UK Green Job ads rose by 9% in 2024, as sectoral competition intensifies
The UK government’s commitment to decarbonisation and sustainability has spurred significant investment in renewable energy, clean technology and green infrastructure. Initiatives like the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and the expansion of offshore wind farms have created fertile ground for Green Jobs growth.
According to the latest official ONS data, the UK’s low-carbon and renewable energy sector employed over 240,000 people in 2023 – and, with PwC recording an 9.2% increase in the number of Green Jobs in 2024, this number is clearly on the rise.*
…PwC recorded increase in the number of Green Jobs in 2024
Green jobs require a blend of traditional engineering and technological expertise alongside knowledge of sustainability principles. Some of the most sought-after skills include:
- Renewable Energy Systems: Expertise in designing, installing, and maintaining wind turbines, solar panels, and other renewable systems.
- Carbon Accounting: Understanding how to measure and manage carbon emissions within engineering projects.
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Skills in evaluating and mitigating environmental risks associated with technology and infrastructure.
- Data Analytics and AI: Proficiency in using advanced technologies to optimise energy efficiency and monitor environmental performance.
- Hydrogen and Battery Technology: Specialised knowledge in emerging energy storage solutions.
Green jobs require a blend of traditional engineering and technological expertise alongside knowledge of sustainability principles. Some of the most sought-after skills include:
- Renewable Energy Systems: Expertise in designing, installing, and maintaining wind turbines, solar panels, and other renewable systems.
- Carbon Accounting: Understanding how to measure and manage carbon emissions within engineering projects.
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Skills in evaluating and mitigating environmental risks associated with technology and infrastructure.
- Data Analytics and AI: Proficiency in using advanced technologies to optimise energy efficiency and monitor environmental performance.
- Hydrogen and Battery Technology: Specialised knowledge in emerging energy storage solutions.
Upskilling and reskilling are essentials for meeting the growing demand, however – critically so within the Energy sector, where 45% of all sectoral jobs advertised in 2024 (up from 31% in 2023) were for Green Jobs.*
There was also a notable rise in the Utilities sector (increasing from 19% to 39%) – and a raft of other STEM-skills related industries additionally saw YoY proportional increases.
Green Jobs as a % of all Energy sector jobs advertised in the UK
Green Jobs as a % of all sectoral jobs advertised in the UK: 2023 and 2024
Source: Matchtech analysis of PwC Green Jobs Barometer data
This increase in the energy sector isn’t surprising, given the industry’s major transition. While political and economic turbulence still affects investor confidence in renewable infrastructure, the shift away from fossil fuels continues. In the UK, projections for primary energy consumption show renewables making up 53% by 2040—mirroring the decline in Oil and Gas use.*
Projected UK primary energy demand 2023 - 2040
Source: RGU, Powering up the Workforce,2023
Crucially, from a workforce perspective involved in offshore energy production, research has established that the industry already has many of the skills required to help it transition from one sourcing dependency to the next. Analysis by the RGU Energy Transition Institute (RGU) highlights that over 90% of the UK oil and gas workforce possess skills that have medium to high transferability to the offshore renewables sector – with targeted retraining or upskilling crucial to bridging skills gaps.
“Over 90% of the UK oil and gas workforce possess skills that have medium to high transferability to the offshore renewables sector”
RGU, Powering up the Workforce
In support of the wider required ‘Clean Energy’ skills transition, the UK government announced plans in February 2025 to workers gain access to new Green Jobs. Their initiatives include:
Recognising Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire as key growth regions for clean energy – courtesy of their thriving offshore wind, nuclear, and solar industries.
- As part of this initiative, local partners will receive funding to identify the skills support that is needed in their area - such as training centres and courses - to deliver clean power by 2030.
- Funding will initially go to Cheshire West and Chester, north and northeast Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire, as significant work identifying skills needs has already been undertaken for Aberdeen.
The government has also launched an Energy Skills Passport to help workers currently engaged in the Oil and Gas industries access job opportunities in the Clean Energy sector – notably construction and maintenance roles within Offshore Wind.
- Workers will be able to create an account to access the four career pathways currently available, helping them identify where their existing qualifications are recognised.
- Led by RenewableUK and Offshore Energies UK - and supported by the UK and funding from Scottish Government - the skills passport tool will be expanded over the coming year to recognise other pathways from Oil and Gas into the Renewable Energy sector.
"More than a hundred thousand people will be working in the UK’s offshore wind industry by 2030, mostly in highly skilled roles.
To grow our world-class industry as fast as possible, we need the valuable experience that oil and gas workers can bring.
The Energy Skills Passport offers a gateway for people to make this transition by helping them to identify which offshore wind roles which would suit them best and setting out in detail the training they will need to secure these new job opportunities.
It’s a practical tool which demonstrates our determination to bring the tangible benefits of the energy transition to workers right across the energy sector."
Jane Cooper, executive director of offshore wind, RenewableUK*
What is the Energy Skills Passport?
The Energy Skills Passport is a digital platform designed for professionals across the energy sector. Designed to let you transfer your skills with ease, the Energy Skills Passport can help you plan and develop your energy career. Showcase your expertise, verify your qualifications, and create new career opportunities across oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors.
Showcase skills
Through creating a professional profile to highlight expertise, qualifications, certifications and achievements in one secure platform.
Unlock opportunities
By easily transitioning skills across the oil, gas and renewable energy sectors to unlock new career paths.
Showcase skills
Through creating a professional profile to highlight expertise, qualifications, certifications and achievements in one secure platform.
Showcase skills
Through creating a professional profile to highlight expertise, qualifications, certifications and achievements in one secure platform.
Unlock opportunities
By easily transitioning skills across the oil, gas and renewable energy sectors to unlock new career paths.
Unlock opportunities
By easily transitioning skills across the oil, gas and renewable energy sectors to unlock new career paths.
Commenting on these new initiatives, Mark Wilkie, Head of Energy at Matchtech provided wider context to the scale of the Green Skills transformation challenge:
“Whilst hugely welcome, these new UK government initiatives are just two of hundreds that will be needed if the UK is to succeed in growing a sufficiently large talent pool to facilitate its transition to Green Energy and meets other Sustainability goals. As this includes the transitioning of skills between sunsetting and emerging areas of demand, a huge collaborative effort, across all stakeholder groups, will be required to enable success – an effort in which Matchtech and the wider Gattaca group is actively involved”
Mark Wilkie, Head of Energy at Matchtech
Mark Wilkie, Head of Energy
Key takeaways and recommendations:
The number of Green Jobs advertised by employers across the UK rose by 9% in 2024 - with competition increasing across sectors for both tenured and emerging talent alike.
Clearly aware of this increasing competition – and the fact that 90% of workers within the Oil and Gas industries have medium or high skills potential to transition across into the Offshore Wind sector - a recent announcement of the introduction of the Energy Skills Passport initiative by the UK government is clearly aimed at steering as many workers from the former into the latter.
The number of Green Job advertised by employers across the UK rose by 9% in 2024 - with competition increasing across sectors for both tenured and emerging talent alike.
Clearly aware of this increasing competition – and the fact that 90% of workers within the Oil and Gas industries have medium or high skills potential to transition across into the Offshore Wind sector - a recent announcement of the introduction of the Energy Skills Passport initiative by the UK government is clearly aimed at steering as many workers from the former into the latter.
Whilst hugely welcome, a skills transformation on the scale required will require hundreds of initiatives if the UK is to succeed in growing a sufficiently large talent pool to facilitate its transition to Green Energy and meet other Sustainability goals. As this includes the transitioning of skills between sunsetting and emerging areas of demand, a huge collaborative effort – across all stakeholder groups - will be required to enable success.
In addition to working with our clients and candidates to raise awareness and support the evolution of needs, Matchtech has launched a Green Jobs Microsite to promote and spotlight the live jobs we have with a specific environmental remit.
Whilst hugely welcome, a skills transformation on the scale required will require hundreds of initiatives if the UK is to succeed in growing a sufficiently large talent pool to facilitate its transition to Green Energy and meets other Sustainability goals. As this includes the transitioning of skills between sunsetting and emerging areas of demand, a huge collaborative effort – all across all stakeholder groups - will be required to enable success.
In addition to working with our clients and candidates to raise awareness and support the evolution of needs, Matchtech has launched a Green Jobs Microsite to promote and spotlight the live jobs we have with a specific environmental remit.