Monday 23 March 2020

North West to invest £7bn to boost low carbon industry skills

The North West Energy & Hydrogen Cluster is set to invest £7 billion into low carbon skills in the region in a bid to patch gaps across industries and work towards net zero.

A new report from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) states that more than £40 billion could be invested in the engineering construction industry by 2050.

According to findings, the UK must deploy a range of technologies such as carbon capture, storage and hydrogen, as well as attract new talent and upskill existing workforces, to decarbonise the industrial and energy sectors.

Emma Degg of the North West Hydrogen & Energy Cluster said: “The North West is poised to come forward as the first decarbonised industrial cluster. New technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture, smart grids and renewable energy projects are already transforming the engineering construction sector in the region.

"The density of industries such as oil and gas, can provide complementary skills to support the transition to low carbon energy technologies and we have significant skills in salt cavern storage – something that the ECITB report highlights as an area that needs investing in.

“In the North West we’re working with businesses, universities, colleges and training providers to prepare a roadmap for low carbon skills which will highlight where investment is needed. This is hugely important to ensuring that the skills and job opportunities stay in the UK and in the region.”