UK not on track to meet green skills targets, UCU warns

The University and College Union (UCU) has said its latest report on green skills is a “wake up call” if the UK is to deliver the workforce required for achieving a net-zero economy by 2030.

The Green Gap report, commissioned by UCU and carried out by Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK), identified “significant challenges” across the skills system within the further education sector in particular. It concluded that the UK is “not currently on track” to meet its green skills targets. 

According to UCU, the report highlights how further education colleges are central to vocational and technical training in the UK, but many report “severe” instructor shortages, especially in energy and construction-related fields. 

The union said that pay for further education technical educators is “significantly below” industry levels, with some roles paying nearly £25,000 more per year for a similar qualification level in industry which is leading to recruitment and retention challenges for colleges.

In addition, the report found that facilities in colleges are often “grossly outdated”, with limitations in space, equipment and curriculum capacity to deliver green qualifications.

Key recommendations for government from the report include: 

• Create a coordinated, cross-departmental green skills delivery plan that maps workforce demand and costs 
• Increase funding to enable colleges to offer competitive salaries, particularly in high-demand net-zero sectors such as engineering, construction and energy systems 
• Ringfence funding for green skills provision, to be targeted toward further education colleges and directed at priority sectors identified in net-zero workforce plans 
• Invest in a coordinated network of centres to support regional collaboration on curriculum development, teaching resources and staff training 
• Ensure local partnerships are scaled nationally, and embedded as a core delivery mechanism to guarantee fair and equitable access to green skills training across the UK.  

University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady said: “This report is a wake-up call for national and local government and evidence that the current green skill provision is inadequate. Further education colleges and their workforces have a vital role to play in the green skills agenda and the government must invest properly if it is to even come close to meeting its own climate targets. 

“Without urgent intervention, the UK risks missing these targets due to an insufficiently skilled workforce. Central and local government, alongside college employers, must ensure that workers have the resources and knowledge to train those moving into the new and developing sectors.” 

NUS and SOS-UK president Amira Campbell added: “Prioritising climate education and developing green skills are two sides of the same coin, both essential in securing a sustainable future for us all. Students and young people understand the urgent need for action more than anyone else. Investing in green skills has never been more pertinent.”