Wales set for clean energy jobs boom under new UK plan
More than 15,000 new clean energy jobs are expected to be created in Wales by 2030, under the UK Government’s first national plan to train and recruit workers for the clean energy sector.
The Clean Energy Jobs Plan, published on Sunday (19 October), outlines how government investment and private partnerships aim to double the UK’s clean energy workforce to 860,000 by the end of the decade.
The strategy identifies 31 priority occupations – including electricians, welders, plumbers, and engineers – as critical to meeting the UK’s growing demand for renewable energy infrastructure and carbon-cutting technology.
In Wales, clean energy employment is projected to rise from around 5,000 in 2023 to about 20,000 by 2030. Key areas for job growth include offshore wind, carbon capture, hydrogen, and power grid upgrades.
North Wales and Flintshire projects leading growth
Several major projects are expected to anchor this growth in North Wales. The HyNet carbon capture and storage (CCUS) project, spanning Flintshire, Cheshire and North Wales, is forecast to create around 2,800 direct jobs. The Mona Offshore Wind Farm, located off the North Wales coast, will provide an estimated 3,500 roles over its lifetime.
Both schemes are backed by public and private investment and are seen as central to the region’s shift towards a low-carbon economy.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Wales is essential to the clean energy revolution that this government is delivering. Communities across Wales have long been calling out for a new generation of good industrial jobs. The clean energy jobs boom can answer that call – and today we publish a landmark national plan to make it happen.
“Our plans will help create an economy in which there is no need to leave your hometown just to find a decent job. Thanks to this government’s commitment to clean energy, a generation of young people in our industrial heartlands can have well-paid, secure jobs, from plumbers to electricians and welders.”
Training and skills investment
To prepare the workforce, five new Technical Excellence Colleges will be established across the UK to train young people in key clean energy skills. Wales will also receive a share of £2.5 million in funding for regional training programmes, careers advice, and community-based skills projects.
The plan also includes targeted schemes for groups who can help fill skills gaps. A new partnership with Mission Renewable will match military veterans with careers in solar panel installation, wind turbine assembly, and nuclear energy.
Tailored programmes for ex-offenders, school leavers, and unemployed people are also being developed. Government data shows that more than 13,000 people who were out of work last year already had the skills needed for key clean energy roles such as engineering and skilled trades.
For existing workers in oil and gas, the plan provides up to £20 million in funding from the UK and Scottish Governments to help people retrain for clean energy roles. The “Energy Skills Passport”, already used in offshore wind, will be expanded to cover nuclear and grid sectors, simplifying career transitions.
Jack Sargeant, Welsh Government Minister for Skills, said: “Our ambition is to ensure today’s young people will have the skills needed to work the jobs of tomorrow, helping us embed the industries and services of the future in our communities.
“With decades of industrial expertise, Wales is primed to capitalise on the generational opportunity that is the UK’s clean energy revolution. The plan announced today will complement our Net Zero Skills Action Plan and support our journey to a cleaner, more prosperous Wales.”
Fair pay and secure employment
The plan also introduces measures to ensure clean energy jobs deliver fair pay and good working conditions. These include closing loopholes in employment law to extend minimum-wage protections to offshore clean energy workers, and a new Fair Work Charter for offshore wind developers.
Michael Lewis, Chief Executive of Uniper, which operates the Connah’s Quay Power Station in Flintshire, said: “Uniper aims to invest approximately €8 billion into growth and transformation projects by the early 2030s, including solar, hydrogen and carbon capture projects such as our Connah’s Quay development. We recognise the need for workers to have the right skills now, and in the future, to support the UK’s and our own ambitions.”
The UK Government said clean energy jobs will offer average salaries of over £50,000 a year – around 23% higher than comparable roles in other sectors.
The Clean Energy Jobs Plan aims to create skilled, well-paid work while supporting the transition to a secure, low-carbon energy future for communities across Wales.
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