Careers in hydrogen - Hydrogen UK

Hydrogen will have a crucial role to play in the UK and globally in the transition to a net zero world.

According to the International Energy Association’s Net Zero Emissions Scenario, strong demand for hydrogen and the adoption of cleaner technologies for its production will enable up to 60 Gt CO₂ emissions to be avoided between 2021-2050, representing 6% of total cumulative emissions reductions.

Hydrogen UK’s own analysis points to a significant economic opportunity for the UK and our workforce. Our 2020 Economic Impact Assessment showed that investment in hydrogen could unlock £18bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) and support 75,000 jobs in the UK by 2035.

Growth in the hydrogen economy will lead us to exciting new employment opportunities across a wide variety of industries. These represent the jobs of the future and, in many ways, are the next exciting leap in hyper-skilled workforce, combining tech, big data, business, and precision engineering.

Many of these future jobs are still to be defined, but many others will be underpinned by the skills we already have – the hydrogen value chains touch upon many different types of technologies and manufacturing sectors.

Hydrogen UK will soon begin undertaking new strategic research into the hydrogen economy and the types of skills required for the UK to become a genuine world leader in hydrogen. There is a critical need for industry and government to share a joined-up approach to filling the skills gap and making strategic decisions for the future of our economy. Connecting learning institutions, vocational education, research groups and technical bodies will be essential to maximising the opportunities and benefits that a hydrogen economy could bring to the UK.