Net zero needs a skills transition
By
Jo Burgess
Director of Apprenticeships
Skills shortages risk slowing net zero; apprenticeships and training are key to building workforce capacity.
The race to net zero is accelerating, with governments and businesses investing heavily in renewable energy, low-carbon infrastructure and industrial decarbonisation. But many businesses face a growing delivery risk of having capital investment without the workforce to execute it.
Across sectors including offshore wind, hydrogen and sustainable manufacturing, demand for technical expertise is rapidly outpacing supply. EngineeringUK estimates that up to 725,000 new jobs will be needed to support the transition to net zero, yet organisations are already competing for a limited pool of engineers, technicians and operational specialists needed to deliver and maintain low-carbon infrastructure.
Infrastructure alone cannot deliver transformation. Wind turbines do not maintain themselves, hydrogen systems cannot scale without skilled engineers, and sustainable buildings require specialists who understand increasingly complex energy systems and technologies.
As industries scale up their net zero ambitions, skills shortages are becoming one of the biggest barriers to progress. Without the workforce to support it, even the most ambitious sustainability strategies risk delay, underperformance or failure.
Businesses can’t recruit their way out of the skills crisis
Many businesses are attempting to address skills shortages through recruitment alone. However, industries driving the net zero transition - from engineering and manufacturing to energy and low-carbon infrastructure - are all competing for the same limited talent pool.
Hiring experienced professionals may help fill immediate gaps, but it does little to solve the longer-term issue: there are simply not enough technically skilled people entering the workforce to meet growing demand. As competition for talent increases, organisations risk becoming trapped in a cycle of rising recruitment costs, workforce instability and mounting pressure on existing teams.
A sustainable transition requires a different approach - one that prioritises developing talent alongside attracting it.
Rethinking degree apprenticeships
Despite growing demand for technical skills, degree apprenticeships remain underutilised by many organisations. Association with traditional trade roles or school leavers leaves little recognition for them as a route to developing advanced technical and professional capabilities.
In reality, degree apprenticeships can support all career stages - from young people entering the workforce to experienced professionals looking to upskill or retrain as industries evolve.
There can also be concerns around the time and resources required to support apprentices in fast-paced operational environments. Some employers may even view apprenticeships primarily as a source of low-cost labour. Yet the most effective apprenticeship programmes are long-term investments in workforce capability, helping businesses build the specialist expertise they will increasingly need in the future.
Not all apprenticeship programmes are equal. As skills demands shift, organisations need partners who understand their operational realities, sector challenges and long-term strategic goals – so that learning and workplace delivery align with what the business actually needs.
Degree apprenticeships as a practical solution
Degree apprenticeships are emerging as one of the most effective ways to grow workforces, with apprenticeship programme starts increasing by 11.9 per cent in the 2025/26 academic year, reflecting growing recognition of their value across industry.
Their power lies in combining academic learning with live operational experience. Apprentices are embedded in the workplace while developing higher?level technical knowledge - so organisations can build talent directly aligned to their systems, assets and priorities.
This model is particularly valuable in sectors driving industrial transformation and decarbonisation, where practical application matters as much as theoretical understanding. For example, Bellway Homes partnered with Teesside University to reduce skills shortages in civil engineering, giving apprentices the opportunity to apply learnings directly to live projects and operational challenges from day one. This approach helps them develop technical expertise faster and gain a stronger understanding of how systems operate in practice.
Alongside technical development, apprentices also build essential workplace skills early in their careers, including communication, collaboration, adaptability and problem-solving - all critical capabilities in rapidly changing industries. Sir Robert McAlpine has embraced degree apprenticeships in order to accelerate employee development and cement its reputation as a top employer. Its civil engineering apprentices gain advanced qualifications while continuing to contribute effectively to ongoing projects – a strategic investment in both the company’s future and the future of construction.
The result is more than training. It’s a scalable approach to workforce planning that produces stronger pipelines, better retention and a sustainable path to the capability organisations will increasingly need.
Building the workforce behind net zero
The transition to net zero sits on top of a national industrial and workforce transformation. Success depends on whether businesses and education providers can work together to create resilient pipelines of technical talent. The organisations that thrive won’t be the ones stuck in constant recruitment drives. They will be those that treat workforce development as a strategic investment alongside capital investment.
Apprenticeships are not an immediate fix to today’s skills shortages, but investing in talent development now is essential to avoiding even greater capability constraints in the future.
The opportunity extends beyond sustainability targets, by creating a more productive, innovative and inclusive economy that widens access to high-level technical careers for a more diverse range of people.
Building the industries of the future requires first building a sustainable workforce capable of delivering them.