Workforce planning to deliver clean, secure energy

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 11 Nov 2024 Parliament page
The committee has launched an inquiry on how to build the workforce that is needed to deliver the policies and infrastructure for the UK’s clean, secure energy mission. The inquiry aims to: explore the difficulties in recruiting and retraining the workforce to deliver a clean energy sector and retrofit homes … Read more
20 Recommendations
7 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
4 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
27 Feb
2026
Report published
5 Dec
2025
Report published
13 May
2025
Oral evidence
13 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
30 Apr
2025
Oral evidence
30 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
26 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
26 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
5 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
5 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
13 May 2025
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Oral evidence
Hugo Jones · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Sarah Jones MP · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
30 Apr 2025
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Oral evidence
Jodie Coe · Northern Powergrid Leah Robson · Your Energy Your Way Sue Ferns · Prospect Trade Union Tom Jarman · Low Carbon Journey
26 Mar 2025
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Oral evidence
Andrew Hockey · Engineering Construction Industry Training Board Anna Markova · Trades Union Congress Brian Berry · Federation of Master Builders David Hughes CBE · Association of Colleges James Fotherby · Aldersgate Group Katy Heidenreich · Offshore Energies UK Simon Ayers MBE · TrustMark Tim Balcon · Construction Industry Training Board
5 Mar 2025
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Oral evidence
Dr Christian Calvillo · University of Strathclyde Dr Richard Hanna · Imperial College London Professor James Robson · University of Oxford
Title HC No. Published Items Response
6th Report - Workforce planning to deliver clean, secure energy HC 393 5 Dec 2025 27 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
27 results
1 Conclusion Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Skilled labour supply insufficient to meet demand for clean energy and decarbonised buildings.
The supply of skilled labour does not currently match the levels of demand expected to be required if the UK is to fulfil Government’s ambitions to deliver clean energy by 2030 and decarbonised buildings by 2050. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, committing to expand the Energy Skills Passport, provide £20 million for North Sea worker transition, launch a North Sea Jobs Service, and explore developer contributions to a skills fund as part of its Clean Energy Jobs Plan.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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2 Conclusion Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Government intervention and public expenditure crucial to address clean energy sector skills gaps.
Fortunately, there is a lot of scope for smart policy and expenditure to be used to collaborate with the whole energy sector, as well as the education and skills sector, to empower and equip existing workers and new entrants to … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, outlining specific actions including an industry-led awareness campaign for clean energy careers, the establishment of a Social Inclusion Forum to coordinate initiatives, and referencing the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy to build a robust talent pipeline.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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3 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Explore Danish measures for skills shortages and initiate work on home-grown talent for clean energy.
There may be a need for the import of some specific skills from overseas, at least in the short term, to deliver on targets for clean energy and the decarbonisation of buildings. We heard of significant efforts by the Danish … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, prioritising domestic skill growth while acknowledging exceptional cases for skilled workers from abroad, and points to existing initiatives like the Immigration White Paper, Labour Market Evidence Group, and an increased Immigration Skills Charge to fund domestic upskilling. It does not commit to exploring Danish government measures beyond current plans.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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4 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Expand Skills Passports and establish commitments for energy sector workforce transition and support targets.
The Government must continue to tackle barriers preventing existing energy sector workers transitioning successfully. Skills Passports and associated funding should be expanded. The Government in its response to us should propose how the transferability of skills across traditional boundaries and … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees broadly with the recommendation, committing to the Warm Homes Plan's £15 billion investment projected to create 240,000 jobs by 2030, and establishing a taskforce with the TUC to facilitate worker transition. However, it does not explicitly address the expansion of Skills Passports, proposals for skill transferability via accreditation, or specific commitments with targets within Contracts for Difference mechanisms.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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5 Recommendation Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Accelerate initiatives promoting clean energy and retrofit careers for under-represented groups and new workforce entrants.
The Government should continue to develop and launch further initiatives to promote clean energy and retrofit careers among under-represented groups and those outside the existing workforce; the actions set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper should be … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation, stating that the existing Office for Clean Energy Jobs within DESNZ already coordinates work, convenes stakeholders, and identifies skills gaps to build a skilled clean energy workforce, including in retrofit careers.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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6 Recommendation Not Addressed
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Set out options by 2026 for leveraging skilled immigration to boost home-grown talent.
The Government should, by the end of 2026, set out a range of further options for conditionality to leverage the short-term need for skilled immigration to boost the longer-term need for home-grown talent. An analysis of their potential impacts should … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation but then discusses the role of devolved and local governments in skills planning and various collaborative initiatives for local skills provision, entirely failing to address the request for options on conditionality for skilled immigration by the end of 2026.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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7 Conclusion Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Government's shared job definitions and expansive approach improve effective workforce planning.
For workforce planning to be effective, it is important that there is some shared definition of the jobs under discussion for support, encouragement and incentivisation; the Government’s clarifications around definitions has been helpful. We also welcome the Government taking an … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, outlining how Skills England is working to create long-term certainty for the skills system and how workforce modelling in the Jobs Plan is built on deployment expectations, supported by long-term clean energy investment and carbon budget plans.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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8 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Instruct the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to tackle uncertainty and encourage retrofit skills investment.
In our Report on retrofitting homes for net zero we concluded that there was a reluctance to invest in courses that were associated with, among other things, uncertainty and weak promotion of careers. The Office for Clean Energy Jobs should … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating it will monitor regional skills pilots, evaluate their impact, publish a response to a qualifications consultation, and continues to fund the Careers & Enterprise Company to support careers education.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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9 Recommendation Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero should have published workforce strategy sooner.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero should have demonstrated its firm grasp of the skills landscape by having published a workforce strategy much sooner. (Conclusion, Paragraph 52)
Government Response
The government agrees and states Skills England and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs will continue to work with industry, and the government will consider how competence is defined for PAS retrofit roles to develop clearer competence frameworks.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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10 Recommendation Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Publish Warm Homes Plan demonstrating career focus, tailored messaging, and training support.
The Warm Homes Plan is crucial for retrofit workforce planning and should be published as soon as possible. It must set out a clear framework of responsibilities to ensure joined-up delivery. It should demonstrate the Government is putting good quality, … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and says that the Warm Homes Plan was published on 21 January 2026 outlining investment to upgrade homes and lift families out of fuel poverty, with policies and initiatives to deliver growth and good jobs, and a taskforce with the TUC to create a skilled workforce.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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11 Recommendation Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Effectively resource Office for Clean Energy Jobs to encompass both clean energy and retrofit workforces.
The Office for Clean Energy Jobs should be effectively resourced so that its remit and activity can encompass both the clean energy and the retrofit workforces. (Recommendation, Paragraph 54) Collaborating with and supporting stakeholders
Government Response
The government states that the Office for Clean Energy Jobs is already resourced and plays a crucial convening role between industry, trade unions, and training providers.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Devolved governments are crucial for national workforce planning, ensuring consistent quality and skill portability.
National workforce planning will need to be delivered beyond Whitehall and devolved levels of government have a crucial role to play. National plans need to recognise that delivery of the workforce may diverge according to local circumstance and need while … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that national workforce planning needs to involve devolved governments and recognize local circumstances while ensuring consistent quality and portability of skills, highlighting existing collaboration but not committing to new action.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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13 Conclusion Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Policy certainty is needed for training investment and boosting worker confidence.
Training needs to meet the needs of employers, current and future workers. There also needs to be more certainty around the longevity of government policies. That will give confidence both to employers investing in training and to workers considering entering … Read more
Government Response
Skills England is working towards becoming the single, authoritative voice on current and future skills needs, workforce modelling is built on clean energy technologies deployment, and clean energy public investment plans are set out through the Clean Energy Industries Sector plan.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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14 Recommendation Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Empower devolved governments and resource coordination for consistent training and skill portability.
We welcome the Government’s attention to leveraging the significant potential of various levels of devolved government across different parts of the UK. They should be empowered to lead on approaches tailored to local or regional strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with empowering devolved governments and ensuring consistency in training, highlighting existing collaboration through the Clean Energy Jobs Plan and initiatives like Regional Skills Pilots but makes no specific commitments.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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15 Recommendation Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Implement a ten-year horizon for clean energy and retrofit skills initiatives and funding.
Now that the Spending Review has been published, the Government needs to accelerate its adoption of policies relevant to clean energy and retrofit skills. These policies need long timescales to be most effective. The Government should have a ten-year horizon … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the need for long-term policy certainty, highlights work by Skills England, and references existing plans like the Clean Energy Industries Sector plan without committing to any new specific initiatives or timelines beyond existing plans.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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16 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Require Government to report on Regional Skills Pilots' success by summer 2026 for expansion.
The Government must demonstrate how it is working with employers and the education sector to deliver clear career pathways, particularly for those workers who will not go through the technical excellence colleges. It should report on the success of the … Read more
Government Response
The government will closely monitor the outcomes of the Regional Skills Pilots and commission an independent evaluation, publish a response to the consultation on V Levels, and Skills England will continue to work with employers when developing occupational standards.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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17 Recommendation Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Expand and formalise 'try-before-you-buy' training opportunities to improve employment conversion rates.
We further recommend that Government expand and formalise ‘try-before- you-buy’ training opportunities to improve conversion rates from training into employment. Evidence received indicates that up to 70% of individuals starting construction-related FE qualifications do not complete or do not enter … Read more
Government Response
The Department is working across government and with industry through the Construction Skills Mission Board to develop and deliver a skills action plan, provide funding for heat pump training, and launched the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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18 Recommendation Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Establish a nationally recognised, industry-backed construction and retrofit skills programme with partners.
Given the scale of workforce demand in construction and retrofit, including the need for an estimated additional 250,000 workers to meet new housing targets and millions more for retrofit we recommend that Government work with CITB, Skills England, and industry … Read more
Government Response
The Department is working across government and with industry through the Construction Skills Mission Board to develop and deliver a skills action plan, provide funding for heat pump training, and launched the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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19 Conclusion Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Consumer and public sector demand significantly influence skills supply and investment.
Consumer and public sector demand have a significant role to play in increasing the demand for, and therefore exerting influence on the supply of, skills. Longer and more detailed time frames will provide certainty not just for consumers in seeking … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, citing actions to influence demand and certainty such as cancelling the ECO scheme, shifting energy costs, publishing responses on EPC reform and private rented sector energy standards, and committing to consult on hydrogen for home heating.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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20 Conclusion Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Government can use procurement and policy levers to create demand for skilled roles.
The Government has at its disposal a range of measures, not all of which involve spending public money. There is scope for using procurement, and similar policy levers, to create the demand for skilled roles. (Conclusion, Paragraph 92)
Government Response
The government agrees, highlighting the Warm Homes Plan's projected job creation and stating that DESNZ has set up a taskforce with the TUC to facilitate workforce growth. They also intend to integrate low-income capital schemes by 2027/28.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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21 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Robustly and regularly evaluate publicly funded skills schemes addressing workforce shortages.
Targeting consumer demand on its own is necessary but not sufficient and public funding is needed aimed at addressing the supply of skills directly. The commitments in the Spending Review and Industrial Strategy are welcome as is the direction of … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, intending to ensure fair work and skills requirements are considered in commercial contracts and grants where feasible, and that conditionality will be carefully considered case-by-case, recognizing existing requirements for departments to have due regard to equality.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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22 Recommendation Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Incorporate digital skills and modern construction methods into workforce planning for productivity.
In addition to increasing the overall number of workers, we recognise that productivity improvements and new working practices will be essential to meet the scale of labour demand identified in this Report. Evidence submitted on the sheer volume of work … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation, committing to review the system of standards, oversight, and protections for energy efficiency installations, consult on simplifying the system, and review PAS standards to broaden the definition of competence to ensure installations are completed correctly and reflect evolving practices.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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23 Recommendation Not Addressed
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Clarify Government's stance on electricity and gas levies, EPC revisions, and hydrogen's heating role.
The Government should, as a matter of urgency, clarify its stance on the balance of levies between electricity and gas, revisions to the EPC regime and the role of hydrogen in heating. (Recommendation, Paragraph 95)
Government Response
The government agrees, but its response focuses on the Warm Homes Plan's investment in home upgrades and ongoing evaluation of skills funding, not on clarifying stances on electricity/gas levies, EPC revisions, or hydrogen in heating.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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24 Recommendation Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Facilitate a greater role for local authorities to accelerate domestic retrofit roll-out.
We look forward to the Government’s Warm Homes Plan and their estimate of workforce needs and how they will meet it. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan should facilitate a greater role for local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of retrofit. … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and states that the Warm Homes Plan is projected to increase the number of jobs supported in energy efficiency and clean heating. DESNZ has set up a taskforce in partnership with the TUC, to facilitate the creation and growth of a diverse, skilled and resilient workforce to meet the demand generated by these initiatives.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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25 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Publish thorough impact assessment before mandating skilled labour in clean energy retrofit procurement
The Government should carry out and publish a thorough impact assessment before deciding to use conditionality as a policy lever in procurement to mandate skilled labour requirements in contracts for clean energy retrofit works in public sector buildings. (Recommendation, Paragraph … Read more
Government Response
The government intends to ensure that fair work, skills and sustainable supply chain requirements are considered by default in commercial contracts and grants, where it is feasible and appropriate to do so; it will not require the publication of an impact assessment.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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26 Recommendation Acknowledged
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Link investment in training to nationally recognised accreditation for retrofit and clean energy workers
We emphasise that workforce expansion in retrofit and clean heat must go hand-in-hand with high and verifiable standards of competence. Written evidence criticised aspects of the existing skills and competence system in retrofit and related sectors, calling for tighter and … Read more
Government Response
The government is reviewing the system of standards, oversight, and protections for energy efficiency and microgeneration installations, and will consult on options to simplify the system for consumers and installers, and will consider how the definition of competence for PAS roles could be broadened beyond qualifications.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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27 Recommendation Accepted
6th Report - Workforce planning to…
Publish evaluation of funding schemes impacting skills supply in retrofit sector
The Government should commit immediately to at least maintaining its support for measures aimed at increasing demand for retrofit during this Parliament. It should also commit to carrying out and publishing an evaluation of the impact of its funding schemes … Read more
Government Response
The government is investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to five million homes by 2030, and routinely carries out evaluation activities to measure the impact of departmental skills funding.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 20 classified
Accepted 11
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 8
Not Addressed 2
Total 20 recs + 7 conclusions