Academy continues subsea and renewables programmes, while Middlesbrough College, in partnership with BP, is preparing operators for carbon capture and hydrogen roles. Earlier this year the government announced five new Technical Excellence Colleges to build capacity for clean‑energy occupations, tied to a wider ambition for two‑thirds of young people to be in higher‑level learning.
Government materials identify 31 priority occupations for the clean‑energy economy, spanning electricians, plumbers and welders as well as engineering, construction and research roles. Entry‑level pay in most clean‑energy occupations is reported to be around 23 per cent higher than comparable roles in other sectors, underscoring the case for technical education and apprenticeships.
Employers present-among them Siemens Energy, RWE, JDR Cables, Shepherd Offshore and National Grid-signalled ongoing demand for apprentices and technicians. Company representatives pointed to the importance of long‑term training pipelines for offshore wind, interconnectors, hydrogen and carbon capture operations, and to the role of structured apprenticeships in building that capability.
For the Port of Tyne, the fair aligns with a stated strategy to support renewables growth along the River Tyne corridor. The 230‑acre Tyne Clean Energy Park has attracted more than £150 million of infrastructure investment, with the port positioning the site for offshore wind assembly, operations and maintenance, and associated innovation activity.
For colleges, universities and training providers, the immediate task is aligning curriculum content, accreditation and placements with the priority occupations set out by government and local employers. For businesses, assessing eligibility for the newly opened Great British Energy supply‑chain fund and planning apprenticeship intake against near‑term project schedules will be key practical steps.
Policy delivery will now be judged on measurable uptake. Indicators to watch include applications to the £300 million fund, published recruitment and training metrics from the Clean Energy Jobs Plan, and progress towards establishing the five Technical Excellence Colleges. The government press notice dated 11 December 2025 positions the North East as an early test of whether skills and supply‑chain policy can translate into durable local jobs.