More than 400 young people and jobseekers met clean energy employers at University College Birmingham on Thursday 12 November, according to the UK government. It was the third Clean Energy Jobs Fair, after the first was held in the North East in 2025. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh attended, as did Local Energy and Jobs Minister Martin McCluskey and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker.
The government said the fair took place while the Prime Minister was at COP31. There he welcomed £12 billion of investment in two new UK offshore wind projects. Fahnbulleh said Britain's clean power drive has already brought in more than £110 billion of private investment. The government also said that in most clean energy occupations, starting salaries are 23% higher than for the same jobs elsewhere. It identified 31 priority occupations facing especially strong demand, among them plumbers, electricians and welders.
Who attended
The government said about 400 pupils and students aged 15 to 18, drawn from schools and colleges in the area, took part. They were joined by 50 young people classed as NEETs, meaning they are outside education, work or training. Exhibitors named by the government included National Grid, British Gas, Octopus Energy, Hitachi Energy, Daikin and Rolls Royce SMR.
National Grid UK's executive president, Cordi O'Hara, said the company's apprentice and graduate schemes begin accepting applications this week. She added that the firm's £5m Power Within Employability Fund is being used to partner with expert organisations to help young people who find it harder to get into jobs. Chris O'Shea, chief executive of Centrica, said his company has pledged to hire 3,500 apprentices by 2030.
Outlook for the West Midlands
Parker said the region's clean energy sector already employs more than 20,000 people. He expects that workforce to more than double over the coming decade. According to the government, its Clean Energy Jobs Plan explains how the clean energy mission could underpin thousands more jobs in the sector across the region by 2030.
Among the region's existing projects, the government listed Tyseley Energy Park, a group of seven Net Zero Neighbourhood demonstrators, the Coventry-based UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and the innovation hub Energy Systems Catapult. Parker also referred to ambitions for the region to become a leading centre for battery technology and production.
Alongside the fair, University College Birmingham announced it has won Innovate UK funding for a three-year programme. The scheme will widen training in battery manufacturing skills to serve the UK's battery and electrification sectors.
