The shift to low carbon described in the Low Carbon Transition Plan will revolutionise the way in which we all live and work. Britain needs to be ready to meet that challenge, but also to secure a share of the skilled jobs and global trade it will create.

In our Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, we set out the scale of the opportunities available across global supply chains and launched Government action to help British businesses seize them. Most importantly, we need people with the right knowledge and skills to research, produce and use those technologies and solutions that can make Britain’s global low carbon ambitions a reality.

This consultation sets out the Government’s key skills priorities, and the challenges which must be met if we are successfully to:

• Enable British workers and businesses to take advantage of the opportunities in those sectors that are key to reducing our carbon emissions;
• Embed the necessary skills across all sectors to move the UK to a low carbon and resource efficient economy.

The Government recognises that there is a great deal of activity taking place locally, regionally and nationally to provide the necessary skills and knowledge to support new career opportunities. But we also recognise that further effort will be required if we are to realise the full potential of these activities, and we ask for views from stakeholders on what the strategic skills priorities and next steps should be.

Open date: 31 Mar 2010

Closing date: 23 Jun 2010