Getting Gen-Z into retrot and
renewables jobs: the appetite is
there, but not the awareness
MCS Charitable Foundation
2
About MCS Charitable Foundation
MCS Charitable Foundation is an independent UK-wide charity. Our mission is
to accelerate the widespread adoption of renewable energy and low carbon
technologies. With growing concern about the climate emergency and energy
costs, the need to advance low carbon solutions has never been greater. We want
everyone to have access to aordable and reliable renewable energy, so that we
can have warm, comfortable homes as part of a resilient, zero carbon future. The
Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) was set up by the UK Government to
maintain and promote standards in home-grown renewable energy. Since 2018 the
scheme has been run by the independent MCS Service Company. MCS Charitable
Foundation, set up by UK Government in 2018, is the sole shareholder of the
Company, and uses the Company’s business surpluses to fund its charitable work
and grant-giving programme.
About Savanta
Savanta is a fast-growing, global, data, market research, and advisory company that
informs and inspires its clients through powerful data, empowering technology, and
high-impact consulting, to enable its clients to make better decisions and achieve
faster progress.
Getting Gen-Z into retrofit and renewables jobs:
the appetite is there, but not the awareness
MCS Charitable Foundation,
www.mcscharitablefoundation.org
Author: Dr Richard Hauxwell-Baldwin, Research & Campaigns Manager
November 2023
Designed by Jimmy Davies - jimmydavies.com
3
MCS Charitable Foundation
Foreword
A generation of young people is preparing to enter the workforce
with levels of concern about climate change like never before, and
a determination to tackle it. But despite record awareness about
the environmental challenge facing us, Gen Z do not necessarily
see “green jobs” as being for them, instead thinking of climate
action as something they can undertake in their personal lives.
This timely report sets out how to unlock the potential and drive of
Gen Z to help with the seismic shift in the workforce that we need
to meet net zero. To meet legal net zero goals, the UK will need
more than a hundred thousand workers in the solar and heat pump
industries alone in the next decade. 15-25-year-olds – those at
the start of their careers or about to enter the workforce – will be
absolutely crucial in providing that capacity. The question is, what
do those young people want from their work life, why do they not
see “green jobs” as an option, and how can they be recruited or
encouraged into careers that support the green transition?
This report builds on thorough research into those questions,
which have not been fully addressed before. Among the key
findings, which should be heeded by Government and by advisors
working on education as well as net zero policy, is the need
for apprenticeships to be much better promoted. Promoting
apprenticeships encourages young people to consider green
career options that they would not otherwise be aware of.
At present, university is still seen as the default option for
aspirational students – this report shows that better promotion of
apprenticeships can provide young people with respectable, viable
and accessible routes into secure and fulfilling jobs.
Gen Z is coming of age in a time of huge uncertainty, but also a
time of opportunity for the UK to secure its standing as a climate
leader. Gen Z can be the driving force of that leadership. Adopting
the findings of this new report will be a foundation towards
achieving that vision.
David Cowdrey, Director of External Aairs
4
6
It is an accepted fact that there is a skills shortage across the economy – it is as
dicult to find an HGV driver as it a nurse or, in the context of this report, a heat
pump engineer or solar panel fitter. But if we are to have any hope of reaching
our net zero goals, this is an issue that must be addressed across the building
and small-scale renewables sectors.
With projected job numbers estimated to increase in the tens of thousands for
the heat pump and solar sectors, and the hundreds of thousands across the
building industry, we must recruit a new generation of skilled workers as re-
training the existing workforce cannot meet all of this demand.
This brief report sets out the findings of research on ‘What Gen-Z want from a
Green Job’ conducted by the market research agency Savanta on behalf of the
MCS Charitable Foundation.
The research involved a quantitative survey of 1000 young people and four
follow-on focus groups. It explored understandings and perceptions of future
career aspirations, environmental awareness, perceptions of ‘green jobs’ and
‘jobs in renewables’, and potential career paths.
Executive Summary
A key finding of the research was that despite young people
being environmentally aware and concerned about climate
change, there was a disconnect between that concern and
an awareness that they could have a positive impact on the
planet through their work. There was also a general lack of
awareness of apprenticeships as a potential training route
into the sector.
7
MCS Charitable Foundation
Demonstrate impact
Some participants questioned the level of impact some jobs defined as ‘green’
could have. They wanted to understand the sustainability and extent of impact they
could have in their career.
Provide examples
Gen Z understood the broad-brush definition of green jobs, but wanted to understand
what these looked like in greater detail. This is particularly important in the context
of the small-scale renewables sector – what do jobs look like in the sector, and how
can we promote them? The creation and promotion of good case studies can be
invaluable in showing people the routes in and job options available to them.
Explore routes in
The variety of jobs available that had positive impact on the environment felt
unexplored for many participants. They wanted to understand qualifications
required for the range of jobs – this is especially important in relation to promoting
apprenticeships as a viable route into the sector.
Emphasise variety
Although participants were concerned about climate change, many still wanted to
pursue jobs in line with their passion and skills. Emphasise that a dream job with
positive impact is possible. In short, their passion and skills can align with a job in
the small-scale renewables sector. It is up to the sector to show them how.
Create an open forum
Participants had many questions about green jobs and shared they hadn’t thought
of using their jobs to have a positive environmental impact. Allowing an open
dialogue with young people to explore their options in the sector will be key to
fostering interest. This could be through school assemblies or university job fairs, or
online forums such as Linkedin, Instagram and TikTok.
Meet them where they are
Gen Z are proactive in their research into their future careers. They acknowledge
the power of hearing tailored advice from teachers/universities, but also from online
sites and social media. These will be key areas to influence.
The findings lead to six clear recommendations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
8
Gen-Z – an untapped
workforce that can help
deliver net zero
9
MCS Charitable Foundation
Introduction
It is an accepted fact that there is a skills shortage across the economy – it is as dicult to find
an HGV driver
1
as it a nurse
2
or, in the context of this report, a heat pump engineer or solar panel
fitter. But if we are to have any hope of reaching our net zero goals, this is an issue that must be
addressed across the building and small-scale renewables sectors.
Solar Energy UK estimate that we will need up to 60,000 people working in the solar industry by
the mid-2030s.
3
In the heat pump sector, the Heat Pump Association suggest the number of heating
engineers required by the same time at 50,000.
4
Looking across the whole sector, the Construction
Industry Training Board (CITB) estimate an additional 350,000 people – or an additional 13% on the
current workforce level – will be needed to deliver the necessary building improvements across
the sector, including a further 80,000 project managers and associated support sta.
5
Re-training the existing workforce into new roles can meet some of this demand, but it cannot fill it
all. In the heating sector, for example, research from the Gas Safe Register shows the median age
for gas engineers is 55.
6
More problematically, the research also shows that 55 is the same age
at which some engineers begin to leave the register, with peaks at 60 and 65. This means that a
majority of the existing 140,000 heating engineers
7
are due to retire within a decade, making them
an unlikely source of re-training. And with anecdotal evidence from other sectors suggesting a
similar picture, there is a clear need to find alternate sources of new workers to reach the numbers
required, with school leavers an obvious and seemingly untapped option.
This short report sets out to answer some of these questions, based on research conducted by the
market research agency Savanta
8
commissioned by the MCS Charitable Foundation.
1 www.cips.org/supply-management/news/2023/july/hgv-driver-numbers-stabilise-but-risk-of-shortages-remains/
2 www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2022/10/nhs-nursing-workforce
3 solarenergyuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Be-part-of-a-brighter-future-E-Booklet.pdf
4 www.heatpumps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/A-Roadmap-for-the-Role-of-Heat-Pumps.pdf
5 www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/construction-industry-research-reports/search-our-construction-industry-research-reports/building-skills-for-net-zero/
6 www.gassaferegister.co.uk/media/2490/decade-review.pdf
7 www.gassaferegister.co.uk/about-us/news/news-2019/ten-years-of-keeping-people-gas-safe
8 www.savanta.com
But how do we go about recruiting the next generation of
young people into the sector?
What do we know about their perceptions of ‘green jobs’,
and how it compares to others they may be considering?
10
Researching what Gen-Z want from a
‘green job’
There is, of course, an issue with the term ‘green job’ that needs to be acknowledged from the outset.
It is such a broad phrase that covers a vast array of jobs, as can be seen by the ONS definition:
“Employment in an activity that contributes to protecting or restoring the
environment, including those that mitigate or adapt to climate change.”
9
However, as a route into understanding young peoples’ perceptions and understandings about
career options, it provided a useful starting point from which to delve further into their views on
‘jobs in renewable energy’.
9 www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/articles/greenjobscurrentandupcomingwork/march2023
The Savanta research was conducted in two phases:
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 1 involved a quantitative survey of 1030 young people split into two roughly
equal groups – 15-17 year olds, and 18-24 year old undergraduates (with a small
minority of that group – 3% - undertaking an apprenticeship or work-based training).
Phase 2 comprised four focus groups of six participants split equally by age (16-17 and
18-24) and if they were studying STEM or non-STEM subjects. The focus groups were
designed to explore and probe further into the key themes that emerged from the
quantitative survey.
11
MCS Charitable Foundation
Summary of key ndings
The research findings clearly showed there is an appetite for Gen-Z to do
jobs that they feel have value and can have a positive impact on the planet,
but a lack of awareness of what those jobs are and, crucially, how to go
about training for them.
Given that their primary information sources are careers advisers (both dedicated careers advice
services and teachers), parents and social media, follow-on research is needed to understand how
they perceive jobs in the sector, and in-turn how they are presenting those views to young people.
The other key finding was the interest in apprenticeships as a route into work, but a lack of
knowledge as to how to turn this interest into action. This should be of particular interest to training
providers across the spectrum of the industry, given the depth and breadth of apprenticeship
options available now. Not only can we look to get more young people into hands-on
apprenticeships on the front-line of installing or developing green technologies, the option of doing
more oce-based supporting roles as apprenticeships also exists, such as accounting roles to
support green businesses.
Given the scale of the looming skills shortage, coupled with the increasing urgency of moving
towards net zero, the research findings suggest a clear need for education providers - who, via
careers advisors, are often best-placed to provide careers advice to young people - to present a
wider range of options to them on their future careers – both in terms of what that career could be,
and how to train for it.
The remainder of the report sets these findings out in more detail, beginning by outlining
where Gen-Z are in terms of career hopes and aspirations, job expectations and environmental
awareness, before moving on to discuss how they perceive their career options and how to
achieve them. The report then focusses more specifically on exploring what young people think
of ' ‘green jobs’, with a specific focus on jobs in renewable energy, before concluding with a set of
recommendations on how to promote green jobs to young people that, it is hoped, can go some
way towards creating the next generation of workers in the sector.
12
What Gen-Z want from a job, any job…
Perhaps unsurprisingly, and in common with what would seem to be a fairly reasonable aspiration
for us all in relation to our work, the two most common things that Gen Z want from a future job are
enjoyment and financial security. Perhaps more surprisingly, given that Gen-Z have a strong overall
awareness of and concern regarding the environment in general and climate change in particular,
this does not seem to drive their motivations for future jobs.
The research highlighted that:
Healthcare, business and accountancy are the most favoured industries for Gen Z
when they think about their future careers.
When looking at what they want out of their future careers, having a job which they
would enjoy and being well paid were priorities for the majority of respondents.
The current economic instability in the UK is a key driver of Gen Z’s focus on
financial security for their future careers.
Comparatively, having a job that benefits the environment was only important to a
minority (15%) of respondents.
Gen Z did have interest in having a job which has a positive impact on the
environment, but this was not a dominating factor in their motivations.
13
MCS Charitable Foundation
When prompted to think and talk about climate change as part of the research, young people
showed they had done some thinking about elements of their careers that could have a positive
impact on the planet. However, their focus was often more on their own personal impact on the
environment such as their transportation to jobs, rather than the impact the actual job could have
– whether positive or negative. Over 80% of participants saw a green job as ‘a job that is good for
the planet’ – but didn’t necessarily connect that with a job that they might be able to do as a career
choice. This view was neatly summarised by one focus group attendee who commented:
“In all honesty, I don't think of the environment when I think of my career
prospects. It's there but…an afterthought.”
(Non-STEM student, 15-17yr old)
Participants were keen to stress that they wanted to do jobs that aligned with their passions and
skills, however there was a clear disconnect between their expressed concern for the environment
and a belief they could do something about it through their work. To help resolve this, they
suggested it made sense for pathways into green careers to be broad, so they could see how
what they are learning or studying can be done in a green way (e.g. working in finance), rather than
pushing for exclusive green pathways (e.g. being a heat pump installer).
The older age group (18-24) and those with a pre-existing awareness of Net Zero, along with those
with pre-existing links to the sector (for example through their parents’ work) were more likely to
consider green jobs. Similarly, male students and those studying STEM subjects are significantly
more likely to consider a job installing renewable technology over women and those not studying
STEM, with some seeing themselves as in an excellent position to make a strong impact:
“I think we're in the perfect place to be the change makers and be the
ones that will have an impact and hopefully solve the climate crisis…When
you're looking at targets for 2050..for net zero that will absolutely be our
generation that has to step up and tackle that.”
(STEM student, 15-17yr old)
14
To reach net zero we
must encourage a diverse
workforce into the sector
15
MCS Charitable Foundation
While encouraging to see such a positive response to the potential oered by jobs in renewable
technologies, the sector needs to engage with a more diverse group of young people to address
the current imbalance in the workforce.
What these findings highlight is the need to appeal to a much broader range of potential workers if
the sector is to avoid a major skills shortage in the near future. Research from the Energy Systems
Catapult on increasing diversity in the heating sector
10
showed that only two percent of heating
engineers are women, and only five percent from ethnic minorities. The report highlighted the
need for an increase in availability and awareness of fair job opportunities, flexible training and
work opportunities, and the promotion of a healthy and inclusive environment in which women and
ethnic minorities feel a sense of belonging if they are to be drawn into the sector.
On a more encouraging note, all participants were interested to hear they could have a positive
environmental impact in their career when presented with a broader definition of green jobs, such
as a sustainability manager within a retail company or an accountant in a green finance firm, and
not just as an installer of renewables. But the disconnect shown by research participants between
their awareness of climate and environmental issues, and an understanding of how their work
might address them highlights the need for a significant shift in the language used when discussing
career options with young people.
However as the next section highlights, perhaps the real challenge lies in shifting perceptions –
both of young people and those who are advising them on their career options – and enable them
to consider alternative pathways other than the one that leads to university.
10 es.catapult.org.uk/report/skills-diversity-in-heating/
16
Gen-Z career paths
For the majority of research participants, university was seen as the natural path to take after
school. For some, this was as a way into a desired career or out of interest in pursuing a particular
subject, but for others the appeal of university is the social aspect of getting the ‘university
experience’ and living independently for the first time:
"I want to go to university because I like the subjects that I'm studying and I
wanted to sort of study them, go to depth. And I also want the experience of
university. So that's sort of three years of higher education and then the sort
of social life and the experiences that come with it.”
(Non-STEM student, 15-17yr old)
When looking at these motivations in more detail, what became apparent was the lack of
awareness of alternatives to university due to a lack of promotion at school. And of those who had
undertaken their own research into apprenticeships, there was a feeling that there was a fairly
limited choice on oer. In general, research participants were not aware of the breadth of careers
that can be supported through alternative educational routes such as apprenticeships:
“There's been a lot of support in my school for universities, but not with
apprenticeships. For apprenticeships, I don't know as much as I should. For
me university is the only option”
(Non-STEM student, 15-17yr old)
These findings are not necessarily surprising, but they do suggest that young people are being
presented with a limited set of options for their post-school life, whatever form that takes. To
explore this further, we asked participants what sources of information they relied upon for careers
advice. On first asking this question, careers advice services provided by school or university,
parents, family members and teachers or lecturers all featured highly (see fig. 1.).
Further exploring this within the focus groups, the influence of social media was far greater than
first described, suggesting there are at least two main avenues of information gathering: traditional
routes such as parents and careers advice services, followed by online platforms such as Instagram
and TikTok where the role of influencers may be significant in shaping future career decisions.
17
MCS Charitable Foundation
Figure 1: Which of the following would you go to for information about careers? Base: All
respondents (1030), 15-17 (508), 18-24 (522).
“The information that was given as about universities was the best. So I'm
very lucky to have a good set of subject teachers that could help me go
through what I wanted to do”
(Non-STEM student, 15-17yr old)
52%
56% 56%
26%
16%
25%
16%
11%
2%
49%
42%
39% 39%
31%
21%
16%
10%
3%
Career advice
services
provided by
school or
university
Teachers and/
or Lecturers
Family
members such
as a Parent or
Guardian
The younger age group is
significantly more likely to
go teachers/lecturers and
family members than the
older age group.
The older age group is
significantly more likely to
use recruitment websites
and professional social
media platforms than the
younger.
Recruitment
websites
(including
Indeed and
CV library)
15-17
18-24
Professional
social media
platforms (e.g.
LinkedIn)
Friends General
social media
platforms (e.g.
Instagram,
TikTok, etc.)
Social media
influencers
Other
18
Promoting apprenticeships
is key to attracting a new
workforce
19
MCS Charitable Foundation
Spreading understanding and awareness of green jobs amongst careers advisors and teachers
is an important first step. They are a key source of advice for young people on their next steps
and have a significant influence over their students' choices. As such, an understanding of their
perceptions of green jobs and the routes into them, and how they then talk to young people about
them, would be a valuable next research step.
When post-school options were discussed as part of the focus groups, it emerged that some
people had considered apprenticeships as a way to earn and learn, and was seen as leading to
a guaranteed job upon completion. However, ultimately many chose against them because of a
perceived lack of choice, not much support from their school when choosing to go down that path
(compared to university), a fear of being left out from their peers going to university, not wishing to
go into work straight from school, and a perception that apprenticeships are very competitive and
there are not enough spaces:
"They are a great idea, but schools/colleges don't talk about them enough.
People my age then don't do enough research to understand them…If I did
know about them then I would have considered them a lot more.”
(Non-STEM student, 15-17yr old)
“One of the biggest criticisms of apprenticeships is that they don't oer
as much for long term future as universities. And so, I feel that IF my
apprenticeship could do that, then I would definitely go for that. And
because it is a far more stable way of entering a career than perhaps
university is at the moment”
(STEM student, 15-17yr old)
In short, university is seen as the default path for Gen-Z, and their awareness and support of other
training options is low. As highlighted in the previous section, there appears to be a disconnect
between young peoples’ concern for the environment and a belief they can necessarily do
anything about it through their work – a situation possibly exacerbated, even if unwittingly, by the
careers advice they receive. In the next section, we explore this point further by unpacking young
peoples’ perceptions of ‘green jobs’, and whether they saw them as an option as a career.
20
Awareness and perception of green jobs
When asked how familiar they are with certain terms for green jobs, there were high levels of
familiarity across both research groups for terms such as 'a job that is good for the planet' (85%),
closely followed by a job helping tackle climate change (84%), a job in renewable energy (84%), a
job in sustainability (82%) and a job installing solar PV or heat pumps (79%).
When the question was then rephrased to ask, “Based on what you know now (if anything), how
likely are you to consider doing each type of job in the future?”, the figures changed somewhat
(see Fig 2.)
Figure 2: Based on what you know now (if anything), how likely are you to consider doing each
type of job in the future? Base: All respondents (1030).
49%
35%
38%
33%
29%
29%
31%
22%
40%
44%
52%
53%
57%
59%
60%
71%
A job that is good for the planet
A job helping tackle climate change
A job in sustainability
A green job
A low-carbon job
A job working in renewable energy
A net Zero job
A job installing renewable technology
like solar PV and heat pumps
These are amongst the
lowest to be considered.
This could be due to
a lack of familiarity or
technical understanding
of the terms.
Not ConsiderConsider
21
MCS Charitable Foundation
Overall, there was a strong appetite among participants to consider the broad variety of green-
related jobs for the future. They were most familiar and would consider doing most jobs that are
‘good for the planet’. Those who are older, know someone in the sector or have a pre-existing
knowledge of Net Zero were more likely to know or consider green jobs, while male students and
those studying STEM were more likely to consider jobs installing renewable technology.
Some recognised the breadth of potential green jobs:
“I think green jobs are where you can have branches of lots of professions.
So you could have legal clinics working in environmental action. It doesn't
have to be the whole industry, just like the whole of BP or Shell or whatever
isn't necessarily green, but arms of it could be doing good stu.”
(STEM student, 15-17yr old)
While others didn’t:
“I don't know what my role would be if I were to get a green job tomorrow.”
(Non-STEM student, 15-17yr old)
Around 40% of participants stated they wouldn’t consider a green job in the future, with just over
3-in-10 stating they were simply not interested or wanted to go into other fields, while another 3-in-
10 stated they didn’t know much about them.
Gen Z had a positive perception of green jobs. However, they mainly associate them with traditional
renewable energy industries. In general, green jobs were seen as innovative, rewarding and
friendly but were less likely to be seen as well paid. People associated green jobs with more
traditional ‘green’ roles - jobs that they saw as good for the planet and good for society as a whole,
such as solar PV installers, low-carbon heating engineer or insulation installer, and less so roles
such as project developers, design engineers or finance roles.
Young people also felt they had many misconceptions around green jobs and were surprised that
they could still have a positive impact on the planet without being a scientist or activist. Two in five
respondents felt higher education qualifications were needed to do a green job, while nearly two-
thirds felt NVQ Level 3 or higher was needed.
22
In combination, these findings suggest a clear need to make a wider connection between young
peoples’ career aspirations and how a 'job that is good for the planet' can meet those aspirations
in a variety of dierent ways, along with the promotion of clear qualification and training pathways
other than university. Research participants said that they would like school assemblies or
dedicated days to learning about green jobs and how to get into them, along with universities
holding events such as jobs fairs or providing newsletters which speak about green jobs.
“We have a lot of assemblies, but they all seem to be on similar stu which I
don’t really find too useful. Maybe some of those could be used to advertise
the green jobs. It would be good to have people from the industries and talk
about them.”
(STEM student, 15-17yr old)
Both age groups mentioned the importance of social media on promoting awareness of green jobs.
This is both in practical terms with green jobs being promoted on LinkedIn but also in a subliminal
way through platforms like TikTok.
“I rely on social media a lot and I trust social media…if there is a company
that has social media and a website, I feel like I would trust them more and
rely on that information...it is like they are trying to reach out to people and
be open about things.”
(STEM student, 18-24yr old)
23
MCS Charitable Foundation
This awareness of green jobs could be combined with spreading greater awareness of alternative
training routes after school amongst young people and those who influence them. This last point is
of particular relevance, given that just over half of respondents said that if they knew they could get
an apprenticeship in a green job or there was information at their place of education, it would make
them consider a renewable energy job in the future (see Fig 3.).
Figure 3; To what extent would the following make you more or less likely to consider a
renewable energy job? (Base: 1030-474)
A nationwide advertising campaign
about renewable energy jobs
Renewable energy jobs events
near me where I can learn more
about them
Information in my school/sixth form/
college/university about renewable
energy jobs
Knowing I could get an
apprenticeship in a green job, where
I could earn and learn the same
NET:
Consider
NET:
Won't
consider
14% 31% 35% 45%
49%
55%
57%
13%
12%
11%
11%
9% 3% 8%
15% 34% 32% 9% 3% 7%
18% 37% 27% 7% 4% 7%
37% 25% 7% 4% 7%20%
Much more likely to consider
More likely to consider
Just likely to consider
Less likely to consider
Much more likely to consider
Don't know
24
Conclusions and Recommendations
If we are to have any hope of reaching our net zero goals, we must
address the skills shortage across the building and small-scale
renewables sectors.
We simply cannot transition the UK to a net zero economy without recruiting a
significant number of new entrants into the job roles required for its delivery, and
this will heavily rely on encouraging a new Gen-Z workforce to consider a ‘green
job’, or in the context of this report, a job in the small-scale renewables industry.
But as this report has shown, while there is an appetite for Gen-Z to do jobs that
are ‘good for the planet’, they don't know enough about them or the pathways to
secure them.
As a group, Gen Z are concerned about climate change and want to do something
about it. They also want financial security and to enjoy their work, but don’t
necessarily equate green jobs with either of those things. As the research findings
also clearly show, there is an appetite among Gen-Z to do jobs that they feel have
value and can have a positive impact on the planet, but a lack of awareness of what
those jobs are and, crucially, how to go about training for them.
What this research has clearly highlighted is that there is an
untapped audience of young people with a desire for good,
well-paid jobs that they enjoy, and feel are making a positive
contribution to the environment. With the majority of the 29m
homes in the UK in need of some form of retrofitting to make
them fit for the future, the demand for skilled workers across
the sector can only grow.
It is up to us as a sector to find ways to encourage new
recruits into the sector by showing them how it meets their
career aspirations to ensure we can continue to decarbonise
homes, heat and energy as part of the transition to net zero.
25
MCS Charitable Foundation
To do this, the following six recommendations emerge:
Overall, the clear conclusion to draw is that there is a need to increase awareness among young
people of both the potential impact of green jobs and ways into jobs in the sector.
Demonstrate impact
Some participants questioned the level of impact some jobs defined as ‘green’
could have. They wanted to understand the sustainability and extent of impact they
could have in their career.
Provide examples
Gen Z understood the broad-brush definition of green jobs, but wanted to understand
what these looked like in greater detail. This is particularly important in the context
of the small-scale renewables sector – what do jobs look like in the sector, and how
can we promote them? The creation and promotion of good case studies can be
invaluable in showing people the routes in and job options available to them.
Explore routes in
The variety of jobs available that had positive impact on the environment felt
unexplored for many participants. They wanted to understand qualifications
required for the range of jobs – this is especially important in relation to promoting
apprenticeships as a viable route into the sector.
Emphasise variety
Although participants were concerned about climate change, many still wanted to
pursue jobs in line with their passion and skills. Emphasise that a dream job with
positive impact is possible. In short, their passion and skills can align with a job in
the small-scale renewables sector. It is up to the sector to show them how.
Create an open forum
Participants had many questions about green jobs and shared they hadn’t thought
of using their jobs to have a positive environmental impact. Allowing an open
dialogue with young people to explore their options in the sector will be key to
fostering interest. This could be through school assemblies or university job fairs, or
online forums such as Linkedin, Instagram and TikTok.
Meet them where they are
Gen Z are proactive in their research into their future careers. They acknowledge
the power of hearing tailored advice from teachers/universities, but also from online
sites and social media. These will be key areas to influence.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
