Greener Jobs Alliance

The Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) has been formed as a partnership body inclusive of trade unions, student organisations, campaigning groups and a policy think tank. It campaigns around the issue of jobs and the skills needed to transition to a low-carbon economy.

The founding members of the GJA are the University and College Union, Trades Union Congress, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, National Union of Students, People & Planet, and the Institute of Public Policy Research.

Greener Jobs Alliance Video

UCU helped to produce a film entitled 'Community approaches to the Green Deal' it is based on a project carried out in the FE sector but HE Reps should also find it of interest. The intention is that it can be used as an education for sustainable development resource for training and meetings of staff and students.

Launch of the Green Skills Manifesto 2012

As an alliance we have serious concerns about the slow progress in equipping the UK workforce with the skills needed to transition to a low-carbon economy. To this end we have produced a manifesto which sets out eight component parts that need to be addressed and five underlying principles that should be adopted.

We urge all organisations with an interest in sustainability skills to support the manifesto. If you agree with the proposals please endorse the manifesto by emailing Graham Petersen

The manifesto will be annually reviewed in the light of developments and comments. If you have any specific points you would like to make please also email Graham

•  Green Skills Manifesto (.pdf) [1.2Mb]

More about the Greener Jobs Alliance

The Greener Jobs Alliance was launched to promote skills training and job creation to meet the needs of Britain's rapidly growing low-carbon sectors and to green the whole economy.

The transition to a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy can drive sustainable economic recovery and job creation in every part of the country as well as making existing jobs more secure. But this requires a more strategic national and local approach to deliver the workforce skills needed and to stimulate demand for clean energy and energy efficiency services.

The Greener Jobs Alliance will liaise at a national and local level to build the broadest possible support for the policies, investment, partnerships and commitments needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.

•  About the Greener Jobs Alliance (.pdf) [78kb]

The Greener Jobs Project is a 2-year project funded by the trading arm of Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council aims to help tackle the the low carbon skills deficit in the UK. This problem cannot be tackled in isolation from the need to generate the demand from businesses and households for low carbon training and jobs. The project aims to join up activity at community and national level to promote:

• alliances with local authorities, trade unions, employers, housing associations, and campaign groups to generate demand for low carbon jobs and training
• influence national policy on low carbon training and jobs. This will involve intervention at the level of sector skills councils, further and higher education sector bodies; examination and awarding bodies, relevant government departments.

Since the initial meeting there have been some encouraging developments and these are summarised in the attached report:

•  Greener Jobs Project - Progress Report, Feb 11 (.rtf) [53kb]

If you require any further information please contact Graham Petersen, UCU environment co-ordinator on 020 8918 7383 or gpetersen@ucu.org.uk.