Testing how FE provision is supporting Wales’s net zero transition

As economies are pushed and pulled towards net zero numerous barriers and enablers are arising, including the prevalence of suitable skills and the availability of training. It is estimated that 20% of current jobs will require reskilling as part of the net zero transition while many more will need some form of skills uplift or change.

Wavehill was commissioned to review current net zero skills and training provision across Further Education providers in Wales. The research helped Welsh Government understand the existing offer, emerging gaps and the challenges affecting delivery as Wales progresses towards its net zero ambitions.

The research drew on extensive consultation with colleges, independent training providers, Regional Skills Partnerships and industry representatives. It explored how FE provision was responding to changing economic and workforce needs, and where further coordination and investment were required.

The research identified that FE providers had increasingly embedded net zero themes into both specialist and mainstream provision. There was already delivery in related skills delivery from new retrofit and construction training to renewable energy related provision and environmental management. In some cases sustainability modules were being built into existing qualifications.

However, the study also highlighted differing levels of readiness across the FE sector. Some providers had invested in specialist centres, academies and new facilities, while others were focused on adapting and reviewing existing provision.

Industry and stakeholder engagement also showed that demand for training varied substantially between sectors, creating a potential demand and supply imbalance in the short term. While everyone expected net zero skills to be required, many businesses were not yet seeking to upskill their staff creating challenges for the colleges who were putting on courses. There was lower awareness of how net zero would affect workforce skills requirements in some sectors.

The research identified several strategic themes shaping future delivery:
• the need for stronger collaboration between FE providers
• clearer long-term policy direction
• improved awareness of net zero career pathways
• greater support for reskilling existing workers
• more consistent engagement between industry and providers

The research examined examples of best practice from elsewhere in the UK and Europe, including approaches to apprenticeships, micro-credentials and specialist net zero academies to provide insight that could be used by the FE sector to improve provision. The findings informed discussions around how Welsh Government and FE institutions could structure future responses to net zero skills demand and provision. It also reinforced the importance of stimulating employer demand alongside expanding course availability, particularly among SMEs and sectors at earlier stages of transition.