North West Leads Industrial Transformation with Regional Skills Mapping Plan

• The North West is building the workforce of the future, ensuring workers and businesses are equipped to support the clean energy transition, and associated opportunities in industry and advanced manufacturing.
• To support this, Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington (ECW) and Cheshire West and Chester Council have appointed a specialist team to develop a North West Skills Mapping Plan, ensuring that training and skills development match the demands of these growing industries.

 

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington (ECW) and Cheshire West and Chester Council have appointed a specialist team to develop a North West Skills Mapping Plan, ensuring that training and skills development match the demands of the region’s growing industries.

The appointment comes amid a focus in the North West to build a workforce of the future, ensuring workers and businesses are equipped to support the clean energy transition, and associated opportunities in industry and advanced manufacturing.

With major energy and industrial projects already underway in the area, this initiative will provide clear pathways into high-quality, future-proof jobs, reinforcing the North West’s position as the UK’s leading region for industrial transformation.

The project, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Office for Clean Energy Jobs, will identify workforce and skills needs in support of the clean energy transition, align training with employer demand, and support businesses in accessing the talent they need to remain competitive.

Specialist consultancy Opergy has been appointed to lead the Skills Mapping Plan, while Cogent Skills will conduct a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) with a sample of local energy intensive businesses to ensure training and skills provision directly address industry requirements.

The team’s appointment comes after it was confirmed in January that Cheshire had been selected by the government as a “key growth region” for clean energy which will unlock green skills training and boost a collective ambition for it to be the healthiest, most sustainable, inclusive and growing economy in the UK. 

Workers will be supported with government-backed training programmes so they can benefit from thousands of new job opportunities in the clean energy sector, as part of the government’s Plan for Change and clean energy superpower mission.

The specialist team appointment announcement comes during National Careers Week (March 3-8), a moment when organisations across the UK are focusing on building career pathways for the next generation.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said:

"This initiative is about securing long-term career opportunities for people across the North West. By investing in skills and workforce planning, we are helping local people access well-paid, sustainable jobs in industries that will define our economy for decades to come."

Philip Cox, Chief Executive of Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington, said:

"The North West is home to some of the UK’s most significant industrial and energy investments, creating thousands of new, highly skilled jobs. The challenge now is ensuring that we have the right workforce to meet this demand. This Skills Mapping Plan will provide the intelligence and strategic direction to connect people with the jobs of the future and keep our region at the forefront of industrial transformation."

The appointments come as the North West is leading the UK’s shift towards new energy and industrial technologies, with major projects driving growth and investment – including:

• ⚡️ HyNet North West – A flagship project for hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilisation. HyNet will supply low-carbon hydrogen to the UK’s largest manufacturing and chemical production hub, spanning Cheshire and Warrington, North Wales, Liverpool City Region, Manchester, and Lancashire.
• 🏭 EET Fuels and EET Hydrogen – Located in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire West and Chester, EET is developing one of the world’s first large-scale, low-carbon hydrogen production hubs. With a goal to reach 4,000 MW by 2030, EET’s HPP1 and HPP2 at Stanlow Terminals Refinery are integral to the UK Government’s hydrogen strategy.
• 🔋 INEOS Inovyn Hydrogen Storage – Transforming the Keuper Gas Storage Project (KGSP) in Northwich, Cheshire, from natural gas storage to 1,300 GWh of underground hydrogen storage, reinforcing the region’s role in hydrogen infrastructure.
• 🔥 Encirc Hydrogen-Powered Glass Manufacturing – Encirc plans to use low carbon Hydrogen and renewable electricity to power its furnaces from 2030. This will help to debarbonise the two billion bottles it produces at its Cheshire plant each year.

The North West Industrial Cluster, backed by Net Zero North West (NZNW), is delivering £30 billion in near-term investable projects, safeguarding and creating 34,500 jobs, and cutting 17 million tonnes of CO₂ from industry.

Jane Gaston, CEO of Net Zero North West, commented:

"The North West is leading the UK’s industrial transformation, and a skilled workforce is essential to delivering this vision. With £30 billion of investable projects, we are not only protecting existing jobs but creating thousands of new ones in advanced manufacturing, engineering, and clean energy. This Skills Mapping Plan will ensure that workers and businesses have the right support to seize these opportunities."

Opergy, specialists in workforce intelligence and industrial transformation, will lead the Skills Mapping Plan, ensuring that regional workforce trends, industry demand, and future skills needs are fully understood.

Johnathan Reynolds, Managing Director of Opergy, said:

"As industries across the North West evolve, so too must our workforce. This project will provide a clear roadmap for skills development, ensuring that businesses can access the talent they need and people can transition into high-quality jobs in industrial and energy sectors."

Cogent Skills will deliver the Training Needs Analysis, engaging directly with employers to identify workforce challenges, skills gaps, and training priorities.

Justine Fosh, CEO of Cogent Skills, added:

"This project will ensure that skills training is aligned with employer needs, helping to future-proof jobs and industries across the North West. By working with businesses, training providers, and policymakers, we can build a resilient, high-skilled workforce for the future."

The North West Skills Mapping Plan will involve detailed workforce analysis, employer engagement, and data-driven recommendations, with findings expected to be published by mid-2025.