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UK Government must do more to support women into green jobs, PwC warns

Just 20% of UK women believe they have the skills needed to work in a green job compared to 31% of UK men, according to new research from PwC.

The ‘Big Four’ firm polled 4,000 adults across the UK this summer, asking them about their views on the skills transition that will be needed if the Government is to meet its net-zero target and to deliver a strong economic recovery from Covid-19.The results were published today (22 September).

Building on previous studies which have concluded that lockdown restrictions generally affected the career paths and upskilling opportunities of women more severely than men, the poll found that 23% of women believe they now have less job security than in 2019, compared with 17% of men. This feeling was most pronounced among women aged 18 to 24.

Moreover, 20% of employed mothers said the pandemic has had a negative impact on career progression, compared with 16% of fathers.

When unemployed people were asked whether the pandemic has worsened their access to employment opportunities, 38% of women said yes, compared with 23% of men.

With the UK’s net-zero target and green recovery ambitions in mind, PwC asked the survey respondents about whether they felt supported to enter a green job. The UK Government is notably targeting two million green jobs by 2030, up from around 400,000 at present.

Just one-fifth (20%) of women believe they have the skills they need to work in a green job, compared to almost one-third (31%) of men. Additionally, men generally said they were more aware of green job opportunities than women; only one-fifth (21%) of women reported this awareness.

UK Government must do more to support women into green jobs, PwC warns