​Graduate engineers who want to be part of the UK’s decarbonisation revolution are entering the job market at an ideal time, as career opportunities in HVAC and renewables are poised to boom.

We’ve spoken before about the popularity of ‘green jobs’ and the fact that almost half of 18 to 25-year-olds and 44% of people aged 26 to 38 choose their preferred career or employer based on personal ethics, with climate change being a key concern (read our blog How to find your next green heating sales job).

With this in mind, the range of green careers available for graduates is wide and encompasses exciting and innovative industries such as wind turbines, solar power, heat pumps, biofuels and the latest smart and low carbon HVAC systems. 

Experts predict that as governments around the world step up their Net Zero efforts, the renewable energy sector (of which HVAC is a significant part) will see huge growth. The Offshore Wind Industry Council’s (OWIC) UK Offshore Wind Skills Intelligence Report 2022 shows that offshore wind alone currently supports over 31,000 direct and indirect jobs across the UK with most (19,600) working solely in this subsector. This is set to rise to over 97,000 jobs by 2030, according to the OWIC. 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects solar and wind to account for 90% of the net increase in global electricity capacity by 2027. The heat pump market is another growth area, with the majority of commercial heating manufacturers having their own heat pump products. The government has targeted the installation of 600,000 pumps a year by 2028. You can read more about the heat pump market in our blog Where next for the commercial heat pump market?

When you think that each renewable energy project needs input from people with a wide range of skills – including ecologists, project managers, engineers and sales people – the opportunities are huge and the variety significant. Graduates could find themselves working outdoors on land or at sea, in an office, remote working or in a laboratory.

Employers in the renewables sector have an excellent reputation for diversity already, which is great news for graduates. There is an awareness that there is always room for improvement and although currently almost a fifth of those working in offshore wind are women, the industry is aiming for 33% by 2030. In solar, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that the number of full-time women employees has reached 40%.

Renewable energy has become the UK’s largest source of electricity, generating 43% of annual power needs, which means those working in renewables enjoy secure and exciting career prospects. Decarbonised heat is a key focus on the path to net zero and HVAC is right at the heart of that journey. The industry has a superb reputation for training, with many employers offering structured training and development programmes, apprenticeships and graduate schemes to build the skills the industry needs for rapid future growth.

If you’re looking for a graduate role in engineering within the green heating, renewables and HVAC sectors, call us on n 0115 871 4777 or check out our latest jobs. 

You might also be interested in our article How can engineering graduates improve their chances of a career in the booming HVAC market?