What is the difference between green jobs and green skills?

As the UK government strives to reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, it has become increasingly clear that the transition to a low carbon economy will demand significant changes in the way we live, work, and consume. These changes will require not only new technologies and policies but also a relevantly skilled workforce. This is where the concepts of green jobs and green skills come into play.

What are green jobs?

Green jobs are employment opportunities that protect and improve the environment, support sustainability, and seek to safeguard the health of the planet. While all business sectors are encouraged to contribute to a greener economy in the UK, notable areas providing green jobs include:

• renewable energy and energy efficiency
• waste management
• sustainable transportation
• green construction
• agriculture

The number of green jobs in this country is on the increase and that growth is expected to continue as the UK government pushes for a low carbon economy. According to the PwC Green Jobs Barometer, the number of green jobs advertised in the UK trebled between 2021 and 2022. The UK government’s Ten Point Plan, which was initially published in 2020 but is still in place, claims that it will create and support up to 250,000 highly skilled green UK jobs by 2030.

However, UK workers must develop specific skills, knowledge, and competencies to work in green jobs. That is where green skills are added to the low carbon economy equation.

Examples of green jobs

• wind turbine technicians
• solar panel installers
• energy auditors
• recycling operatives
• sustainable transport planners
• organic farmer
• electric car battery manufacturer
• climate scientist

What are green skills?

Green skills are the skills and knowledge needed to work in a green job and sector. These include:

• technical skills, such as installing solar panels
• relevant soft skills, like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork
• environmental awareness, for instance, understanding environmental issues and how a process can be adapted to increase sustainability

Developing green skills is essential for UK workers to take advantage of emerging job opportunities in the green economy and to remain relevant in sectors that are adapting their practices to keep up with that economy. However, students and workers can’t do this alone; it is imperative that access to education and retraining is made available at all levels. That might be at school, through further and higher education, an apprenticeship, UK government provided and funded courses, or in house training that is paid for by the employer.

Without green skilled workers, businesses will struggle to fill their green job vacancies and in turn, the UK government will struggle to achieve a low carbon economy.

What are the benefits of a low carbon economy?

The terms green economy and net-zero goals may seem easy to understand as vague concepts but what are the real benefits to the UK population of a low carbon economy?

Beyond contributing to the protection and maintenance of the environment, a low carbon economy offers several advantages:

• First, it will improve public health, for instance, by reducing air pollution due to the use of clean fuels in homes and on the roads.
• Second, transitioning to a green economy offers increased employment opportunities, such as new jobs created to adapt the UK transportation infrastructure to a greener format.
• Finally, a low carbon economy offers a more reliable energy infrastructure because it use renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydrogen.

Pathways into green jobs

As businesses strive to claim their place in the UK low carbon economy and the education sector opens its doors to the topic, the number of routes into green employment continue to grow:

• school, higher, and further education
• apprenticeship
• volunteering and internship
• entry level job
• in-house upskilling
• career change

Wrapping it up

Green jobs and green skills are two interlinked concepts that are crucial for the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy. While green jobs offer employment in sectors that contribute to environmental sustainability, green skills are those attributes needed to work in green jobs and industries. As the UK government pushes forward with its Ten Point Plan and businesses realise the opportunities that a green economy will offer, the number of available green jobs can only increase.