Groundwork has brought together leading figures in the environmental, skills and employment industries at an event calling for an emergency response to the UK’s rising unemployment figures.
The event, sponsored by the Cadent Foundation and hosted by Jim Dickson MP, was held at the House of Commons to encourage politicians to take a joined-up approach to tackling both the youth unemployment and climate and nature crises in tandem.
The event called on support from national and local government, businesses and charitable funders to invest in both people and the planet: creating healthier communities, improving green and blues spaces in towns and cities across the UK, and ensuring a more sustainable economy can grow.
Research shows that global demand for green talent is growing twice as fast as supply, leading to a risk of one in five green jobs going unfilled by 2030. Estimates suggest that meeting current tree planting targets alone will require a 70% increase across the workforce while the Government’s recently launched Clean Energy Jobs Plan aims to create 400,000 jobs in the next five years.
Meanwhile, ONS figures show nearly one million young people are not in work, training or education, with a new Resolution Foundation report citing increasing levels of disability and ill-health, leading the Government to announce plans to guarantee waged work placements for young people out of work for 18 months.
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK Chief Executive, said: “We find ourselves collectively grappling with a jobs and health crisis as well as facing a climate and nature crisis and there’s an opportunity here that we must seize with both hands to help those struggling to find work to be at the forefront of a thriving green economy.
“This requires a joined-up, emergency response to make existing green jobs more visible and accessible to a wider range of people to fill skills shortages, and support employers in priority – but underdeveloped – sectors of the economy to grow a green workforce of the future that allows the UK to meet its environmental targets.”
Ranjit Blythe, Managing Director of the Cadent Foundation, added: “It is clear from the discussions at the parliamentary reception that we need to make green jobs more accessible, and we must find ways to equip our workforce with the skills needed to drive the energy transition. We’re committed to supporting initiatives that help us overcome this challenge, including the Cadent Foundation Green Doctor Academy. This dedicated programme is not only helping to train new Green Doctors, but it’s proven to opening the door to green jobs for more people, regardless of their background or experience.”
Attendees also heard from recent graduates of three Groundwork youth and green economy programmes, designed to create more accessible pathways for young people and to inspire those from all backgrounds to view green jobs as a viable career path. Notably current Race Report figures show less than 5% of ‘environmental professionals’ come from a non-White background compared to the all-profession average of 12.6%.
Speakers included:
- Alanis Rodrigues Linhares who kickstarted her green career through New to Nature, a programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which provided paid placements for 98 young people from underrepresented backgrounds with more than 80 employers in the natural environment sector.
- Luke Hollowell who secured a place in Groundwork’s Green Doctor Academy, supported by the Cadent Foundation, which provides training and practical work experience to trainees so that they can deliver advice to people living in cold damp homes.
- Alejandro Otalvora who is employed at Westminster Wheels, a cycle repair enterprise run in conjunction with Westminster City Council with support from Grosvenor, which is providing jobs and training while promoting sustainable transport and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.
