New research reveals how to make green jobs more accessible to all

Underserved communities are being shut out of green jobs, according to a new report being published during Green Careers Week (3-8 November 2025). It brings together insights from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, and Greenworkx, the education technology startup building the workforce for a resilient future.

The study identified seven key barriers ranging from financial constraints and lack of work experience to unclear career pathways and employer recruitment practices that rely heavily on informal networks. These barriers compound one another, disproportionately affecting those already underrepresented in the workforce such as people with mobility challenges or those new to the UK. 

The research recommends introducing system-wide improvements through programmes co-designed with employers, with practical solutions such as job shadowing where successful graduates help new people get experience, creating clear guides that show what "job ready" actually means, bringing together community groups, training providers and employers to work on shared goals, and funders encouraging projects to consider how to create local green jobs.

John Rose, Wales Director and Environment Lead at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “More and more good quality green jobs are becoming available, ranging from industries like solar and heat pump installation right through to nature conservation, and this report helps us to better understand the barriers and how to support more people into green careers. By working with innovative partners like Greenworkx, we're pioneering new approaches that make environmental action relevant and accessible to communities that might otherwise be left behind. 

For example, Our Sustainable Steps Wales programme is helping young people with disabilities and/or from ethnically minoritised communities across Wales into green careers, investing over £12m into four partnership projects across North, West and South Wales. 
Whether through large scale initiatives like these or at a grassroots community level, the projects we fund across the UK can make a big impact by embedding green careers - we would urge anyone with an idea for an environmental project to visit our website to find out more and apply for funding https://bit.ly/Environmentfunding.”

Limited awareness, especially among young people, is a key barrier that prevents individuals from even considering green careers. WorldSkills UK found that 44% of young people don’t understand what green jobs are available and 41% don’t understand what green skills employers require*. 

Foothold Cymru’s work with young people in Wales between 15-30 years old, in preparation for their Sustainable Steps Wales - Green Careers project, supports this. It found that young people lack awareness about the wide range of jobs that can be considered green. This limited awareness, and uncertainty about the long-term security and stability of green careers, also indirectly affects career choices, as friends, family, and career advisors - who all play a key role in influencing decisions - can lack knowledge and confidence on green career opportunities, or even dissuade people from pursuing green careers.

“Nobody wants to hire you unless you have the experience - but where do you get the experience from if you don't get hired?” - Shabana, age 20

The research demonstrates that with deliberate action and systemic intervention, the green transition can become a source of opportunity, resilience, and inclusion for all. The National Lottery Community Fund plans to incorporate these insights into future programme design, whilst Greenworkx is exploring how to scale the successful pilots to reach even more candidates and roles. Both organisations are committed to sharing these findings with the wider sector to accelerate progress towards inclusive green workforce development.

Mat Ilic, CEO of Greenworkx, said: “At Greenworkx, we believe that people are the answer to the climate emergency. The energy transition is an opportunity for millions of people to gain meaningful work, and we’re making these opportunities accessible, especially for communities who may otherwise be left behind. 

Through our partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund, we’ve gone beyond identifying the barriers holding people back: we’ve developed practical recommendations to overcome these barriers, and piloted employer-informed solutions that bridge the crucial gap between training and employment, which is where we see the biggest challenges in readiness, confidence, and recruitment.

We hope the insights and recommendations in this new report will shape a more systemic approach to green workforce development, so we can build the skilled workforce needed to power the energy transition while ensuring the opportunities created are inclusive, credible, and built to last."

ENDS

Notes to editor

The research was conducted between July and September 2025 through a combination of surveys, live focus groups, literature review and pilot delivery.

The full report "Overcoming barriers to green energy jobs for historically underserved communities" is available at Greenworkx | 10 million green jobs in 10 years