The Conservatives have revealed that their new Green Deal to create a low carbon economy will create more than 70,000 skilled jobs.

The shadow energy and climate change secretary, Greg Clark said he hoped 3,500 of the new jobs created through the programme could be ‘green apprenticeships’.

Speaking to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Clark said: “Energy efficiency is a triple win for the country. It saves money, it saves energy, and it saves our environment.

“[The Green Deal] will create jobs, fight fuel poverty and cut the country’s carbon footprint.”

The Conservatives have predicted that their Green Deal proposals could create 36,000 direct jobs in installing and surveying – with a further 42,000 indirect jobs in the energy efficiency supply chain – over the seven-year timeframe allocated to make the required refurbishments.

Coverage of Cameron’s speech on Thursday

Personnel Today will be covering David Cameron’s speech to the conference live on Thursday at 2pm, with the help of three leading employment panelists from the EEF, the Work Foundation and the Institute of Employment Studies. Make sure you log on to Personneltoday.com on Thursday to see the latest employment news being reported as it happens, with expert commentary on what this means for HR professionals.