Green Futures: Connecting young people to green and clean energy pathways across the West of England

The West of England is expected to need more than 45,000 to 50,000 additional green jobs to meet its Net Zero ambitions. Clean energy is one of the region’s five priority growth sectors, supported by around 400 clean energy businesses. 

The West of England Careers Hub is playing a fundamental role in translating the region’s clean energy and Net Zero ambitions into practical, high-quality careers education for young people.

Through the Green Futures programme, the Hub acted as a strategic connector across education, employers and regional partners, creating a coordinated programme that raised awareness of clean energy careers, strengthened employer engagement and helped build the future talent pipeline needed by a rapidly growing sector.

At its core, the programme demonstrates the value of the Careers Hub as a regional system leader: convening schools, colleges, employers, teachers, parents and careers professionals around a shared workforce challenge. By aligning careers education with labour market priorities, the Hub enables young people to understand the breadth of opportunities within clean energy and the wider green economy, from engineering and construction to digital, project management, communications, policy and sustainability roles.  

Early evaluation shows strong impact against a clear baseline need. Before the programme, only 27% of students felt able to explain what a green job was and just 8% believed they had the information needed to pursue a green career. Following participation, 85% of young people reported they could explain what a green job is, 74% could give examples of green jobs, 64% understood pathways into green careers, 69% understood the skills green employers are seeking and 64% felt they had the information needed to pursue a green career pathway.

The programme also strengthened career readiness: 78% of participants reported understanding workplace expectations, 63% believed they had the skills required to pursue a green job in the future and 64% felt confident discussing their skills and qualities with future employers. Employer engagement was also sustained, with 91% of employers indicating they were more likely to continue providing workplace experiences and employer encounters in future.

Employers valued the Careers Hub’s ability to broker meaningful connections with schools and young people, helping them communicate the breadth of clean energy roles, address misconceptions about green careers and contribute directly to the development of future local talent. Feedback also indicates that employers gained greater confidence in engaging with education providers, with 91% saying they were more likely to continue offering workplace experiences and employer encounters because of the programme.

Green Futures provides a scalable model for how Careers Hubs can respond to emerging economic priorities: turning strategic intent into accessible careers learning, improving social mobility by reaching young people who face additional barriers, and helping employers develop a more diverse and locally rooted talent pipeline. In doing so, the Careers Hub has positioned itself as a critical delivery partner in supporting clean energy growth, inclusive opportunity and the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable regional economy.