Gaydon, UK, 21 January 2026 ‑ At JLR, we’re taking bold steps to address one of the most pressing challenges in the global transition to sustainability: the green skills1 gap. As demand for green talent increases worldwide, we are investing in education, outreach, and workforce development to ensure the next generation is equipped with the skills needed to deliver a net zero economy.
Electrification, clean energy, and circular economy principles are reshaping the automotive industry – from how vehicles are designed, manufactured, to how they are maintained and beyond. This means education curriculums must adapt to keep up with industry needs to ensure students leave education with relevant skills and qualifications.
According to recent LinkedIn2 data, global demand for green talent grew by 11.6% between 2023 and 2024, while supply increased by only 5.6%. In the UK, the shortfall is even more pronounced, with a 40.7% gap between demand and supply. If left unaddressed, this gap is projected to reach over 50% by 20502, which is likely going to impact progress toward climate goals. Encouragingly, 66% of UK Gen Alpha students (ages 10 ‑ 14)3 have already heard of green jobs or careers, signalling an awareness of climate‑related opportunities.
To tackle this challenge, we’re implementing a multi‑pronged strategy that spans schools, universities, and our own workforce. By sharing industry insights and collaborating with education providers, we aim to create career pathways and broaden the talent pool, while also attracting underrepresented demographics.
Sustainability starts with education, and we’re proud to be investing in programmes that empower young people, inspire future changemakers, and help build a talent pipeline that supports our transition to net zero. Sustainability has implications for all corners of our business ‑ from finance and design to engineering and manufacturing. It’s critical that students are adequately prepared with applied knowledge of sustainability principles so they can tackle the challenges we face in the real world.
Andrea Debbane
Chief Sustainability Officer, JLR
Curriculum innovation from early years to higher education
By collaborating with education providers, we can help them adapt their curriculums to match the rapidly changing landscape with real‑world insights and application.
We recently supported the development of a new Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability for post‑16 students who want to develop specialist applied knowledge and skills in sustainability. Created in partnership with Cambridge OCR, the new qualification complements A Levels and/or other Level 3 qualifications. It can also be taken by those already in employment to support career development.
Our collaboration with JLR demonstrates what’s possible when educators and industry leaders come together with a shared purpose. The new Cambridge OCR Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability gives students the chance to build knowledge and understanding, and develop practical, future‑focused skills grounded in real‑world application. At a time when green skills are in high demand, we’re proud to support learners in building the capabilities they need today ‑ and the confidence to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. This qualification ensures learners are equipped not just to understand the transition to net zero, but to actively drive it.
Christine Özden
Global Director, Climate Education, Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Through the Create Possible platform, we give access to a free curriculum‑linked education programme for secondary schools. This initiative provides hands‑on learning and real‑world problem‑solving resources, with one in five challenges focused directly on sustainability to encourage climate‑conscious thinking and make green careers accessible to all.
We also collaborate with universities to integrate real‑world sustainability challenges into course materials, so they can explore innovative solutions that could later be applied across our product development and operations. For example, MBA students at the University of Exeter have developed proposals focused on circular economy solutions, while PhD students funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council work directly with JLR engineering teams on sustainability‑related projects.
Inspiring the next generation
In addition to curriculum support and educational resources, our school outreach scheme sees over 1,000 STEM and Campus Ambassadors share their personal journeys and career paths, amplifying sustainability messages to inspire young people to see themselves as future changemakers. The scheme reached over 130,000 school and university students during the 2024‑2025 academic year.
For students aged 14‑18, we offer a Virtual Work Experience programme, an 8.5‑hour course that includes modules on circularity and green skills applied in authentic scenarios. Nearly 9,000 students have completed the programme in the last two years, gaining insight into how sustainability is embedded across our business.
Building career pathways
Our early careers programme includes apprenticeships and graduate schemes with sustainability‑focused modules. For instance, Supply Chain and Logistics degree apprentices learn about circular supply chains, while Level 7 Finance apprentices develop critical skills in environmental reporting, governance, and corporate social responsibility.
As well as additional mentorship and growth opportunities, participants can tackle real business problems in an annual internal Graduate Innovation Challenge, which has seen sustainability‑based projects more than double in the last three years.
Beyond early careers, the Future Skills programme implements upskilling and reskilling initiatives to prepare employees for the transition to electrification and sustainable mobility.
Closing the green skills gap is not only an industry challenge, a skilled workforce is also essential to achieving climate targets, driving innovation, and ensuring economic resilience.
1 The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) definition of Green Skills is “the knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to reduce the environmental impact of human activity”.
2 Kaura, A. (2024) LinkedIn Research Note “Understanding the Green Transition” published in 2024, page 10. LinkedIn’s Global Climate Talent Stocktake 2024, page 1.
3 Survey commissioned by JLR carried out by 72 Point Group from 9th July – 28th July 2025, incorporating 250 UK secondary school teachers and 1,000 students, aged 10‑14.