Powering the Future: Green Energy Skills in the East of England

The Modern Industrial Strategy (2025) published this week identifies clean growth and decarbonisation as a national priority and a key driver of the UK’s long-term industrial competitiveness. It emphasises investment in renewable energy sources, energy infrastructure, and clean technology innovation and positions the UK as a potential global leader in net zero supply chains and green technology exports.

The strategy also calls for a just transition to net zero, ensuring all regions can benefit from green job creation, and stresses the importance of developing a skilled workforce to achieve this. The East of England is recognised as a nationally significant clean energy cluster - particularly through its offshore wind assets, nuclear, solar and emerging hydrogen projects - and well-positioned to lead in clean electricity production and attract investment in low-carbon supply chains and infrastructure. However, persistent skill shortages pose a threat to delivery across the region. So, what’s being done, and where must we go next?

Skill Gaps & Shortages

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board has warned that nuclear and offshore wind may require an increase in skilled engineering and construction staff of 30% or more by 2030—including welders and electrical technicians. Design, commissioning, and project management roles are acutely undersupplied, with brutal competition from other major UK infrastructure projects.

Nuclear energy is a vital sector in the UK’s low carbon energy mix. Sizewell C, which is now 18 months into construction, will require around 7,900 peak construction staff. Sizewell has pledged to fill 2,600 roles locally. At least 1,500 apprenticeships are planned, prioritising local talent, with 540 in Suffolk.

The East hosts key ports and fabrication hubs for the offshore wind industry, where there is urgent demand for installation technicians, mariners, and cable engineers. The UK must grow its offshore wind workforce from its current position of approximately 32,000 employees to 104,000 by 2030. A three-fold increase which represents a huge opportunity for local employment but a challenging timeline for businesses to meet demand.

While smaller in scale, the solar and hydrogen sectors still need electricians, surveyors, and project managers. Hydrogen initiatives rely on turbine and systems engineers—roles still cropped with skills shortages.

There are also a wide range of generic skills requirements across all green energy sectors with roles like sites operations, facilities maintenance, drivers, and general technicians needed in support functions. Generic shortages include project controllers, environmental audit/management experts, and digital specialists linked to smart infrastructure.

Local Skills Initiatives

There are a number of local initiatives that are responding to this demand for skills. The Nucleus Employability Hub – a collaboration between East Coast College + Sizewell C – was launched at the Lowestoft Campus. The hub offers CV support, interview training, and career pathways into Sizewell C and regional supply chains. It also hosts regular jobs fairs and services including Skills Bootcamps and Maritime training.

The Sizewell C Skills Charter, a partnership between Sizewell C, the Construction Industry Training Board, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, Suffolk County Council, and East Suffolk Council is another initiative that fosters local recruitment pledges (at least 500 jobs each for Lowestoft and Ipswich). This includes £23m for enhanced training infrastructure and new Centres of Excellence.

The College on the Coast is another Suffolk New College Partnership with a new post-16 technical college in Leiston to serve Sizewell C demand. This features an apprenticeship and trainee hub for 540 apprentices, plus specialist civils, mechanical, electrical, and welding training.

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board has also invested in Net-Zero Skills pledging over £1m in nuclear sector upskilling and £300k for hydrogen, sustainability, and wind turbine technician training. More than 900 learners expected to benefit across the East.

Early Wins & What Needs Scaling

The East is in a strong position for apprenticeships. Over 1,300 are signed up to Young Sizewell C programmes, with high demand across local schools and colleges. At least 300 local people attended a Lowestoft jobs fair, reflecting strong regional engagement.

There is also a growing trainee base with Skills Bootcamps, Nuclear apprenticeships, plus maritime and transport training helping to build a regional talent pipeline.

The Sizewell C support fund (£23m) and new college are helping to scale infrastructure requirements to increase capacity for sustainable skills delivery, while ECITB's funding for net-zero training helps fill cross-sector gaps.

Opportunities for Future Growth

There are nevertheless opportunities for future growth. Expanding Apprenticeship Frameworks to scale-up provision is needed to provide junior-to-specialist pathways. However, a critical area for future skills development must include retraining and upskilling opportunities for those already in the industry as well as mid-career hires transitioning from traditional sectors, including support for displaced workers in carbon-intensive industries.

The forthcoming Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) is a central policy reform aimed at supporting continuous learning throughout life. Making this work for adult workers in the region will be vital to industries facing rapid labour market changes, particularly those driven by technological shifts, the green transition, and an ageing workforce.

There is also scope for strengthening the regional training ecosystem, with initiatives across nuclear, offshore wind, hydrogen, and solar—creating collaborative hubs and shared facilities. The establishment of dedicated hydrogen and offshore wind training centres in coastal towns like Great Yarmouth would also help in the development of new centres of excellence.

Training for local candidates in STEM, project-management, as well as ‘soft skills’ – aligned to the Skills Charter aims - would help with the inclusion of underrepresented groups in these new employment opportunities.

Improving the match between the supply and demand for skills is an ongoing challenge. Building real-time and long-term labour market intelligence models is vital to achieve this. A regional skills observatory would enable employers and training providers to design skills provision across sub-sectors to anticipate demand and shape training supply.

Summary

The East of England is at the forefront of the UK’s green energy revolution, but fulfilling its vast potential demands sharp focus on skills supply and effective coordination. There are many current strengths: strong apprenticeship programmes, employer-provider partnerships, and funding injections. But there are also remaining gaps: sub-sector-specific training (like hydrogen), mid-career transitions, and scalable education infrastructure. Upskilling and reskilling for adults, already in the labour market, is relatively under-resourced. By building on early success and extending initiatives like Nucleus, Skills Charter, and the College on the Coast, the region can become a hub for green energy expertise—fostering jobs, equity, and resilience in a net-zero future.