Shining a light on Solar Careers Hub Glasgow

Solar Careers Hub Glasgow – the second jobs fair held by Solar Careers UK – was an overwhelming success.  

Almost 200 attendees came to the University of Strathclyde’s Technology & Innovation Centre on 25 February 2026, enjoying talks on the industry, practical demonstrations, expert insight, networking and opportunities to explore employment in solar energy and energy storage.  

The first in a series of seven talks, repeated later in the day, was by Solar Energy UK’s Senior Communications Adviser Gareth Simkins. He gave an introduction to the solar and battery energy storage industries: what they are; how and why they are growing so quickly; and the tens of thousands of jobs that will need to be filled by 2035 to meet government and sector expectations.

Chris Clark, Director of Emtec Energy, outlined the wide range of careers within the industry and the pathways towards securing a long-term career in renewable energy. Roy Amner, Business Development Director at NextEnergy Group, went on to share how joining the solar and storage industries can take you from Glasgow to Chile – or from working on a spreadsheet to a 350-megawatt energy hub.

Ricky Towner, UK Training Manager at event sponsor GSE Intégration, later provided a practical demonstration of installing solar panels using the company’s in-roof mounting system – a valuable chance to see what normally happens high on a roof at first hand.

Meanwhile, attendees discussed apprenticeship schemes and jobs in sales, IT, warehousing, project management, quantity surveying, technical management for energy storage, civil engineering, ecology, environmental impact assessment and electrical engineering with the wide array of exhibitors at the event.

Our thanks go in particular to sponsors GSE Intégration. We would also like to thank exhibitors AECOM Energy, Clenergy,  Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), DeterTech, Emtec Energy, GSE Integration, HDM Solar, Midsummer, NES Fircroft, NextEnergy Group, and Verdancy for making the event such a success.

By 2035, the solar and battery storage industries are expected to create 43,000 new jobs and contribute an estimated £70 billion to the UK economy annually. Installed capacity rose from only 100 megawatts in 2010 to around 24 gigawatts at the end of 2025, with the number of small-scale installations increasing from 25,188 to 1.9 million over the same period. So a career in solar energy opens the door to one of the fastest-growing and most future-proof industries in the world.

Installation rates, investment and workforce demand are all projected to accelerate even further in the coming years. This growth trajectory means strong job security and expanding opportunities across engineering, policy, business, data, and more.

It’s also a field where your work directly contributes to tackling climate change, making a real and measurable impact beyond just earning a salary. Whether you’re motivated by technology, sustainability, or social good, solar energy offers the chance to shape the future while building a career that’s both meaningful and forward-looking.

Anyone interested in pursuing a career in solar and battery energy storage should go to solarcareersuk.org and follow Solar Careers UK on LinkedIn.