Building green skills for the future workforce

Read the key insights from our panel discussion at COP26, where we dissect the importance of the green workforce and why it’s essential for all generations to develop their green skills.
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Head of Investor Relations David Phillips joins the panel at COP26. He discussed the green workforce with Amber Rudd, Former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and FGH Advisor, Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive of the Prince’s Trust, Richard Hamer, Director of Education and Skills at BAE Systems and Sue Duke, Vice President and Head of Global Public Policy and Economic Graph at LinkedIn.

We learn that:

• There are 800 potential sustainability skills to learn
• Up to 40% of working adults take further training
• Those with green skills are hired 1.5 times faster

You can also learn more about Hays’ commitment to combatting climate change.

Building green skills for the net zero workforce: Key insights

The panel discusses the changes taking place in the British labour market to welcome the Industrial Green Revolution. Education plays a vital role, as does multi-generational learning and upskilling.

What are UK businesses doing to adjust for the Industrial Green Revolution? 

Jonathan at the Prince’s Trust says the organisation is educating young people and trying to simplify the message of sustainability, highlighting the opportunities. Richard at BAE adds that they are bringing in experts to upskill staff on sustainability skills, collaborating with schools and the armed forces, as well as teaching skills like coding.

Sue at LinkedIn stresses the point of green skills in all jobs, not just green jobs. At LinkedIn, they are studying the labour market to see how these skills can be used every day. David at Hays is working hard to put Hays at the forefront of sustainable recruitment, focusing on the crossover between green and digital skills.

How are you going to combat the insufficient numbers of applicants into STEM, particularly women? 

Richard at BAE outlines the programmes the company has introduced to upskill, with more than 10,000 applicants. But he also addresses the fact that there is more to be done to meet the 40% target – including working with more ethnic minorities.

Jonathan at The Prince’s Trust adds that education needs to be not just about technical jobs, but about entry-level jobs. They are working to bridge the gap with resilience, confidence and knowledge. 

How can we encourage older people to develop their green skills? 

Sue at LinkedIn says it’s about breaking down these target markets across gender and age, and using different approaches for each. She adds that this includes a mindset shift – for example, embracing the green skills in jobs that we may have been doing for 20 years. This may be available through online or in-person training.

Are there skills the green workforce can use to keep up with tech?

David at Hays outlines the wealth of opportunities in the green economy. While some industries may be struggling with automation, others are benefitting from its subsequent job creation. He says that 40% of adult workers are taking up more training, and the 20% that don’t are less likely to keep up. Hays has introduced a free training programme that highlights the crossovers of green skills with coding, wellbeing and mental health.

Sue at LinkedIn adds that there are as many as 800 new green skills we can learn, but they do not have to be siloed into digital only. 

If you could reskill now, what would you learn?

Richard at BAE says he would add digital twinning and augmented reality to his skillset. Jonathan at The Prince’s Trust would learn more about sustainability skills in general, while Sue at LinkedIn would like to know more about how to make buildings more eco-friendly. David at Hays would like to study how blockchain will change the world, as well as find out more about carbon capture.

How can we motivate others to learn green skills? 

Jonathan at The Prince’s Trust says we need to be more directive, using organisations like Hays or LinkedIn to overcome the barriers of digital poverty. He also says we need role models, whatever their age, so that we can learn from each other.

Richard at BAE echoes this sentiment and says case studies and examples are a great way to motivate others. Sue agrees, saying we should give clear messages – such as the fact that people with green skills are being hired 1.5 times faster.

David says there is more that the government can do, and discusses other countries such as Singapore, that provide funded learning. 

Led by Amber Rudd, this COP26 discussion showcases the opportunities for the green workforce, regardless of generation or skillset.