IEMA reacts to Autumn Budget

IEMA has called on the UK government to take a more strategic approach to skills planning and provision after chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled new funding for jobs and training in his Autumn Budget this week.

The Budget earmarks an additional £3.8bn for skills funding over the parliament, quadrupling the number of places on 'skills boot camps', expanding the offer on free level 3 qualifications, and launching a new Multiply scheme to improve numeracy skills for up to 500,000 adults.

Public research and development investment will increase to £20bn by 2024-25 to create “the high-wage, high-skilled jobs of the future”, while a new UK Global Talent Network will work with businesses and research institutes to attract talent in key science and tech sectors.

Sarah Mukherjee, CEO at IEMA, said that the additional funding will be critical for the government as it looks to achieve its environmental aims, but warned that “investment alone is not enough”.

“To create a truly green economy will require a more strategic approach to skills planning and provision,” she continued. “IEMA is urging the government to develop a National Green Skills and Jobs Strategy.

“As well as ensuring that there is a pipeline of talent coming through to propel growth in cleaner industries, the strategy should also focus on making all jobs ‘greener’ throughout the full range of economic sectors.

“As the leading professional body in the UK for environment and sustainability professionals, we are well placed to help the government develop such a strategy.”