Green sector threatened by lack of trained personnel

12:45 23rd April 2009

The success of the UK's green sector could be under threat unless the government pours more investment into relevant skills training.

Prime minister Gordon Brown recently announced plans to create an additional 400,000 jobs in the green sector, but an expert at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has said that major training changes are needed in order to achieve existing goals.

Research from the IPPR has revealed that the entire green sector in the UK only employs 700 people, although major government investment could increase this figure to 70,000 by convincing a greater number of people to pursue a career change in renewable energy.

Despite the emphasis on wind farm projects in Britain, only one UK company actually manufactures the relevant parts, while many major energy companies are trying to back away from further investment due to the pressures of the recession.

In addition, the current lack of skilled workers in Britain could discourage overseas businesses from investing.

In related news, more training opportunities are to be provided in Wales as a result of the All-Wales Economic Summit.