On Thursday 11 December 2025, the Port of Tyne hosted the government’s first Clean Energy Jobs Fair, co‑run with the North East Mayor and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Minister for Industry Chris McDonald and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness met more than a hundred schoolchildren and students alongside employers and colleges. Officials say this is the first in a series of events planned across the country.

The business case presented was unambiguous: the North East is positioned for growth. According to DESNZ, up to 15,000 additional clean‑energy roles could be created in the region over the next five years. The area’s track record helps-Blyth kick‑started the UK’s offshore wind industry 25 years ago-and the East Coast carbon capture cluster is projected to directly support around 2,000 jobs. The mayoral team is targeting as many as 24,000 green roles by 2035.

Great British Energy opened a £300 million supply‑chain fund the same day, aimed at ensuring components for offshore wind-from blades and turbines to transmission cables-are built in Britain. For manufacturers and ports, this is designed to get capital into machinery upgrades, quality certification and extra capacity, all of which typically sit on a knife‑edge at final investment decision. The commercial through‑line is localisation, shorter lead times and a more resilient UK order book.

Demand for skilled labour is already outpacing supply. Government analysis flags 31 priority occupations-plumbers, electricians and welders among them-where vacancies are rising. Entry‑level roles in most clean‑energy occupations pay on average 23% more than similar roles in other sectors, which helps recruitment but can tighten project margins if productivity gains do not follow. For finance directors, this wage differential is a cost to model, but also a retention lever.

Local training capacity is expanding to meet that demand. Newcastle College’s Energy Academy is running subsea and renewables courses, while Middlesbrough College has partnered with BP to train operators for carbon capture and hydrogen roles. Ministers have also announced five new Technical Excellence Colleges, aligned to the government’s drive to move two‑thirds of young people into higher‑level learning. The aim is a clearer, faster route from classroom to site.

Corporate turnout underscored the pipeline. Siemens Energy, RWE, National Grid, JDR Cables and Shepherd Offshore outlined apprenticeship pathways, operations and maintenance careers, and project delivery roles. The Port of Tyne highlighted its 230‑acre Tyne Clean Energy Park, backed by more than £150 million of investment in infrastructure, as a platform for staging, storage and fabrication that can anchor long‑term activity on the river.

For SMEs, the return on investment will depend on position in the chain. Cable makers and steel fabricators face heavy upfront capex but benefit from contracted offtake; vessel services and maintenance providers enjoy steadier post‑commissioning cashflows. Accessing the GB Energy fund can de‑risk upgrades to equipment and processes, while partnerships with local colleges shorten hiring cycles with pre‑trained candidates. Our take: the fund moves the dial if it brings forward private capex quickly and locks in UK content on upcoming projects.

For students and career‑switchers, the pathway looks more practical than it did a few years ago. Employers at the fair stressed paid apprenticeships, industry‑recognised certificates and degree routes tied to live projects. The advice was direct: build core maths and electrical skills, secure safety qualifications and be flexible for offshore or site‑based work-attributes that translate into the sector’s higher starting pay.

What matters next is execution. Ministers will be judged on how swiftly the £300 million is allocated and whether it catalyses local production before the next wave of offshore wind and carbon capture projects. In the region, early indicators to watch are apprenticeship starts, equipment orders from North East suppliers and the share of contracts awarded locally over the next 12–18 months. If those move, the promised 15,000 roles begin to look deliverable rather than aspirational.