Developing the skills and education to support the transition to net zero is one of the biggest challenges – and opportunities – facing the UK. The Climate Change Committee has said that “a fair transition to net zero will rely on every facet of the skills system” from schools, further education, universities and the wider skills and learning system to come together. 

Here in the North West the opportunities are huge with the bold vision to become the world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040 set to see £207bn invested and over 660,000 jobs safeguarded or created.  

One of the key areas that will drive the demand for jobs is hydrogen. Protos is part of the HyNet North West footprint – the UK’s most advanced hydrogen and carbon capture project – and perfectly placed to respond to emerging opportunities to deliver hydrogen infrastructure. 

It’s estimated that the HyNet project alone will require up to 4000 construction workers from 2025. There will be demand for a huge range of roles from professionals and skilled personnel, to engineers and construction workers. Whilst many of the skills required for the transition to net zero already exist ready to be transferred to a low carbon environment, the challenge is increasing the number of trainees to meet demand. 

HyNet has the potential to meet 4GW of the government’s 10GW hydrogen target by 2030. However, meeting these timelines will require significant resourcing challenges and constraints to be met – and that’s before you take into account all the other decarbonisation projects taking place in the North West. 

So, what’s the solution? We all need to work together to ensure the North West is equipped with the right skills. The University of Chester is a partner in the HyNet consortium and already anticipating and responding to the impacts the project will have on workforce skills. The North West cluster Innovation, Jobs & Skills report by the University sets out a series of recommendations to ensure skills solutions are developed for existing and future workforces that meet both short and long term demand. These include: a coordinated strategic plan and structure for net zero in the North West; a communication plan for net zero in the North West; and pilot innovative mechanisms for skills sharing. 

As well as increasing training provision it will be important to also raise awareness of the opportunities available now and that lay ahead. Engaging with a more diverse candidate pool and increasing career awareness will help target untapped resource pools. 

Organisations such as the North West Hydrogen Alliance – of which Peel NRE is a founding member – are already working with local schools to help raise awareness. The HyNet partners are also promoting long term careers opportunities in net zero with schools outreach and careers events and working with local colleges and training providers to ensure the curriculum matches the project’s needs. 

If we get this right in the North West we have the potential to not only provide jobs and careers for our young people alongside opportunities across the supply chain but the region could become a global exporter of new technologies, skills and services.