Ben Cartland, Manager of the Renewable Energy Recruitment Team at Acre, says: “With the cuts that have been made in other areas of Government spending, it is positive to see the Government’s continued support for renewables.

“Over the past 12 months we have seen an increase in the number of jobs in the UK within renewable energy and clean technology. These include wind power specialists and energy efficiency engineers.”

He adds: “The Budget is a great start towards driving a UK low carbon economy but falls some way short of the £200 billion needed to provide secure and sustainable energy sources and meet the 2020 carbon reduction commitments. The Government is looking for the private sector to invest in clean technology and renewable energy and meet the funding deficit.”

Commercial Manager Beth Mitchell, says: “This funding and investment will inevitably create more jobs for professionals from a financial, investment, legal and policy background. We are already seeing an up-turn in the number of carbon finance and investment roles compare to 12 months ago and believe this will continue to increase.”

She warns, however, that there are skills shortages: “We are lacking in skilled engineers and candidates with specific exposure to renewable technology.

“Currently we are sourcing professional from mainland Europe where the talent pool is sufficient to meet our clients’ demands. Investment in training and the encouragement of the next generation to take scientific and engineering subjects is still lacking in the UK. Until the Government addresses this, the UK is going to struggle to have a sustainable supply of talent.”