Plumbers, electricians and engineers and are among the practical green careers that are comparatively resilient to AI substitution, according to new analysis commissioned by Futerra Solutions Union and the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
Nearly all green apprenticeships taken by young people in England (96%) lead to jobs that are harder for AI to replace, compared with around three quarters (73%) of apprenticeships overall.
Just 4.5% of green apprenticeships are linked to occupations most open to AI substitution, compared with 27% of apprenticeships across England – a six-fold difference. 94% of the extra clean energy workers the government says are needed by 2030, such as wind turbine engineers, are in roles at low risk of AI substitution; AI is more likely to support the work than take it over.
Across the wider green economy, more than 4 in 5 green jobs are in roles less exposed to AI substitution, compared with around 3 in 4 across the UK workforce.
The UK is recognised as having a larger share of jobs exposed to AI technologies compared to other economies examined, given the predominance of the service sector including professional services. As AI reshapes the labour market, apprenticeships in ‘green’ industries, such as renewable energy, electric vehicles and heat pumps, offer some of the most comparatively less at-risk career routes, the analysis finds.
The report, (Green Advantage: Employment in an AI-Enabled Economy), finds that green jobs are harder for AI to replace as they largely depend on hands-on skills and practical, real-world work. Green apprenticeships are far more likely to be in jobs that are comparatively resilient to AI substitution, with 96% of these apprenticeships linked to occupations with lower potential for AI substitution, compared with 73% across all apprenticeships.
With over one million young people in the UK currently not in education, employment or training (NEET), the report finds that green apprenticeships could offer a route into lasting careers in the age of AI:
• 96% of green apprenticeships taken by 16–24-year-olds offer routes towards occupations with lower potential for AI substitution.
• 86% are in occupations with low exposure to AI, with a further 9% in jobs where AI is more likely to support workers.
• All ten of the largest apprenticeship routes in established trades where skills are evolving to support green energy (known as ‘mid-green’), such as electricians, engineers and plumbers – are linked to occupations with low AI exposure.
Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, says: “AI is creating huge uncertainty about the jobs of the future, particularly for young people deciding which path to take. But many of the jobs we need for a cleaner, net zero economy – from electricians and engineers to heating installers – are comparatively AI-proof, offering some hope.
“These are skilled careers that already exist and will increasingly be needed. The challenge is ensuring young people can get onto the first rung of the ladder to access the training they need. There are clearly huge opportunities from AI and many jobs can be turbo-charged by adopting these technologies.”
