Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support the skills training and reskilling of workers to play an active role in the UK's green economy.

BEIS and DfE jointly convened the independent Green Jobs Taskforce formed of business, unions and skills providers, to advise on how we can develop plans for new, long-term, good quality green jobs, and support industries and their employees as they transition to net zero. The Taskforce has assessed how the UK jobs market and the skills sector will need to adapt to support net zero, developing ideas and solutions for how the UK can deliver the green jobs of the future.

In addition to the anticipated report from the Taskforce (published today), we have the programmes in place now – including Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, Traineeships, T Levels, and the forthcoming National Skills Fund - to help us grow future talent pipelines and deliver the skilled individuals we will need. The Lifetime Skills Guarantee announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister will help people train and retrain at any stage of their lives and so develop the skills most valued by employers.

The Government will consider the Taskforce’s rich evidence base and comprehensive recommendations ahead of setting out, later in the year, our Net Zero Strategy and future skills policy.