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
View on parliament.uk
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
View on parliament.uk
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
8 results
Clear
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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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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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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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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Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 20 classified
Accepted 11
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 8
Not Addressed 2
Total 20 recs + 7 conclusions