Octopus Energy and The King’s Trust launch careers festival to boost young talent into green jobs

• Two-day event equipped 50 young people with skills to start sustainable careers 
• Roles ranged from energy and talent specialists to project analysts, costume managers, sound designers and heat pump engineers
• 30 candidates that interviewed progressed to the second stage, with six candidates joining talent pools on the spot 

London, 7th October 2025 – Octopus Energy, The King’s Trust and leading hiring platform Indeed joined forces for their first Jobs That Matter festival, opening doors to green careers for young people across the UK.

Held on the 25th and 26th of September at Octopus’ London HQ, 50 young people had the chance to network, interview and learn firsthand from industry experts.

Day one of the two-day festival kicked off with hands-on workshops, where aspiring green professionals sharpened their interview skills, perfected CVs and built confidence. 

On day two, participants put their new skills to the test in real interviews for 20 green roles at organisations including Octopus Energy, Selfridges and Horizon Community Care. 

By the end of the event, 30 candidates that interviewed progressed to the second stage, and six additional young people were added to employer talent pipelines for future vacancies. 

At Octopus Energy alone, 17 of the 23 candidates who interviewed for roles received same-day callbacks. 

Recent research by Public First, commissioned by The King's Trust, found that half of young people aged 16-25 have never heard the term "green jobs" during their education*.

Jobs That Matter, an initiative founded by Octopus Energy with support from The King's Trust, aims to change that by connecting young people – including those from marginalised backgrounds – with meaningful, sustainable careers.

Olivia Wray, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Octopus Energy, said: “Creating more sustainable, future-proof jobs not only benefits young people entering the workforce – it’s also essential to creating a cleaner planet. We’re excited to welcome bright young talent ready to help power the green energy transition.”

King’s Trust CEO, Jonathan Townsend, said: “The King’s Trust is committed to ending youth unemployment and events such as these are brilliant for both young people and employers. 

“The young people present at the event, many from underserved communities, will learn valuable skills, build connections and some may leave with a job. For the employers, they can connect with young people who bring creativity, dedication and a diversity of thought to their organisation that will be great assets.

“The Trust supports thousands of young people each year to build skills and confidence for work because we believe having a job can help towards a more stable and fulfilling life.”

Mai, a Jobs that Matter attendee, said: "I just graduated from uni, and this is exactly what I needed!"

Jamie, also a Jobs that Matter attendee, said: "A few of us have been looking for jobs for a while and it can be really disheartening, but at the event, everyone was really friendly and the sense of competition was really light and positive. It made job hunting and recruitment a fun experience which it never normally is.

“I hope many other young people from less privileged backgrounds get this same opportunity and support. It gave me a much needed confidence boost."

Octopus Energy is a top UK employer, having received 230,000 job applications so far in 2025. It has earned places in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025 list, won UK Company Culture Awards' Best Company to Work For 2025, two Stevie Awards for Great Employers in 2025 and is among Glassdoor’s top places to work. 

- ENDS-

Notes to editors:

Participating employers:

*https://www.publicfirst.co.uk/generation-green-jobs.html

About Octopus Energy Group

Octopus Energy is a global clean energy and technology business, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Under its own retail brand, Octopus delivers world-class customer service and cutting-edge energy products to almost 10 million households globally.

The company is driving the electrification of heat and transport through smart tariffs and innovative clean tech, with operations spanning 27 countries and the entire energy value chain. It operates a £7 billion renewables portfolio as well as thriving EV leasing, heat pump, and solar businesses.

Backed by pension funds, investors and energy giants, Octopus Energy Group businesses deliver cheaper, greener energy and cutting-edge tech to countries and customers worldwide.

For more information, check out our website.

About The King’s Trust

The King’s Trust, formerly the Prince's Trust, is a charity that helps young people from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn.

The courses offered by The Trust help young people aged 11-30 to develop essential life skills, get ready for work and access job opportunities. They do this because they recognise that having a job or running a business can lead to a more stable, fulfilling life.

The King’s Trust has the ambition that 40% of young people they work with will be from the most deprived postcodes, 50% to be from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. and 50% to be young women. Since its founding by HM The King in 1976 (when he was HRH The Prince of Wales), the Trust has helped more than a million young people across the UK.

By helping young people today, the benefits will be felt for years to come – not just for those they support, but for their communities and the wider economy.

For more information, check out the website.

About Indeed

More people find jobs on Indeed than anywhere else. Indeed is the #1 job site in the world (Comscore, Total Visits, March 2025). With 615 million Job Seeker Profiles, people in more than 60 countries across 28 languages come to Indeed to search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies. 

Over 3.3 million employers use Indeed to find and hire new employees. Indeed is a subsidiary of Recruit Holdings, a global leader in HR technology and business solutions that is simplifying hiring and transforming the world of work.