Six in ten young people don’t understand ‘green jobs,’ as Co-op begins to distribute £2.4m fund this week

30 September 2026

Ahead of the final report of the Milburn review this autumn - with solutions being sought for the rising number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) - Co-op and its charity Co-op Foundation are sharing £2.4m this week, towards the creation of new opportunities for young people.

Funding is being received by organisations that support routes into ‘green careers’ or professional roles that will help protect the environment, reduce carbon emissions or develop a more sustainable economy.

The Co-op Green Opportunities Fund was established after research earlier this year found that:

  • 59% of young people who had heard the term ‘green job’ could not explain what they were;

  • 46% of young people reported that they had not heard about green jobs during their education; and yet

  • Co-op Foundation’s original Gen Z(ero) report revealed that most young people (72%) see the transition to Net Zero as an opportunity for their generation.

This year’s ‘Green Opportunities Report’ identifies significant barriers for young people in accessing green skills and careers, including social and financial challenges. It includes the key finding that the “complex green skills funding landscape [offers] piecemeal provision, overlaps and areas of unmet needs.”

The Green Opportunities Fund is financed by donations from the sale of Co-op’s compostable carrier bags in the UK, and further contributions from the Foundation.

Financial awards are being prioritised for those opportunities that will also drive social mobility and bring greater diversity to the industry, as they create new routes to work. It is expected to include roles for women, young people from global majority backgrounds, disabled young people and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Across the UK, funded partners will deliver programmes spanning energy efficiency and retrofit; electric vehicle mechanics; environmental education; agroecology (applying ecological principles to farming, to produce food sustainably) and sustainable forestry.

Projects range from Oasis Children’s Venture in London, converting petrol go karts to electric; to youth-led comics and digital storytelling from Comics Youth CIC in Merseyside.

Projects will combine practical training, mentoring, employer engagement and work experience, as well as green skills training, some of which will be available through Adra Tai Cyfyngedig’s Ty Gwyrddfai Decarbonisation Hub in Penygroes. This will help young people build skills, confidence and clearer routes into education, training and employment.*

Heather Thomas, Group Property and Sustainability Director at Co-op, said:

"At Co-op, we believe every young person should have the opportunity to build a positive future, regardless of their background or the barriers they may face.

“Britain can't build a greener economy if young people can't see a way into it. Nearly one million young people in the UK aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training, according to the latest government data** – and too many in our communities tell us they don't know what green jobs are, let alone how to work towards one.

“That's why we're investing in practical partnerships, yielding opportunities that are accessible, visible and help young people build skills, gain experience and connect with employers.

“We see the impact that climate change is having on the communities we serve, and the communities we source from – it’s vital that every community, every business and every government play their part in delivering a fair and just transition to a greener and cleaner future.”

Nick Crofts, CEO of the Co-op Foundation said:

“Making sure that young people from under-represented communities have fair access to opportunities that arise from the transition to Net Zero is a priority for us at Co-op Foundation.

“We know from our research that young people care about climate action and want to learn more about jobs in sustainability and the green economy, which is why targeted funding such as this is so important.

“At a time when the jobs market is so difficult for young people, we're proud to fund partners who are leading the way in supporting young people and developing a valuable talent pool for the future."

Co-op and Co-op Foundation are partnering with The MCS Foundation to fund two organisations as part of this work. The MCS Foundation focuses on ensuring all UK homes can benefit from being carbon-free by driving the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies. Their mission is to transform the way our homes are heated, cooled and powered through reducing carbon and increasing electrification, energy efficiency and affordability. They are providing Touch of Love Outreach and Adra Tai Cyfyngedig with £25,000 towards their grants, respectively.

Co-op and Co-op Foundation continues to welcome interest from other contributors and those creating green opportunities for young people. Interested parties should visit www.coopfoundation.org.uk

ENDS

For more information, please contact Sairah Rehman on sairah.rehman@coop.co.uk

Notes to Editors

  • Funded organisations

Funded partners include:

• Touch of Love Outreach (Aberdeen, Scotland) - their Green Futures Lab is a youth-led programme supporting young people aged 14–20. It focuses particularly on those least likely to access opportunities, to build confidence and aspiration through practical green skills in energy and retrofit, real-world experience with employers. It will provide clear progression routes into accessible pathways for future green careers.

• KRIMMZ's (Bolton, England) project, Green Futures for Girls, will work with 150 young women aged 14 - 20 from Bolton's most underserved communities to shift their perceptions of green careers and build practical skills. Their aim is to support them into real training, work experience and employment pathways.

• Comics Youth CIC (Merseyside, England) will deliver a two-year, youth-led comics and digital storytelling programme in partnership with the Environment Agency. This will combine paid co-design, mentoring, site visits and campaigns to help under-represented young people aged 14–20 see green careers as relevant, achievable and secure pathways, and support them to take informed next steps.

• Oasisplay (London, England) will target disadvantaged young people, delivering electric vehicle mechanic skills, recycling and upcycling training, introducing green career pathways and opportunities. They will use their established youth-led go kart track programme as an entry point, transforming traditional go karts into e-karts.

• Adra (Tai) Cyfyngedig’s (Gwynedd, Wales) Camu i’r Copa is a three‐year preventative programme for 14–16‐year‐olds at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training.) It offers hands‐on green‐skills training, mentoring and exposure to low‐carbon careers through their Tŷ Gwyrddfai Decarbonisation Hub - the first of its kind in the UK, building confidence, wellbeing and pathways into sustainable futures.

• CAN GROW, (Ballymoney Northern Ireland) will use the 11-acre Lislagan Farm to equip young people aged 14–20 with learning disabilities, autism and mental health challenges with practical green skills. They will look to increase their confidence and open clear pathways into environmental education, training and employment.

• Landworkers Alliance (UK-wide) will run a three-year multimedia public-awareness campaign, highlighting the ways into environmental education, training and employment. They will demonstrate the opportunity, importance and rewarding nature careers in agroecology and sustainable forestry. They aim to engage under-served groups of young people in these sectors and make the case for Government support to make these careers safer, more secure and better paid.

** Young people and work: interim report - GOV.UK

  • Definition of green jobs

For the purposes of the Green Opportunities Fund, green jobs include:

Green "new and emerging" jobs created by the transition to a sustainable economy, including roles in renewable and low-carbon energy, electric vehicle manufacturing, low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, usage and storage.

Green "enhanced skills" jobs, where existing occupations require significant changes in tasks, skills, knowledge or credentials because of the transition to a greener economy. These can span construction; transport; manufacturing; agriculture and land use; waste and water management; utilities and professional services.

In simple terms, these are jobs that help protect the environment, reduce carbon emissions or support a more sustainable economy.

  • About the Co-op Foundation

The Co-op Foundation is Co-op’s charity, working alongside young people to create a fairer future. Its mission is rooted in youth voice, long-term investment and community-led change. The Foundation is committed to ensuring young people can participate fully in the transition to a greener economy — both as climate changemakers and as future workers.

The Green Opportunities Fund is part of Co-op Foundation’s long-term agenda to help tackle inequalities in the green transition and ensure the UK’s move to Net Zero is inclusive, fair and youth-driven.

www.coopfoundation.org.uk

  • About Co-op

The Co-operative Group is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, operating across food retail, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by 7 million active member-owners, Co-op exists to meet their needs and champion the causes they care about.

With more than 2,300 food stores, 800 funeral homes and a wholesale business supplying around 8,000 additional outlets, Co-op employs 53,000 colleagues and generates annual revenues of over £11 billion. It is a recognised leader in ethical business and community-led programmes, creating long-term value for members and communities across the UK.