Yet deployment rates remain well below what’s required. At 2023 installation levels, it would take nearly 1,000 years to fit enough heat pumps to meet demand – a stark illustration of the urgency behind the sector’s skills shortages. Employers report acute gaps in retrofitting project coordinators, heat pump installers, solar PV technicians, and specialists in hydrogen production and storage. Electrification is driving further demand for electrical and technical skills to expand EV charging and decarbonise the road network, while the maritime sector needs seafarers trained in alternative, low-carbon fuels and propulsion methods. Growth in the green economy is also increasing the need for expertise in environmental regulation. Recent research from the University of Southampton, in partnership with the New Forest National Park Authority and the Greenprint network, points to a second, related challenge: even where green job opportunities exist, the pathways into them are often invisible. Interviews and workshops with careers advisors and industry professionals across Hampshire and the Solent found limited awareness of green careers among young people, a shortage of local role models, and career guidance that rarely promotes green pathways proactively. The same research specifically credits the Chamber-led Solent LSIP’s apprenticeship programmes – spanning clean energy, sustainable construction and maritime technologies – as a foundation to build on.
Low carbon technologies are a cross-cutting priority for the region, underpinning progress towards national and regional net zero targets. The scale of opportunity is substantial: demand for green jobs in Hampshire and Surrey is forecast to grow by 6% each year – equivalent to 57,000 roles – with total regional demand across the integrated Hampshire and Solent area likely to be significantly higher still..
Low Carbon Deep Dive Evidence Report June2023
Download the 2023 Report
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