Young people want green jobs now - here’s why

The clean energy transition is reshaping the way young people think about work, skills and opportunity. Today, they’re rethinking not just how they build careers, but how those careers can build the future.

Last year, we commissioned research[1] which found that one in three UK school leavers now opt for work or work-based learning over traditional higher education routes, with nearly half already aspiring toward green careers. Over half considered roles that benefit the planet to be more valuable than those that do not, with the majority attracted to green jobs to take pride in their work (44%), followed by a desire to help the environment (39%).

It’s clear that young people now want careers that are better aligned with their values and employers are listening. The UK Government recently announced plans to expand its youth employment schemes to 50,000 places over the next three years, while the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) found that apprenticeship vacancies were up by 8% in 2025. We’ve also seen a remarkable 500% increase in demand for our degree apprenticeship schemes since 2023, showing that school leavers are actively seeking out green skills and future-focused career paths.

This shift is not a rejection of higher education, but an expansion of what success can look like.

Apprenticeships offer something universities often can’t: paid, hands-on experience tied directly to real jobs. In clean energy, that matters. Whether it’s project management or environmental engineering, every role in the green economy counts, placing young people on the front lines of climate action to drive the transition to net zero, and ultimately helping to reduce energy bills in the long-term.

What we’re seeing now also presents an opportunity to redefine who gets to work in STEM. Women have long been underrepresented in the energy and engineering industries, but apprenticeships can help lower barriers, provide paid entry points and offer clearer progression into high-growth STEM careers for everyone.

These are exciting times. Young people are making career choices with one eye on the future and one hand firmly on the tools needed to build it.