Clean Energy Jobs Fair held in Birmingham

Over 400 young people and jobseekers met with some of the UK’s largest clean energy employers at the third Clean Energy Jobs Fair, held at University College Birmingham on Thursday, 12 November.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh and Local Energy and Jobs Minister Martin McCluskey joined young people at the event, as employers such as Octopus and National Grid showcased the jobs and training opportunities being created across the region as Britain builds its clean energy future.

Around 400 15 to 18-year-olds from local schools and colleges, as well as 50 who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs), met employers to find work and build careers in the sector. The government is working with employers to help NEETs into work, such as National Grid’s £5 million fund to upskill them into energy and infrastructure jobs.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said that the clean power drive has already attracted over £110 billion in private investment, bringing new jobs to thousands across the country. She said that the clean energy economy is the economic opportunity of this century and that there is a place for everyone in Britain’s clean energy economy.

Backed by record government and private sector investment in fields like renewables and nuclear, the clean energy economy is driving a boom in demand for good industrial jobs across the UK, with 31 priority occupations such as plumbers, electricians, and welders particularly in demand. Entry-level roles in the majority of clean energy occupations pay 23% more than the same occupations in other sectors.

The West Midlands Clean Energy Jobs Fair is the latest in a series of events across the country, following the first fair, held in the North East in 2025. The fairs follow the launch of the government’s Clean Energy Jobs Plan, which sets out how the clean energy mission could support thousands of extra clean energy jobs in the West Midlands by 2030.

The West Midlands is already home to major clean energy initiatives including Tyseley Energy Park and seven demonstrator Net Zero Neighbourhoods, as well as innovation and technology centre Energy Systems Catapult and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry.