Cheshire Leads Regional Drive to Create 35,000 Clean Energy Jobs by 2030

Cheshire’s clean energy sector is set to be a cornerstone in generating 35,000 new jobs across the North West and North Wales, following the launch of a comprehensive regional action plan aimed at accelerating industrial decarbonisation.

The recently released Clean Energy Skills Regional Action Plan, alongside the North West Clean Energy Jobs Evidence Base Final Report, outlines a collaborative strategy involving industry, educational institutions, and local governments. This partnership aims to develop the skilled workforce necessary to meet the UK’s clean energy targets while expanding employment opportunities for local communities and businesses.

Research indicates a substantial rise in demand for clean energy professionals in the region over the next decade. Growth will be driven by investments in sectors such as nuclear power, offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, electricity networks, and home retrofit initiatives.

Currently, the clean energy workforce in the North West and North Wales stands at approximately 19,500. Projections suggest this figure will exceed 30,000 by 2030, peaking near 35,000 jobs in 2028. The report also identifies an immediate need for at least 16,000 additional workers within the next four to five years.

Cheshire and Warrington are positioned at the forefront of this expansion, leveraging regional strengths in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and innovation hubs such as ORIGIN in Ellesmere Port, recognised as one of the UK’s largest clean energy and industrial decarbonisation projects.

The reports were commissioned by Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington in partnership with Net Zero North West and the North West Net Zero Hub, supported by funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Office for Clean Energy Jobs. The initiative brought together employers, colleges, universities, training providers, industry groups, and local authorities from Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool City Region, and North Wales.

The action plan proposes targeted measures to address workforce challenges, including new pre-apprenticeship schemes, support for individuals returning to work, improved collaboration between employers and training providers, and innovative approaches to careers advice and industry engagement.

Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, stated: “The action plan recognises the significant role that Cheshire and Warrington will play in delivering on the Government’s Clean Power Mission and reflects our determination as a combined authority to work with our partners to build on the region’s national strengths in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and innovation such as ORIGIN at Ellesmere Port to fuel economic growth and create thousands of jobs, many of which will be right here in Cheshire and Warrington.”

She added: “Today’s action plan complements the CWCA-approved Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Strategy (SIES), a blueprint to deliver the highest rate of economic and productivity growth in the north and slash carbon emissions by 4.5 million tonnes annually by 2030 and also builds on the early findings from Cheshire West and Chester’s delivery in the DESNZ funded Regional Skills Pilot which identified a demand for more than 35,000 workers in clean energy jobs across the North West and North Wales by 2028/9.”

Local Energy and Jobs Minister Martin McCluskey emphasised the regional potential, saying: “We are putting power back into every postcode – and this regional action plan is proof of how local places can lead the way in seizing the opportunities to reindustrialise.”

He continued: “Jobs in clean energy are growing fast, including work that AI simply can’t do – and the North West and North Wales is in prime position to reap these benefits, from offshore wind to carbon capture and storage.”

James Johnson, Head of Regional Programme at the North West Net Zero Hub, highlighted the urgency of preparing the workforce: “This work demonstrates both the scale of the opportunity facing our region and the importance of acting now to prepare our workforce for the future.”

He added: “The North West already has world-leading strengths in engineering, manufacturing, construction and industrial innovation. By working together across regional boundaries, we can ensure local people are equipped with the skills needed to access these opportunities, while helping businesses secure the workforce they need to grow and invest.”

The North West Net Zero Hub is now advancing to the delivery stage of the action plan. Following a competitive tender process, Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington has appointed Caladail Skills Ltd, in partnership with Seahorse Futures Ltd, to coordinate implementation over the next six months and establish the collaborative framework required to embed the plan regionally.

Andy Brown, Director of Caladail Skills Ltd and partnership lead, said: “The North West is uniquely placed to play a leading role in delivering the UK’s clean energy ambitions, with major opportunities spanning energy generation, transmission, advanced manufacturing, carbon capture, retrofit and infrastructure investment.”

He noted: “The challenge now is ensuring the workforce and skills system can keep pace with demand. The Clean Energy Skills Regional Action Plan provides a strong foundation for coordinated action, and we look forward to working with partners across the region to turn ambition into delivery.”

Michael Wolffe, Net Zero Programme Manager at Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington and Clean Energy Skills Lead at the North West Net Zero Hub, reflected on the progress made: “Since January 2025, Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington have worked with partners across the North West to develop a clear picture of regional skills needs.”

He explained: “This report highlights how the Foundational Industrial Skills essential to the energy transition are also vital to the Defence, Advanced Manufacturing, and Construction Industries – meaning investment to support one area can drive economic growth across all.”

Michael concluded: “We look forward to the next phase of this work, strengthening regional collaboration, and ensuring that local people and businesses benefit from these opportunities while building the workforce needed to support regional ambitions on economic growth and Net Zero.”