Ministers have published the Clean Energy Jobs Plan, the UK’s first national workforce strategy for the sector. Released on 19 October 2025 by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, it forecasts the clean energy workforce will double to around 860,000 by 2030, requiring more than 400,000 additional roles. The plan identifies 31 priority occupations, with the strongest demand in skilled trades such as plumbers, electricians and welders.
Training capacity is central to delivery. Five new Technical Excellence Colleges will provide dedicated pathways into critical roles, supported by skills pilots in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire backed by £2.5 million to test new courses, facilities and careers advice. The approach aligns with the government’s target for two‑thirds of young people to be in higher‑level learning by age 25, up from around half today.
Workforce standards are tied directly to public funding. The Energy Secretary will set out criteria requiring companies that receive grants or contracts to provide good jobs, with DESNZ piloting fair work and skills conditions in grants and procurements, including through the Clean Industry Bonus and Great British Energy. A Fair Work Charter will be agreed between offshore wind developers and trade unions to codify decent wages and strong workplace rights.
The plan proposes closing loopholes in maritime and offshore employment law so that workers on clean energy projects beyond UK territorial seas benefit from core protections, including the National Minimum Wage. Ministers also underline the role of recognised trade unions in securing pay and conditions, noting coverage across the wider energy sector has fallen from over 70 per cent in the mid‑1990s to around 30 per cent today.
Routes into the sector will be widened. A veterans programme with Mission Renewable will match ex‑service personnel to roles in solar installation, wind manufacturing and nuclear. Tailored schemes will support ex‑offenders, school leavers and people currently out of work; government analysis indicates 13,700 unemployed people last year already had skills relevant to engineering and skilled trades needed across clean energy.
Support for incumbent workers is being scaled up. Up to £20 million will be available jointly from the UK and Scottish governments to fund bespoke training to move oil and gas workers into clean energy roles, building on strong demand in the Aberdeen pilot. The Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund has launched with nearly £1 million from the UK Government and £450,000 from the Scottish Government in 2025–26, with plans to expand to up to £18 million over 2026–29, subject to annual Scottish budget processes.
To make switching roles simpler, the energy skills passport-originally designed for offshore wind-will be extended to additional sectors, including nuclear and the electricity grid. In Scotland, any extension to nuclear will apply only to decommissioning. Alongside this, a Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Skills Accelerator is being developed with industry partners to build capacity in these growth areas.
The plan highlights job quality. Entry‑level roles across most clean energy occupations pay on average 23 per cent more than comparable roles elsewhere. Jobs in wind, nuclear and electricity networks currently advertise average salaries above £50,000, compared with a UK average salary of around £37,000, with opportunities concentrated in coastal and post‑industrial communities.
Demand is geographically broad. Scotland and the East of England are each projected to support up to 60,000 direct clean energy jobs by 2030, with the North West reaching up to 55,000 and Yorkshire and the Humber up to 35,000. Wales is projected to reach up to 20,000 and London up to 25,000, while Northern Ireland exceeds 6,000. Major projects include Sizewell C in Suffolk, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, and the Acorn, Viking and HyNet carbon capture clusters.
The workforce plan sits on the back of substantial investment. Since July 2024, more than £50 billion of private commitments have been announced across clean generation, networks and storage. Government has also green‑lit Sizewell C, expected to support around 10,000 jobs at peak construction; named Rolls‑Royce as preferred bidder for the small modular reactor programme with up to 3,000 jobs; and initiated the Acorn and Viking carbon capture projects, estimated to support a combined 35,000 jobs, including 1,000 apprenticeships. Separate CCUS projects in the North West and Teesside are expected to create around 4,000 jobs. Centrica has announced a £35 million training academy in Lutterworth to support thousands of engineers working on heat pumps, EV charging, solar and battery storage.
Trade unions and industry bodies have broadly welcomed the plan’s emphasis on job quality, skills and recognised collective bargaining, viewing these as necessary to convert the Clean Power 2030 mission into sustained employment. Stakeholders point to the proposed Fair Work Charter, extended employment protections offshore and the skills passport as practical steps, while emphasising the need for stable funding and clear standards for apprenticeships and retraining.
For delivery bodies, the implications are immediate. Energy developers and suppliers seeking DESNZ funding will need to evidence fair work practices, pay compliance and workforce development in bids and contracts. Further education providers are expected to align provision with the 31 priority occupations and the Technical Excellence Colleges, while local and combined authorities can use regional estimates to plan skills, transport and housing around large projects. The Clean Energy Jobs Plan and accompanying guidance form the baseline for this coordination.