8 Career Opportunities from the Green Recovery Plan

The UK Prime Minister on the 17th November 2020 posted an article in The Times in which he announced the Green Recovery Plan as a 10-point plan which "will mobilise £12bn of government investment, and potentially three times as much from the private sector, to create and support up to 250,000 green jobs."

The article from the UK PM starts by assuring that humanity will win over the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the fight is not won just yet, he is confident that through testing, drugs and vaccines, humanity will prevail. There is, however, a stark understanding that there is a mountain to climb when it comes to repairing the economic damage left in the wake of such a global event.

Britain has always been a proud nation, particularly around engineering innovation, which has been the worlds leading and first for many new technologies throughout history. The Prime Minister, in his article, tries to paint a picture of a future of a 'levelled up' Britain posts a Green Industrial Revolution.

"You cook breakfast using hydrogen power before getting in your electric car, having charged it overnight from batteries made in the Midlands. Around you the air is cleaner; trucks, trains, ships and planes run on hydrogen or synthetic fuel."

Hope is given to a future in which the UK is regarded as the world's number one centre for green technology and finance. Examples are used, such as the UK becoming known as the Saudi Arabia of wind and having the ability to make hydrogen and capture carbon, the pioneers of the decarbonisation of transport, industry and power. Further references are made to specific towns and regions that will have 'made this happen', including Teesside, Port Talbot, Merseyside and Mansfield. The Midland, the North East, Wales, the North West and Scotland are dominant in the announcement.

Some of the article's statements provide future career opportunities by the growth or creation of new technology sectors. The eight statements to highlight from the Green Recovery Plan are that the UK will:

1. be synonymous with green technology and jobs

2. make hydrogen and capture carbon to decarbonise transport, industry and power

3. be leading electric vehicle technicians

4. have skilled construction and installation workers

5. be specialists in advance fuels

6. up-skill agroforestry practitioners

7. require more grid system installers

8. provide trainers and developers of new green jobs through a Lifetime Skills Guarantee

The article moves on to briefly outline the 10-point Green Recovery Plan, which is described as a global template for delivering net zero-emission in ways that create jobs and preserve our lifestyles. "Green and growth go hand-in-hand. So let us meet the most enduring threat to our planet with one of the most innovative and ambitious programmes of job-creation we have known."

The 10-point Green Recovery Plan

#1 make the UK 'the Saudi Arabia of wind' with the offshore capacity to power every home by 2030.

#2 large investments in hydrogen as a source of energy

#3 new nuclear power through large scale, small, and advanced modular reactors

#4 large investments in electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure

#5 cleaner public transport and hundreds of miles on cycle lanes

#6 zero-emission planes and ships

#7 make homes, schools and hospitals greener and energy bills lower

#8 create a world-leading industry in carbon capture and storage

#9 major programme of planting of trees and rewilding of countryside

#10 commercialise new low-carbon technologies

The PM will have to discuss this further with UK businesses to discuss their contribution and provide a clear timetable for implementation. There will need to be consideration of how the technology will be procured. The carbon prices put on emissions and what regulations need to be in place.

Be assured in that the current impacts of the pandemic and the critical nature of the need for clean energy creates the perfect storm for the UK Government have to act quickly.

The PM plans to establish a "task force net-zero" responsible for achieving net-zero by 2050. The COP26 summit is in Glasgow next year and will provide a fantastic opportunity for the UK to showcase the world's plans and encourage them to join the movement.

Green Recovery Jobs

The outline of the Green Recovery plan provides for the potential demand of 250,000 green jobs with potentially £48bn of government and private investment. This is huge! Many of these jobs will assure people currently employed - even maybe on furlough - that there is long-term work for them in future years.

The roles will be great news to many individuals and companies and have numerous positive impacts. Someone who will welcome the article is Martin Offiah, Brand Ambassador of Connected Kerb, who provides an infrastructure solution that enables future communities through connectivity.

The demand will also provide opportunities for job seekers with many apprenticeships and graduate roles being created, providing the next generation of UK skilled workers. The details of the resource demand and profile will be fully understood following the PMs consultations with UK businesses. However, be assured that the pandemic's current impacts and the critical nature of the need for clean energy create the perfect storm for the UK Government to act quickly.

The majority of these jobs will be captured by key recruiters such as Josh Young and his website at Energy Jobline. It is a good time to get your CV over to them and put yourself in the mix for one of the above 250,000 roles.

Get Into Nuclear aims to inspire individuals and businesses to get into the nuclear industry. Our core aim to quote Eric Meyer, Founder & Executive Director of Generation Atomic, is to get nuclear "a seat at the table" regards clean energy discussions. The recent article from Boris Johnson certainly does that for us in the UK at least. To add, nuclear is linked to #3 above and can provide skills and expertise to support many of the steps listed on the plan.

Getintonuclear.com provides you with a Careers Hub with links to all of the key resources to enable you to get yourself in a position to land a role in the nuclear industry. Be you an entry-level, Straight out of college, recent graduate or senior-level. There is more than a good chance to help.

Head on over to our Careers Hub to find out more about the current opportunities within the nuclear industry.

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We would love to discuss the above further with individuals, businesses, organisations, government, activists, and investors - drop us a line at mail@getintonuclear.com.

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