Dr Abdessamad Faik, Professor at University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) and Director of the Laboratory of Inorganic Materials for Sustainable Energy Technologies (LIMSET), examines the UK’s green skills gap and explores how Africa’s approach to workforce development can offer practical lessons for building a resilient, low-carbon economy.
Net zero is ultimately built by people. However, empowering them with the right skills is what turns climate ambition into lasting transformation – and right now, the UK is struggling to keep pace.
In 2024, green job advertisements in the UK grew by 9.2%, even as overall job postings fell by 22.5%. This surge reflects a growing appetite for sustainability-focused careers. Yet, the number of available roles remains far below public interest.
Around 24 million people in the UK are interested in transitioning into green careers; however, as of late 2024, only 757,938 green-related jobs were listed.
The gap between interest and opportunity is widening, raising fundamental questions about why so few people are able to acquire the skills that will define the next economy. One major barrier is the chronic underfunding of education and training, particularly in further education.
The UK will need an additional 130,000 workers in the energy sector by 2030 to meet net-zero targets, with more than half requiring Level 3 to 5 technical qualifications.
These qualifications range from A-levels and advanced apprenticeships (Level 3) to foundation degrees and higher technical diplomas (Levels 4 to 5). Meeting this demand will cost an extra £1.7 billion in additional training investment between 2025 and 2030, excluding capital spending.
Yet the UK’s training pipeline is shrinking. Apprenticeship starts in England have notably fallen by 32% over the past decade, from 494,880 in 2016/17 to just 337,140 in 2022/23.
In 2024, 40% of colleges cancelled courses due to staff shortages, including essential programmes in electrical installation and engineering. Without expanding apprenticeships and updating degree-level curricula, the UK risks being unable to build the workforce required for its energy transition.
This stands in contrast to several African initiatives that are scaling green talent development at pace. Programmes such as the RES4Africa Academy have trained nearly 3,200 people from 43 countries in decentralised renewable energy solutions since 2014, feeding a growing workforce for the region’s projected 3.3 million renewable energy jobs by 2030. Where the UK’s skills pipeline is struggling, others are expanding.
Why policy certainty is the missing link
A second challenge is the lack of consistent policy and long-term direction. Frequent shifts in government targets and messaging have created uncertainty, reducing confidence among training providers and employers.
According to the UK Parliament’s POSTnote on green skills, inconsistent policy has led directly to reduced investment in training by both government and industry.
This instability has real consequences. Public funding for adult skills has fallen by 31% since 2011, workplace training days have dropped by 19%, and employer spending per trainee has decreased by 27%.
This downward trajectory coincides with policy churn, where major strategies, including the 2021 Net Zero Strategy and the 2023 Powering Up Britain plan, were introduced without the continuity or delivery frameworks necessary for long-term investment.
Meanwhile, several African countries are pursuing a much more strategic and coordinated approach. Ghana’s National Green Jobs Strategy aligns economic growth with sustainability and job creation. Kenya is rolling out its National Strategy on Green Skills and Jobs, designed to attract green investment through targeted incentives such as tax breaks, subsidies and regulatory reforms.
At a continental level, the African Continental Free Trade Area is integrating green growth and climate resilience into its core policies. These examples show how policy certainty can unlock investment and build a robust pipeline of green talent.
Green skills aren’t niche, they’re the future
In 2025, demand for green jobs already exceeds the number of qualified workers. Yet public understanding of green career pathways remains limited.
The Prince’s Trust reports that only 27% of young people are familiar with the term ‘green jobs’. Without greater awareness, the UK risks slowing its transition to a net-zero economy.
UNESCO has emphasised the need to embed climate literacy across education systems worldwide, noting that education is one of the most powerful tools for addressing the climate crisis.
Green skills, those capabilities and values that enable individuals and organisations to reduce environmental impact and support sustainable development, are no longer confined to ‘green’ industries. They are becoming fundamental across the entire labour market.
Initiatives, such as Mission 300, demonstrate how sustainability careers can be framed as both future-proof and socially transformative. By aiming to connect 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030, Mission 300 is poised to unlock major private investment, generate thousands of jobs and support regional growth.
Morocco offers a distinctive model where education, innovation, and industry are tightly interconnected. UM6P’s living labs operate as collaborative spaces where researchers, students, and private-sector partners co-develop and test solutions in areas such as green hydrogen, battery materials, thermal storage and smart energy systems.
This model strengthens the alignment between skills development and industrial priorities, accelerating both technology adoption and workforce readiness.
Recognising that green skills are foundational, not niche, helps build climate resilience and stimulate innovation. Investing in these skills shouldn’t be optional; it is essential for delivering an equitable, secure and prosperous transition to net zero. Failing to act now risks leaving the UK unprepared for the economic and environmental challenges ahead.
