Green jobs and skills – it’s not just ecology and wind turbines

1 in 4 adults say sustainability is one of their top non-negotiables for a new job. As careers advisers then, we are often asked about how to get into green jobs, or which green skills are the most useful.

Whilst it seems we are still working on a universal definition of “green job” or “green skills”, one certainty is that the move to a net zero economy will impact all future jobs to a greater or lesser extent.?

The Green Jobs Task Force?identifies 3 main influences likely to shape occupation and skills demand as we transition our economy.

·??????Increased or decreased demand for certain established occupations due to infrastructure changes, e.g. increased opportunities for offshore wind workers, vs decreasing demand for oil and gas workers

·??????New occupations needing new skills e,g. growth of new low carbon technologies like hydrogen

·??????Transforming sectors like automotive or construction where legislative changes and consumer demand require additional skill sets e.g. to service an EV, or retrofit a building

As to what constitutes the green skillset, and therefore green training needs, however, there seems to be some debate. Some of the new occupations and skills needs can be met by upskilling some transferrable skill sets – for example roofers upskilling to fit solar panels. Other skills such as digital, project management and business planning will be equally important to drive and manage change.

In its?Green Skills report 2022, The Learning and Work Institute identifies these as technical green skills and general skills. It defines technical green skills as the hard design, construction and assessment competencies used by industry specialists and technicians. It sees general skills such as change management, leadership and education as essential to support businesses towards net zero.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 says that global demand for green skills has risen by 40% since 2015. Hiring rates for green jobs have consistently been higher than the overall hiring rate over the past few years. LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise – the fastest growing roles around the world – has featured green careers since 2019.

It is clear that green jobs and skills will be required across all sectors, not just in those jobs which we already consider to be green like environmental management or wind turbine technology. Every job will need to become greener and all sorts of skills – beyond those specific to environmental type roles will be required to plan, implement, support and maintain the green economy.

As careers advisers our role is to pass on this message and encourage those we work with in understanding how their skills can contribute towards the green economy. Whether we are supporting someone to enter a ‘green job’ or to develop their skillset in an existing role, hopefully we can equip individuals with the means to make their own contribution towards net zero.

Watch this space for Green Careers Week starting on 6 November to discover more about green jobs. Or, chat to an adviser online or via the helpline on 0800 100 900 (lines are open every weekday from 8am- 8pm and between 10am-5pm every Saturday).