NAO: SEND transport cuts could increase NEETs

The UK’s spending watchdog has urged the government to improve its “insufficient” data collection on SEND transport amid risks that councils “scaling back” their post-16 provision could increase NEET numbers.

The National Audit Office (NAO) warned in a new report today that council cost pressures from providing transport for people up to age 25, which soared 106 per cent in real terms over an eight-year period, could place a “significant barrier” on participation in education and training, particularly for young people with SEND.

The Department for Education (DfE) told the NAO it is planning to make it mandatory for local authorities to routinely report home-to-education transport usage after one quarter failed to provide metrics on a voluntary basis.

The government estimates that around 50,000 post-16 learners receive council-funded transport, based on a data collection exercise back in February to 153 local authorities in England, published earlier this week.

But the estimates were based on a 75 per cent response rate, which extrapolated 16-25 population averages to estimate the number of eligible learners in the councils that didn’t respond.

DfE asked local authorities to categorise spending, pupil numbers and modes of transport according to the grounds on which a pupil was eligible for transport. 

The NAO said there were “differences” in how councils record the data, making it difficult to draw “firm” conclusions or make comparisons.

It also recommended DfE work with councils to increase the response rate and improve the accuracy and comparability of data and the systems they use

The NAO added: “[DfE] aims to make the collection mandatory in future years, but it is not yet known whether home-to-school transport metrics will feature in the local government outcomes framework – designed to measure progress against national priorities – which the government is currently consulting on.”

The final framework is expected to be published later this year.

Ruth Perry, senior policy manager at specialist college association Natspec, said: “There is clearly work to do here for DfE in improving the data set, particularly if it’s going to be used to support national policies as part of wider SEND reform.”

“The one key change we’d like to see is the statutory duty to provide transport support extended so that it brings into scope 16 – 18 year olds and 19 – 25 year olds with an EHCP. While there was once a logic to having age 16 as a cut-off point, it is now totally arbitrary and rationing access to transport support in this way, rather than by need or family circumstance, is no longer tenable,” Perry added. 

Last week, education secreary Bridget Phillipson revealed the schools white paper, which will set out reforms to the whole SEND system, has been delayed and will now be published “early in the new year”.

‘Reforms must address transport pressures’

Councils have increasingly struggled to allocate specialist provision for 166 per cent more children and young people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) over the last decade.

There were around 639,000 children and young people up to age 25 with EHC plans as of January 2025.

Combined with young people travelling further to institutions that meet their specialist needs and needing single occupancy vehicles, like taxis, council spending on transport has soared.

Local authorities spend five times more on transport per child with SEND than on other children. In 2023-24, on average, transport for a child with SEND cost £8,116 compared with £1,526 for ‘mainstream transport’.

As a result, the NAO said the government’s current reforms to support more children with SEND in mainstream schools must address the home-to-school transport pressures.

But Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he was “concerned” the national conversation about SEND learners has become focused on cost.

“Let’s be clear that these youngsters often require special school provision and home-to-school transport is vital in ensuring they are able to access that support,” he said.

He added: “We have to put the needs of these youngsters first and ensure that the SEND system and associated costs are sufficiently funded both now and in the future.”

NEETs will rise

Councils are not legally required to provide free transport for 16-18 learners or 19-25 aged learners with EHCPs, but can provide travel allowances, shared transport or personal travel budgets. Some have introduced parental financial contributions for council-arranged transport.

“There is no breakdown available on why local authorities provide transport for young people over the age of 16 as this is largely discretionary,” the report said.

The NAO urged DfE to work with councils to understand the impact of changes in policy for discretionary transport on, for example, attendance and NEET figures. 

Natspec is calling for the statutory duty to provide transport to be extended to 16 – 18-year-olds and 19 – 25-year-olds with an EHCP.

“While there was once a logic to having age 16 as a cut-off point, it is now totally arbitrary and rationing access to transport support in this way, rather than by need or family circumstance, is no longer tenable,” Perry said.

The NAO interviewed 10 local authorities who had all withdrawn or restricted free or subsidised transport for young people.

The report warned that where discretionary services have been cut, some students may miss out on learning, or parents may have to adjust work or give up work altogether to get their children to school or college.

“Yet there is currently insufficient data to judge how any changes to home-to-school transport might impact attendance,” the watchdog said.

Latest Office for National Statistics figures estimated 948,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were NEET, the highest rate since 2014. 

“The impact may be felt more by disabled children and young people, who tend to travel further to their educational setting, often cannot travel independently and may need to be in education or training for longer,” the report said.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “For the children and young people that rely on local authority-provided transport to get them to school and college each day, it is an invaluable service. Without it, many may struggle to continue with their education. 

“Local authorities are making savings to meet their statutory duties, but they are looking to DfE’s upcoming SEND reforms to ensure the long-term sustainability of home to school transport.”

A Natspec survey last year of 66 specialist colleges found nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of colleges said transport issues had resulted in some learners with SEND being unable to attend college or attending intermittently.

An FE Week investigation found cases of disabled students neglected by council-arranged taxi drivers after the survey found four in 10 of colleges thought the transport was unsafe.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “This government inherited a SEND system on its knees, with thousands of families struggling to secure the right support.  

“Work is already underway to make sure more children with SEND can achieve and thrive at their local school alongside their peers – including investing £740 million to create more specialist school places and increasing access to early support for speech and language needs.

“We’ll set out the full Schools White Paper in the new year, building on the work we’ve already done to create a system that’s rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and at a school close to home.”

Ofqual to publicly ‘rebuke’ rule-breaking awarding bodies

Exam regulator Ofqual has awarded itself new powers to publicly “rebuke” rule-breaking awarding bodies. 

The new regulatory “tool”, announced today, is intended for cases where an awarding body’s rule-breaking is not serious enough to warrant a financial penalty.

The watchdog said the “chief regulator’s rebuke” sanction will fill an “important gap” in its enforcement options and “supports agile regulation”. It hopes the new penalty will mean simple cases of misconduct or malpractice can be resolved quickly.

Ofqual published its updated compliance policy for awarding organisations this morning.

Chief regulator Ian Bauckham said: “This updated policy reflects our agile approach to regulation.

“We want to ensure awarding organisations resolve issues early wherever possible.

“However, when awarding organisations do not meet our high standards, we will use our enforcement powers in the interests of students and all who rely on qualifications.”

It comes as new requirements are also due to come into force in December, requiring awarding bodies to act with “honesty and integrity” and ensure they “promote public confidence in qualifications”.

According to its 2024-25 annual report, Ofqual issued six regulatory interventions to awarding organisations, resulting in fines of £805,000.

The regulator also placed special conditions on a further 14 awarding organisations to assist with its investigations or manage risks.

During the same year, it regulated a total of 255 awarding bodies that are responsible for more than 10,000 active qualifications.

Right of appeal

Awarding bodies facing public criticism via a rebuke can appeal to the regulator’s enforcement panel before publication. Rebukes will not be published until the appeal period has ended.

Ofqual first launched a public consultation on punishing non-compliant awarding bodies in 2019, but later “paused” the policy’s introduction.

It re-launched a consultation on the new policy in February this year.

The regulator says it has also introduced “more flexibility in how it issues notices of intention, that it hopes will “allow for the process to move swiftly to resolution”.

Rob Nitsch, chief executive of the Federation of Awarding Bodies, said: “The introduction of a more nuanced approach to regulatory intervention is in the interests of all and it is to be welcomed that Ofqual has taken the time to consult on these adjustments twice.”

However, it is unclear whether the regulator’s rebuke power will shorten the sometimes lengthy delay between Ofqual concluding its investigations into awarding bodies and releasing details to the public.

Earlier this year, the regulator published the action taken against the Scottish Qualifications Authority stemming from an investigation that ended in 2022.

It also announced it had fined the Yorkshire awarding body Proqual £15,000 for breaches that dated back from 2018 to 2022.

An Ofqual spokesperson said: “Investigating regulatory breaches thoroughly takes time. However, the updated policy does introduce practical improvements. 

“We’ve streamlined the process for settling straightforward cases more quickly where organisations agree they’ve breached our conditions.

“This means simpler cases can be resolved faster, whilst complex investigations receive the rigorous attention they require.”

First reformed apprenticeship plans released amid pilot delays

The first three apprenticeship assessment plans under Skills England’s controversial reform programme have been published, but the pilot continues to face delays and unease from employers.

New-style apprenticeship assessment plans (AAPs) for the level 3 assistant accountant, data technician and early years educator standards were published by Skills England last night as “illustrative examples”. 

No implementation date was published, and revised AAPs for the remaining two standards in the reform pilot, carpentry and joinery and adult care worker, have been held up amid concerns from employers in those sectors, as reported by FE Week on Friday. 

A Skills England spokesperson told FE Week they have now paused a pilot that was testing the changes to the carpentry and joinery apprenticeship “subject to further consultation”.

Reformed AAPs can allow training providers to take on a greater share of assessment during the course of the apprenticeship, rather than waiting for an end-point assessment. 

The new assistant accountant AAP confirms that completion of the AAT advanced diploma will replace the end-point assessment entirely. The early years plan requires at least one observed assessment in the workplace, but replaces the previous three-tier grading system with a two-tier ‘pass’ or ‘distinction’.

Rob Nitsch, chief executive of the Federation of Awarding Bodies, said the first batch of plans had “clearly challenged” Skills England.

“We await the accompanying documents that will provide more details on the formulation of apprenticeship assessment plans going forward, but it is evident that the development of the first five plans has challenged Skills England.  

“This points to the importance of engaging stakeholders, including awarding organisations and employers, in the formative stages of change programmes that impact complex systems such as the apprenticeships.  

“Beyond reviewing the plans themselves and how we can speed up progress, there are clearly lessons for the technical qualifications change programme announced in the post-16 white paper and the intersection of both programmes.”

Employers have also expressed concerns that a sampling approach to assessment could lead to a “race to the bottom” on standards,  and removing the requirment for independent assessors could weaken confidence among employers.

Rachel Staples, product director (awarding organisation) at AAT said: “We support the government’s aim to simplify the current system, but any reforms must keep assessment rigorous, consistent and closely tied to industry needs.

“Removing the independent assessment of behaviours and in some cases relying solely on a mandated qualification limits learners’ ability to show they are work ready. This is the very quality that makes apprenticeships such a strong alternative to traditional academic routes. 

“Without robust assessment, apprenticeships’ hard-won credibility and parity of esteem could be eroded. Combined with a lack of alignment between government policy and regulation, these changes risk seriously weakening employer confidence. 

“That’s why we’re urging government to work with industry to ensure reforms strengthen, not weaken, the value of apprenticeships for learners and employers alike.’’

Unwrapping the White Paper – Live Stream

Welcome to the live stream of Unwrapping the White Paper, FE Week’s special webinar on the government’s new post-16 education and skills white paper, in partnership with EAL.

Hosted by editor Shane Chowen, this live discussion features Baroness Jacqui Smith, minister for skills, sharing insights and answering FE Week readers’ questions on the government’s priorities and ambitions for post-16 education.

From V Levels to lifelong learning, tackling rising NEETs to solving skills gaps, together they will unpack the thinking behind new policies.

Following the Q&A, a panel of sector leaders will discuss how these proposals will shape the future of colleges, training providers and learners across the country.

Agenda

12:50   Welcome and introduction

13:00   Ministerial interview: Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills

13:30   Sector leaders panel discussion

14:00   Session ends

In association with:

AQA buys Realise Training in latest vocational expansion

Awarding organisation AQA has bought Realise Training – its second expansion into the vocational training sector this year.

The sale of Realise Training, a national apprenticeship and adult skills training provider, will provide “long-term stability” after it went through a management buyout in 2020 by private equity firm Endless (Enact Fund).

Realise will join Construction EPA Company, an apprenticeship end-point assessment organisation which joined AQA’s subsidiary ranks in April, and vocational awarding organisation Training Qualifications UK (TQUK), which it purchased in 2022.

AQA leaders said the Realise acquisition offered “great potential for growth” in light of enhanced focus on skills training in the post-16 white paper. 

Sheffield-based Realise Training supports over 18,000 learners a year in apprenticeships nationally and adult skills in the North West and West Midlands.

It offers apprenticeships in sectors including early years, health and social care, business services and transport.

The apprenticeships provider had a total 2023/24 achievement rate of 51.6 per cent from over 3,500 leavers.

Realise was also deemed ‘good’ by Ofsted at its last full inspection in 2023.

The provider also recorded a 31 per cent increase in turnover in 2024 to £28 million and an adjusted EBITDA that more than doubled to £3.85 million.

Last year, it rolled out the delivery of 10 adult learning contracts in three devolved areas – Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands, and other non-devolved areas to “reduce reliance” on apprenticeship revenue.

AQA CEO Colin Hughes said the purchase was a “tremendously exciting development” for the exam board.

He said: “I’m confident that, with our new acquisition, we will be well-placed to enhance our offer to employers and young people in line with our charitable purpose. 

“In light of the government’s emphasis on growing vocational education and extending the impact of skills training in the recent post-16 education and skills white paper, this is an area that has great potential for growth.”

AQA said the sale was made for an undisclosed sum. It said that Realise will retain its existing five-strong management team and over 500 staff to “operate as usual”.

Gregg Scott, CEO of Realise Training Group, said the sale will provide a “new, long-term home” for the provider. 

He said: “This is fantastic news for our colleagues, the employers we partner with and our learners. We’ve enjoyed fantastic stability and sustainable growth over the last five years and we will be retaining the same principles which have been at the core of our success. 

“It also means that all our profits will be re-invested into education for the benefit of many thousands of people in the UK, which aligns with the philosophy of both AQA and ourselves to deliver long-lasting and tangible social value.”

AQA is not the only major awarding organisation to own an independent training provider.

Technical education giant City and Guilds owns training providers Gen2, Intertrain and Trade Skills 4U. City and Guilds, and its training subsidiaries, have been sold in a deal due to complete in the coming days.

Case dismissed: Marples loses High Court claim against DfE

Peter Marples has lost his High Court case against the Department for Education, with the judge dismissing the claim in its entirety.

The former boss of the apprenticeship training giant 3aaa, and three members of his family, were suing the government for at least £37 million in losses, blaming Department for Education officials for a failed sale of the training provider in 2016. 

Marples claimed the then-Skills Funding Agency acted maliciously when it refused to sign off on a change of control of 3aaa in 2016, and argued “misfeasance in a public office” against officials.

But following a three-week trial this summer, the Honourable Justice Eason Rajah sided with the DfE, ending a bitter legal battle that had lasted nearly three years.

In his judgment, published today, Rajah described the case as “flawed”.

The judge rejected allegations that officials at the then-Skills Funding Agency acted unlawfully or in bad faith when they blocked the 2016 sale of the Marples-founded apprenticeship provider 3aaa to private-equity firm Trilantic Europe.

In a detailed 243-paragraph judgment, the judge ruled that the agency owed no duty of care to the family and that its 2016 decision letter was not unlawful or beyond its powers.

Claims of misfeasance in public office were also thrown out after the court found no evidence that former SFA chief Sir Peter Lauener intended to harm the claimants.

In a statement following the judgment, the Marples family said:

“We are naturally extremely disappointed by the judgment released this morning. We have not had the time to fully digest and will be discussing its contents with our legal team in terms of next steps. 

“We will be making no further comment at this time other than to note that whilst our claim was dismissed, Mr Justice Rajah did conclude that in respect to the closure of the business in 2018, the secretary of state provided no evidence to support the claims that they made that directly resulted in the closure.

“This underlines the position we have always taken that the closure was baseless.

“Our focus as a family is now on supporting Peter Marples, and each other, who was diagnosed with cancer only two weeks ago. He has already undergone some surgery and is due to undergo more surgery shortly.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We welcome the court’s decision and are currently reviewing the judgment in greater detail.”

Both parties have until 4pm on November 7 to come to an agreement on costs. If they do not, the Court makes a ruling at a later date.

Marples also has until 4pm on November 18 to apply for permission to appeal.

Marples vs DfE: Trial timeline

December 2022

Case filed

February 2023

Marples family to sue DfE for over £37m

The Marples lawsuit: How ‘malicious’ DfE ‘targeted successful entrepreneur’

April 2023

The Marples lawsuit: DfE rebuts ‘fundamentally flawed’ claim

September 2023

Marples vs DfE trial set for 2025

June 2025

Skills chiefs in court for Marples v DfE battle

‘Wait for the fireworks’: Marples vs DfE trial begins

Marples trial: ‘Resentful’ funding agency ‘spooked’ 3aaa buyer

Banter, firework emails and power ‘grab’ defended by ex-SFA chief in Marples trial

Marples trial: Witnesses end with 3aaa ‘fraud’ scrutiny

July 2025

Blame game as lawyers conclude Marples v DfE fight

October 2025

Judgment in favour of DfE

The post-16 white paper has the potential to deliver for businesses

In common with the industrial strategy published earlier in the year, much of last week’s white paper’s diagnosis of the post-16 education and skills system in England is accurate and recognisable to manufacturers.

Firm commitments on funding for further education, investment in equipment, and teacher recruitment and retention through initiatives such as an industry workforce exchange reflect challenges businesses face when sourcing local training and will help to address them.

The clear statement that public investment – including the growth and skills levy – should be tied to the eight growth-driving sectors of the industrial strategy should focus the government on significantly increasing apprenticeship training.

In re-opening the debate over technical and vocational qualifications at level 3, the government seems to share its predecessor’s view that a crowded field is too confusing for employers. Streamlining into three routes – A Levels, V Levels and T Levels – could help.

The proposals are similar to the Advanced British Standard, but split into three qualifications rather than one.

The ultimate goals – simplifying the landscape for employers, preserving student choice, and placing academic, technical and vocational routes on the same footing with solid English, maths and digital foundations – are the right ones.

Manufacturers welcomed the prime minister’s announcement of a new participation target, including technical study and apprenticeships, and the white paper adds detail to this commitment.

Nevertheless, in the short term, the system could become more confusing for employers. Having just adapted to T Levels and welcomed last year’s pause on defunding level 3 qualifications, another upheaval risks creating uncertainty.

The skills minister will need to communicate quickly and clearly the role of V Levels and use employer groups to raise awareness and understanding.

The government should also be clear about the future of T Levels. Industry has supported this qualification, and early results are positive.

Between 2024 and 2025, there was a 58 per cent increase in engineering and manufacturing T Level students, along with improved outcomes in training and employment. Ministers must not jeopardise T Levels just as they are bearing fruit, and should assess the new V Levels’ impact carefully.

While the white paper says little directly about apprenticeships, there are encouraging signs. It defines the growth and skills levy as part of public investment in skills, stating that investment should first benefit sectors like advanced manufacturing.

Make UK’s Industrial Strategy Skills Commission called for levy funds to be ringfenced for the skills system – following this commitment, those funds should prioritise key apprenticeship standards in priority sectors.

There is additional substance on short courses funded by the levy, described as ‘apprenticeship units’. Using existing apprenticeship standards ensures quality and relevance within the government’s short implementation window (from April 2026).

However, these short courses must be employer-led, lead to progression and not undermine full-time apprenticeships. Greater ambition could also be shown in supporting skills bootcamps and higher technical qualifications.

As the skills minister who legislated for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) for qualifications between levels 4 and 6, it is good to see continued government commitment. This will improve upskilling and retraining options for adults and could transform higher education participation.

Taken as a whole, the direction of travel is good. The white paper will reassure manufacturers that the government is taking skills reform seriously. 

Now, it must clearly set out plans for the role of V Levels, the details of the growth and skills levy, and how all changes will be driven by employer needs – especially in industrial strategy sectors like advanced manufacturing, which will deliver economic growth and build an apprenticeships and skills nation fit for the 21st century.

Robert Halfon is a former Conservative MP and minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education

‘One bad employer’ blamed for provider’s ‘inadequate’ Ofsted result

A specialist security training provider has blamed the behaviour of “one bad employer” for its ‘inadequate’ Ofsted inspection result, published today. 

White Point Solutions, which began publicly funded apprenticeship training in January 2024, was handed the lowest overall inspection grade following its first full inspection this summer. 

Inspectors came knocking in early July to examine the provider’s training of 25 apprentices on level 2 and 3 security service standards. At the time of the inspection, all apprentices worked for one employer which supplied security services to sites such as universities.

But the inspection had to be postponed. Stuart Catton, a director at the provider, told FE Week Ofsted “insisted” on pushing ahead with the inspection even though the CEO and head of quality were out of the country.

Catton told FE Week he was not in charge of the education side of the business, so was not best placed to answer inspectors’ questions. 

By day two of the inspection, Catton revealed he was struggling with mental health issues. Ofsted then agreed to a one-month delay, and the inspection resumed on August 7.

The watchdog judged quality of education, leadership and management and apprenticeships at White Point Solutions to be ‘inadequate’. Behaviour and attitudes and personal development were graded ‘requires improvement.’

Apprentices’ line managers had “little to no involvement in training” and were unaware of their progress, the report said. 

White Point Solutions was criticised for creating “frustration” amongst apprentices nearing the end of their training for the “lack of information” on their end-point assessment preparation.

Inspectors also found misalignment with on- and off-the-job training after “too few” apprentices receive adequate time off from their jobs to attend training, which was also an issue noted in last year’s monitoring visit.

But Catton blamed the only employer it was working with at the time of inspection, which is one of the biggest employers in the country, he claimed.

“We only worked with one employer, and they haven’t held up their end of the bargain, making the apprentices available for off the job training,” he said.

Catton also refuted the inspector’s criticism that too few apprentices complete and achieve their qualification in the planned timescales.

“A typical time frame would be when you’ve got an employer on board who’s actually investing in the staff and giving them the time to do the work,” he said.

He added: “We’ve got about five or six different employees now, and it’s a completely different scenario. They’re all giving their staff time to work. We feel that we’ve been judged by one bad employer, but that was the only employer we had then.”

Private providers judged ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted are usually sanctioned by the Department for Education, which can include contract termination.

Government reveals skills strategy for clean energy sector in first ‘jobs plan’

The government’s first “jobs plan” has been published, setting out how it hopes to supply the clean energy sector with hundreds of thousands more trained workers in the next five years.

It is the first of a series of plans expected to set out how the government and employers will invest in training for “British workers” to bring down immigration and grow priority sectors.

Civil service “experts” have been tasked with producing jobs plans for each of the government’s priority sectors, setting out what “actions” will be taken to meet forecast demand for jobs.

A range of new and existing actions on skills are in the 81-page ‘clean energy jobs plan: creating a new generation of good jobs to deliver energy security’, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) earlier this week.

The plan forecasts that across the UK, jobs in the ‘clean energy’ sector will grow from around 440,000 in 2023 to 860,000 by 2030. This includes 31 priority occupations such as those in skilled construction, metal and electronic trades, as well as higher qualified engineers and machine operatives.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Our plans will help create an economy in which there is no need to leave your hometown just to find a decent job.

“Thanks to this government’s commitment to clean energy, a generation of young people in our industrial heartlands can have well-paid secure jobs, from plumbers to electricians and welders.”

But any business investment?

While the clean energy jobs plan refers to large industrial investments that are expected to generate tens of thousands of new jobs, it contains limited details of new skills investments by businesses.

This is despite citing evidence of “significant underinvestment” in skills by employers in recent years and pledges in the new post-16 education and skills white paper to help businesses “invest further” in skills pipelines.

Addressing this, the plan says it aims to set “clear expectations” and create the “certainty” that industry needs to invest in skills.

Millions for more engineers

Announced in the industrial strategy this summer, the government has earmarked £182 million across the next four years to address engineering skills needs.

This includes £47 million to fund “engineering skills for adults”, £2 million to increase the number of engineering T Levels offered and £8 million in capital funding for clean energy engineering courses at levels 4 and 5.

Some of this funding will also go towards five new clean energy technical excellence colleges (TECs), with delivery expected to begin from April next year.

However, details of exactly how much funding is available for the new TECs are yet to be confirmed.

Build on what we’ve got

The UK and Scottish governments have also announced up to £20 million in funding to help North Sea oil and gas workers transition to “new roles”. This will extend a £1 million scheme, launched this year, until 2028-29.

Regional skills pilots in Cheshire West and Chester and North and North-East Lincolnshire will receive up to £2.5 million for “innovative” schemes to support workers “moving into clean energy”.

An existing energy skills passport scheme run by industry bodies RenewableUK and Offshore Energies UK will also be expanded to help workers in more roles move from “carbon-intensive industries” to clean energy sectors.

Veterans and prison leavers

A 12-month pilot led by Mission Renewable will connect veterans and service leavers with clean energy careers in the east of England, which the government hopes to learn from to “strengthen veteran pathways” across the UK.

The government also plans to prototype “innovative training and job-matching approaches” for non-violent offenders in regions with “critical energy sector vacancies”.

Keep coordinating

DESNZ has established a minister-led “steering group” to support joined-up implementation across the UK, “regular discussions” with trade union general secretaries, and “wider stakeholder engagement” on “specific themes”.

Both industry and government bodies such as the Careers and Enterprise Company have also committed to promoting clean energy careers, including through a UK-wide “awareness and attraction campaign” and engagement with young people.

DESNZ promises to “monitor clean energy jobs and skills trends” and provide “regular updates” on the progress of its jobs plan actions.