Project overview

The Future is Green

The Future is Green was a collaborative research project that delivered skills development courses and programmes to individuals across Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly. The project aim was to support the development of skills needed for the future green economy.

This project was funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council is responsible for managing projects funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

The project has now ended. Thanks for joining us on University of Exeter’s offerings.

Find out more on Our Programmes page

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Funders and Partners

The Cornwall College Group were the lead partner in collaboration with 8 highly-experienced delivery partners: Truro & Penwith College; Cornwall Marine Network; University of Exeter; University of Plymouth; Falmouth University; Focus Training (SW) Ltd; Urban Biodiversity CIC, and Celtic Sea Power.

The partners delivered a range of activities from January 2024 – March 2026, upskilling the labour force in Green Skills to support the future green economy and provide opportunities for individuals to access and progress within high-quality, well-paid jobs. Employer-led, responsive training and provision was delivered to support the development of a skilled and adaptable workforce needed for green and inclusive growth. Opportunities for all communities, particularly those in geographically hard to reach areas, were be promoted to enable increased access to sustainable high value green skills careers.

Find out more about University of Exeter delivery on the ‘Our Programmes‘ webpage.

Partners:

• The Cornwall College Group
• Truro and Penwith College
• Cornwall Marine Network
• University of Plymouth
• Falmouth University
• Focus Training (SW) Ltd
• Urban Biodiversity CIC
• Celtic Sea Power
• University of Exeter

Find out more about the delivery from our project partners on the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ‘Good Growth‘ Shared Prosperity fund website.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund proactively supports delivery of the UK government’s five national missions: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to help kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

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University of Exeter’s The Future is Green project Delivery

Throughout 2024 – 2026, University of Exeter delivery focused on circular economy, leadership, clean energy, and construction.

Activities included:

• A range of open and closed programmes,
• One-day masterclasses, E.g. Eden Energy Masterclass
• x3 Built & piloted professional education online programmes
• Workshops, seminars, and lunchtime webinars
• Leadership & innovation residentials

Topics:

The Future is Green project supported the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) strategic sectors and Local Skills Improvement Plan priority sectors, including:

• Clean Energy / Power (such as FLOW and solar)
• Visitor Economy (such as green tourism and sustainable food supply)
• Agri-food / Natural Resources (such as decarbonising agriculture and nature restoration)
• Construction (such as retro-fit, heat pumps and hydrogen boilers)
• Transport (such as low/zero emission vehicles)
• Leadership & Circular Economy

The project broke down barriers, empowering individuals and businesses alike to embrace sustainable practices and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The University of Exeter’s delivery focuses on circular economy, leadership, clean energy, and construction. Find out more about our upcoming and past workshops on Our Programmes page.

Please email green.skills@exeter.ac.uk if you are interested in signing up to our mailing list.* Thank you.

Target Audience

 The Future is Green project is open to all individuals 16+ and will work with the following priority groups:

• Unemployed individuals looking to enter into a green career
• Employed individuals seeking to retrain for a green career
• Skilled individuals looking to upskill in green careers
• Employed individuals in high-carbon sector businesses

Phase 1 outputs across The Future is Green partnership

The project exceeded targets across all key areas:

• High carbon sectors: 503 people gained a qualification (target was 216)
• Green skills training: 476 people gained a qualification (target was 309)
• Support for underrepresented groups: 426 achievements reported (target was 255)

Delivery focused on sectors including construction, transport and agri-food, with partners across the South West providing training in renewables, sustainability and carbon literacy.

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The Future is Green project has now ended.

Thank you for joining us for:

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