City of London addresses the green skills gap: New report pushes for workforce upskilling
The City of London Corporation has unveiled a comprehensive report addressing the increasing demand for green skills and jobs focused on making the city’s commercial buildings more sustainable.
This report underlines the urgency to cultivate a diversified workforce adept at constructing, retrofitting, and maintaining eco-friendly buildings. By 2027, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) forecasts that Central London will experience a boom in construction labor, anticipating over 250,000 jobs. Furthermore, an annual demand exists for about 35,000 specialists in the built environment domain.
Under the banner of the ‘Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce,’ over 300 entities including construction firms, designers, and educational institutions emphasize the pressing need for sustainable infrastructure.
To address this skills gap, the report suggests re-evaluating the Apprenticeship Levy and s106 policies. Issues have arisen due to the existing rigid structure of the Apprenticeship Levy and disparities in s106 protocols.
Highlighted in the report are six primary action points
- Introduction of foundational sustainability training and advanced courses for emerging positions.
- Collaborating with government to establish advanced green skills blueprints.
- Prioritize a diverse pool of candidates for a broad range of sustainable roles.
- Foster an accessible system to consolidate and disseminate data about upcoming projects and skill deficits.
- Encourage built environment entities to embrace an Environmental Social Governance (ESG) model to endorse sustainable practices and training.
- Publicize the sector’s pivotal role in combating climate change by offering varied career paths and promoting diverse industry figures.
Shravan Joshi, Chairman of the City of London Corporation Planning and Transport Committee, stressed, “Central London’s pivot to a greener economy heavily relies on the built environment. With buildings being major carbon contributors, slashing emissions becomes imperative for climate change mitigation. I urge industry experts to collaborate with the Sustainable Skyline Taskforce and adopt the proposed strategies.”
The Taskforce has pledged ongoing dialogues with the government, advocating for a more adaptable Apprenticeship Levy and s106 framework. Their focus remains on launching a National Retrofit and Green Skills Strategy for commercial ventures while rallying stakeholders to prioritize workforce development and diversification.
