L-R Jonathan Shaw, Gavin Batty, Nikki Davis, Gary Lawson, Laura Guymer, Ken Taylor, and Simeon Perry

Regional businesses have joined forces to expand education and training opportunities, tackling the growing construction skills gap and creating new entry routes for both young people and those upskilling across Yorkshire and the Humber.

Stakeholders spanning building services, housing, construction, engineering, and manufacturing, alongside government agencies, charities, and training providers, came together last week at Leeds College of Building for the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Green Skills Advisory Panel (GSAP) in the region.

GSAP is a UK-wide member-led initiative, with regional panels established to support the delivery of green skills and employment pathways needed to meet the national net zero targets. The Yorkshire and the Humber panel is the latest to launch, forming a dedicated hub to drive collaboration and impact locally.

Founding members of the panel include EN:Able Communities, the charitable arm of housing consortium Efficiency North, Barnsley College, Leeds College of Building, Sustainable Building Services (UK) Ltd, and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

Simeon Perry, head of operations at EN:Able Communities, said: “It should come as no surprise that some of the sectors most in need of levelling up are those with the fewest opportunities. While it won’t happen overnight, real change is essential, especially in regions like ours, where the ambition is high but the solutions are few.

“By joining forces with key construction businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber, we’re able to harness the power of collaboration to address the industry’s future capacity challenges. That means not just increasing headcount but also investing in and supporting the existing workforce.”

With more than 13,000 new construction workers needed in North Yorkshire & York by 2031 to meet government targets, on top of West Yorkshire Combined Authority aiming to retrofit all social housing by 2038, requiring 838,000 heat pumps installed, 205,000 homes connected to heat networks and 569 megawatts of rooftop solar installed, the panel’s work is both timely and necessary. The group’s inaugural meeting marked the start of a collaborative journey to strengthen regional green talent pipelines, create accessible career routes, and support a workforce equipped to deliver a net zero future.