"Powering the renewable energy transition: why immigration is a live issue,"

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As highlighted by the previous Green Jobs Taskforce, there are current and projected labour shortages in critical sectors such as engineering, technology, construction, project management, and technical maintenance. Workers will be needed to build energy-related infrastructure such as wind farms, solar panelling, e-vehicle charging networks, as well as to progress waste management, agriculture and land management projects...

One initiative that is already underway is the introduction of an energy skills passport, with an initial version due to launch from January 2025. The passport will provide cross-sector recognition of training and experience, enabling workers from declining traditional energy sectors, such as oil and gas, to more easily transition into jobs in the growing offshore wind industry...

Once the occupations in shortage have been identified, there are at least three areas the immigration system may be able to assist in addressing them:

• Increasing incentives for international students to train to fill these roles, whether in the UK or abroad;
• Increasing incentives for migrants working in the targeted occupations to come to the UK, or to stay in the UK; and
• Reducing barriers for businesses to progress initiatives that will contribute to meeting the net zero target or other environmental sustainability objectives.

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