Green jobs taskforce announced for West Yorkshire

The Mayor of West Yorkshire has announced the formation of a Green Jobs Taskforce to deliver on her pledge to create 1,000 well paid, skilled, green jobs for young people under 30.

The new taskforce, chaired by Tracy Brabin, will bring together experts from business, education and training, and the third and public sectors, with the aim of positioning West Yorkshire as a leader for green skills and jobs.

The Green Jobs Taskforce will oversee the development of the Mayoral Green Jobs Gateway, which will create 1,000 green jobs for young people, ensuring that the region has the talent it needs to become a net-zero carbon economy by 2038.

Estimates show that West Yorkshire has the potential to create over 70,000 new highly skilled jobs in the green economy by the middle of the century, and 40,000 by 2030.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: ‘Through the West Yorkshire Green Jobs Taskforce we want to make our region a leader in green skills and jobs as we meet our commitment of becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038. I am delighted that Northern Powergrid has agreed to join us on this journey by joining the West Yorkshire Green Jobs Taskforce.

‘We’re also taking steps to deliver on my pledge of creating 1,000 well paid, skilled, green jobs for young people, who have been so severely impacted by the pandemic. I urge employers from all sectors to register their interest with Green Jobs Gateway so we can make a real difference to the lives of young people across West Yorkshire.’

Employers are being encouraged to sign up to support the pledge for green jobs, joining founding member of the taskforce, Northern Powergrid, who is responsible for the region’s electricity distribution network.

Andy Bilclough, director of field operations at Northern Powergrid, said: ‘We’re proud to lead the way as the first business to support the Mayor’s pledge. Our electricity network powers peoples’ everyday lives, businesses and enables economic growth – and our workforce is an integral part of the communities we serve in West Yorkshire.

‘We look forward to working in partnership to create job opportunities that support upskilling, reskilling and multiskilling to create a stronger talent pool that helps the region prosper and local people reach their career potential. Creating a diverse workforce with the skillsets needed to manage a smarter, more digitalised electricity network will be essential as we seek to create a greener energy system for our customers and support the drive to net zero.

‘Between now and the end of 2023 we’re looking to create around 300 jobs across our operating area which could result in more than 70 jobs in West Yorkshire. We’re also proposing, as part of our draft 2023-28 business plan, to create 1,000 jobs across our operating area in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire with hundreds of these opportunities set to benefit this region.’

Photo by Science in HD