The TUC has secured £25,000 funding from Unity to support a project aimed at futureproofing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the clean energy sector.

The Government’s £15 billion Warm Homes Plan intends to upgrade five million homes by 2030 to lower energy bills and tackle fuel poverty. This will require quality jobs supporting an inclusive transition to Net Zero. The Laudes Foundation has also provided funding for the project.

The TUC believes that the workforce needed to deliver cleaner heating and retrofit programmes will only materialise if plans are put in place to grow and upskill the current workforce, and a concerted effort is felt across the industry to make jobs better.

In collaboration with unions, industry and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the TUC has launched a Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce.

Sam Perry, Project Officer at the TUC, said: “This taskforce is the core element of our Project. It’s to ensure job quality throughout the delivery of the Warm Homes Plan. We need to reorientate the existing energy industry to take up this new demand. We’re pushing for a Fair Work Charter for the clean heat sector. This will include upskilling, training and transition planning, so that the workers are secure in their employment.”

Sam added: “External funding for research projects is very important for us. Unity is very aligned in what we’re doing because it’s about social responsibility, good health outcomes and good community outcomes. This is more than a funding partnership though. We will be sharing resources. Unity has a lot of customers who are engaged in this work and have the knowledge and best practice which will be useful to us.”