Closing the skills gap: is the UK preparing young people for the jobs of tomorrow?

To mark the launch of a joint paper between the Green Alliance and NEF, we convened a launch event in Parliament sponsored by Alastair Strathern MP and featuring remarks from young people’s lived experience of the labour market. Young people care about climate change and the environment, yet employers are seemingly unable to channel this enthusiasm into new jobs and skills. So, what’s needed to prepare young people and employers for the job market of the future?

Green Alliance has examined the skills young people need in a rapidly changing labour market that is being reshaped by green and digital transitions. The New Economics Foundation has focused on practical steps to prepare young people for the future workforce. Both reports have been informed by discussions with diverse groups of young people from across the country.

With youth unemployment at a ten year high and employers reporting severe skills shortages in green sectors, there is a clear disconnect. This is an important moment to explore how to ensure young people get the jobs they want and need, and that the future skills pipeline has an adequate labour supply for these sectors.