Shortages of Green Collar Workers could scupper Labour’s Manifesto promises

James Fiske, CEO of the Building Cost Information Service writing in Building discusses the challenges the new Labour Government faces in meeting it’s net zero targets.

Following Labour’s election victory in July this year, the new Government announced several measures demonstrating their commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. These included:-

• The launch of the national wealth fund – created to power green investment and infrastructure development. A sizeable amount will be given to Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean power company.
• Granting planning permission for the construction of three major solar farms in the east of England, with further plans to treble solar capacity by the end of this decade. 
• A promise to “end chopping and changing on policy, harness clean power to boost our energy security, and invest in home insulation upgrades”.
• Allocating state funds totalling £7.3bn to invest in and grow “new industries of the future”, such as hydrogen projects and the steel industry. 

James argues that it remains unclear how the government’s strategy will be delivered, given the shortage of labour currently affecting the construction industry in the UK. particularly acute in more specialised areas, such as mechanical and engineering and, perhaps most crucially, green-collar skills. James states “as a matter of urgency, it is crucial that the government prioritises funds from the national wealth fund for education and training to address fundamental barriers that could curtail their plans. “

To read James’ article in full click here