Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people into jobs or training opportunities aligned to the development of the Green Economy.

Across Government we are developing policies to support people to pivot to high demand, growth sectors, including low-carbon and climate resilient jobs. There are already over 460,000 people working in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country and by 2030 the UK could support up to 2 million green jobs.

DWP’s Jobcentre Plus network supports thousands of jobseekers each year to move into the labour market, including jobs in the Green Economy. The Government’s pledge to double the number of Work Coaches to 27,000 by March 2021 will ensure that jobseekers continue to have access this expert and tailored support. As announced on 8^th July, we are continuing to support jobseekers by increasing participation in our sector-based work academy programmes (SWAP). We will continue to establish bespoke opportunities, including those within the Green Economy, working with employers and training providers to support jobseekers to fill job vacancies and pivot into new careers.