Preparing the Low Carbon Workforce:

An Assessment of Education and Skills Provision

Gareth Morris

Salford Housing and Urban Studies Unit

University of Salford

The low carbon economy….

…. why?

80% reduction…

… by 2050

Photo courtesy of Deut. Work released into the public domain. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eggborough_power_station.jpg

Job creation

Photo courtesy of Glogger. GNU Free Documentation License. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Urbine_raising062p.jpg

UK

Germany

Low carbon exports

£10bn

£50bn

Source: Environmental Audit Committee (2009) Green Jobs and Skills, London: The Stationary Office

Legislation

Emissions Trading

Photo courtesy of S. Solberg J. CC Attribution 3.0 Unported. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:European_flag_in_the_wind.jpg?uselang=en-gb

Reducing business

waste

Photo courtesy of Estormiz. Work released into the public domain. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rusko_Landfill_20090530.JPG

Policy

Feed-in tariffs

Photo courtesy of Bidgee. CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electricity_pylons.jpg

Renewables Obligation

Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

Photo courtesy of Woodennature. CC Attribution 3.0 Unported. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Singapore_Road_Signs_-_Warning_Sign_-_Elderly_or_Blind_People.svg

Zero carbon homesPhoto courtesy of Nigel Cox. CC Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beddington_Corner,_The_BedZED_estate_-_geograph.org.uk_-_415459.jpg

EPCs

Barriers…….

Icon courtesy of Silsor. CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stop_hand.svg

Photo courtesy of Ken Fields. CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thin_Film_Flexible_Solar_PV_Installation_2.JPG

Confusion about being ‘green’

Preparing leaders

The

of the task

1.1 million

Greater Manchester

homes

Source: http://www.mshp.org.uk/news/pdfs/RSLproviderforum.pdf

400,000

Loft and cavity measures

Source: http://www.mshp.org.uk/news/pdfs/RSLproviderforum.pdf

Renewable Technologies

NW region potential training need 2010-2020

4. Air source heat pumps 5,127

3. Micro wind energy 5,138

2. Ground source heat pumps 5,850

1. Solar water and heating 6,594

(+ 22,000 more for other technologies)

Source: Summit Skills (2010) Potential Training Demand in Environmental Technologies in Building Services Engineering. Trend Analysis 2008-9: Stage 1

HE ‘low carbon’ courses in the UK

STEM subjectsDe Montfort University: Green Energy Technology BSc

Queen Mary University: Sustainable Energy Systems MSc

Leadership and managementUniversity of Edinburgh: Carbon Finance/Management MSc

University of Exeter: Renewable Energy BSc

A range of Foundation Degree courses

Local HE provision

University of Manchester

Environment and Sustainable Technology MSc

Man Met University

PG awards in Environmental Management and Business

University of Bolton

Renewable Energy Systems and Technologies MSc

Lancaster University

Environmental Change and Sustainable Development BSc

Local FE provision

National Skills Academy for Environmental Technology – a regional ‘hub’ and ‘spokes’

Many preparing to launch for 2011/12

Focused on installation of renewable technologies

Upskilling current workforce and feeding into apprenticeships

Seeking accreditation from Green Deal and MicrogenerationCertification Scheme

Piecing the low carbon economy together