Review of the Skills Needs in the Environment Sector

Over the next 10 years the UK will need to plug skills gaps or it risks running short of people with the necessary skills to tackle urgent problems like environmental risks to human health and safe carbon capture and storage.

Between 2008-2010, NERC led the Review of Skills Needs in the Environment Sector on behalf of the Environment Research Funders' Forum (ERFF). In total, the review identified 224 skills needed by businesses, government and academics working on issues connected with the natural environment.

In particular, it identified 15 critical skills that are in short supply. These include hard-edged skills, such as numeracy, computer modelling and field research, and softer skills, such as translating research into plain language to make it more easy to understand.

The review also explains why such skills are so badly needed – for example, to enable the UK to develop and apply new technologies, respond to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, and improve our knowledge and understanding of environmental issues.

NERC's Chief Executive, Alan Thorpe, says, "Leading this review gave us an excellent opportunity to examine training and skills plans to address the challenges we face now and into the future. People with qualifications and skills in science and maths will be particularly sought after to encourage economic growth and future posterity in the UK. I urge postgraduate training organisations, funders and employers to make use of this important report, and ensure that we have the right people with the right skills to build a productive economy, healthy society and a sustainable world."

All the outputs from the review are set out below. These are just the first part of what will be an ongoing process for NERC, to refresh the work.

The first refresh of the work is currently being carried out. If you would like to contribute to this refresh or if you want any further information, please visit the Skills Review 2012 page or contact skills@nerc.ac.uk.