How sustainability education fuels the green job market

This article first appeared in University World News .

How sustainability education fuels the green job market

Patrick Blessinger , Pamela Maseko and Abhilasha Singh

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, otherwise known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is a global framework for implementing sustainability principles worldwide. Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a transformative approach to education at all levels that integrates sustainability principles into the teaching-learning process.

On the teaching side, ESD is a powerful pedagogical approach that makes teaching disciplinary content more relevant to contemporary times. On the learning side, ESD empowers students with the knowledge, skills and values to make informed decisions for a sustainable future.

In short, ESD prepares students for the requirements of the emerging green economy. As such, ESD has become an urgent call to action for economic, social and environmental sustainability.

The UN defines a green economy as one that focuses on sustainability, resource efficiency, responsible production and consumption, and social inclusiveness.

Sustainability is not just a critical need for the planet but also a key driver of future job creation, from climate change, biodiversity loss, renewable energy and green urban planning, among others. ESD helps fuel the green job market by developing future professionals and aligning education with the growing demand for green jobs.

The role of education for sustainable development

With the present situation, most of the challenges in the global labour market become critical concerns in relation to climate change and environmental degradation. Because industries are going green, a larger workforce with green skills and knowledge is required to support this trend. ESD is, therefore, vital in addressing this demand through developing green competencies.

According to UNESCO , ESD is education that equips people with competencies to make informed decisions toward a sustainable economy, ecology and social well-being. This integrative approach to teaching and learning promotes critical thinking, problem-solving and the development of collaborative skills needed to solve the complex challenges surrounding sustainable development.

As green industries – food production, renewable energy and green construction – continue to develop, they require a workforce that knows how to work with sustainability principles. ESD provides the basis for this by integrating sustainability into all levels of education, from primary schools to higher education institutions.

Skills for a green world

Green jobs will impact every sector of the economy, from agriculture to manufacturing to service, and every industry in society, such as energy, transportation and construction – the biggest greenhouse gas producers .

ESD fuels this green job market. In addition to technical competencies in renewable energy technologies and sustainable agriculture, ESD should include leadership, communication and systems thinking skills.

For example, regarding renewable energy, professionals should have some basic technical capability related to the design, installation and maintenance of sustainable technologies; simultaneously, they should be informed about the general environmental and social contexts of such technologies, including possible impacts on local communities and ecosystems.

ESD provides students with both the technical and contextual knowledge that enables them to thrive in such careers. Moreover, ESD fosters interdisciplinary learning , which is necessary for dealing with issues concerning sustainability because all of the problems in sustainability are interrelated.

For example, urban planning professionals who work in developing sustainable cities need to consider the environmental impacts and the social and economic aspects of sustainability projects. ESD prepares learners by fostering a holistic understanding of sustainability.

Aligning education and industry

As the green economy grows, the demand placed on educational systems is evident. ESD provides a globally recognised framework that helps to ensure curricula are responsive to society’s current and emerging needs. This involves integrating sustainability into traditional disciplines and developing new programmes and courses with a particular focus on green jobs.

Higher learning institutions are thus instrumental in this process through programme development that equips graduates with competencies suited for a green economy. For example, degrees in renewable energy engineering, sustainable business management, and environmental science are becoming common at most universities.

Further, vocational training and lifelong learning programmes can help current employees transition to a green economy. ESD accommodates workers from conventional manufacturing and construction industries by re-skilling and upskilling them to transition from non-green jobs to green jobs.

An exemplar in ESD

The American University in the Emirates’ (AUE) commitment to sustainability exemplifies how educational institutions can drive global change. AUE’s strategic vision inculcates sustainability into the fabric of the university by embedding ESD across academic programmes. This approach is linked with national priorities, such as the United Arab Emirates declaration of 2023 as the Year of Sustainability and the United Arab Emirates’ hosting of COP28 .

AUE integrates academic theory with practical applications. This helps to ensure that students are prepared for real world sustainability challenges. For example, in the Expo Live University Innovation Programme , students developed a solar-powered irrigation system that helps mitigate climate change.

This programme involves a blend of environmental stewardship with academic rigour. It is one of many initiatives through which AUE is nurturing the next generation of leaders prepared to address global environmental challenges.

Apart from these initiatives, AUE facilitates creative engagement through various platforms. These initiatives range from designing media on sustainability to professional workshops on sustainability. In addition, forums like the AUE Innovation Forum and other environmental competitions enhance students’ soft skills and allow students to present creative business models for sustainability initiatives.

More exemplars of ESD in action

Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in South Africa is committed to ESD by adopting the maxim ‘think global but act local’. This sustainability approach assures long-term sustainability by focusing on short-term impacts at the community, regional, national, continental and international levels. NMU utilises a bidirectional model – a top-down and ground-up approach to sustainability – to help achieve the Africa Agenda 2063 .

Another example is the United Nations Environment Programme’s Green Economy Initiative, which works with governments to incorporate sustainability into their vocational training programmes. For example, it has helped establish green jobs in areas such as waste management, sustainable agriculture and energy efficiency.

Higher learning institutions are increasingly applying the principles of ESD to equip students with capacities for careers in the green economy. Many universities also offer degree programmes in sustainability.

For example, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom offers a masters degree in sustainability leadership that combines academic study with applied projects to enable students to develop the skills and knowledge required to lead the sustainability agenda within their respective organisations.

The future of ESD

As the green economy continues to grow, so will the significance of ESD in the composition of the future workforce. In this respect, the responsiveness of education systems to the needs of the green job market requires a more tightly coupled coordination between governments, educational institutions and businesses.

The critical issue is making ESD accessible to all learners irrespective of backgrounds and disadvantages. This calls for investment in educational infrastructure, especially in developing countries. It also calls for new pedagogies, which are helped immensely by using digital technologies to reach more people.

There is a need for closer collaboration between education providers and industry in developing curricula relevant to the needs of the green economy. This means designing new programmes and courses while embedding sustainability in existing disciplines.

Conclusion

Ultimately, whether ESD successfully fuels the green job market will depend on its ability to adapt to its environment. Education systems must adapt and be responsive to the emerging green industry’s needs and technological innovations to provide learners with relevant and contemporary green competencies.

ESD is a critical driver of the future workforce since it equips learners with the skills and knowledge necessary for participation in an increasingly greening world. ESD develops this new generation of professionals who will drive the transition toward a more sustainable future through activities relating to interdisciplinary critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration.

As demand for green jobs grows, so does the importance of ESD. Investment in ESD helps assure governments, institutions of higher learning and businesses that the future workforce will possess the competencies needed to address the world’s most significant challenges.

Patrick Blessinger is an adjunct professor of education at the State University of New York, Old Westbury, and St John’s University in New York City, United States, and chief research scientist for the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association or HETL. Pamela Maseko is a professor of sociolinguistics and executive dean of the faculty of humanities at Nelson Mandela University in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Abhilasha Singh is professor of organisational behaviour and human resource management in the College of Business Management at the American University in the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Suggested Citation:

Blessinger, P., Maseko, P, & Singh, A. (2024). How sustainability education fuels the green job market. University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20241104092943203

Copyright ? [2024] Patrick Blessinger, Pamela Maseko, and Abhilasha Singh

Disclaimer

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and as such do not necessarily represent the position(s) of other professionals or any institution.