5 things to know about green skills for youth
The world is changing, and the challenges we face are more pressing than ever. Climate change isn’t a distant threat; it’s a reality impacting our lives, particularly the lives of young people. But amidst these challenges lies immense opportunity. The transition to a greener economy isn’t just about reducing our carbon footprint – it’s about building a better, more sustainable future for everyone. And at the heart of this transformation are green skills – the knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to thrive in this new era.
This year’s International Youth Day shines a spotlight on “Green Skills for Youth,” and for good reason. This isn’t just a feel-good trend, it’s a vital necessity.
What are Green Skills?
Simply put, green skills are the knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society.
Green skills encompass a broad spectrum, including:
- Technical Skills: The specific know-how to work in green industries (renewable energy installation, environmental engineering, waste management, etc.)
- Transversal Skills: Essential abilities like critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability – crucial in any field impacted by sustainability.
- Green Values and Attitudes: A fundamental understanding of sustainability, environmental responsibility, and a commitment to creating a resource-efficient society.
Critical things about Green Skills
1. Youth will endure severe climate events longer.
Youth understand climate impacts on their future and 7 out of 10 young people want to be actively engaged in the green transition.
Youth will experience the effects of climate change more intensely than previous generations. Compared to a child born in 1960, a child born in 2020 will endure significantly more frequent and severe climate events – 2.0x more wildfires, 6.8x more heatwaves, 2.6x more droughts, 2.8x more river flooding, and more crop failures.
This underscores why green skills aren’t just beneficial; they’re essential for young people’s resilience.
2. Youth will experience significant changes in economic opportunities.
Climate change doesn’t just threaten our environment; it’s also reshaping the job market. Climate change threatens 40% of all jobs that are reliant on a healthy environment.
But there’s good news! By 2030, 8.4 million jobs are expected to be created for young people through the green transition. Furthermore, for every green job, 1.4 more jobs are generated.
This means that investing in green skills will open up new and exciting career paths for young people.
3. The world faces a skills shortage
The bad news is that 60% of young people lack the green skills necessary to succeed in this emerging green economy. The demand for professionals with green skills is skyrocketing, and there’s not enough talent to meet that demand.
According to a LinkedIn analysis between 2022 and 2023, there was a 12.3% increase in the portion of green talent, but job postings that needed at least one green skill increased by a much larger 22.4%.
4. Gender occupational stereotypes are furthering skills gaps
The push for green skills must be equitable. There are significant disparities to overcome:
- Technology Divide: 67% of youth lack essential digital skills, limiting their ability to access online resources and training for green jobs.
- Gender Stereotypes: The current trend suggests that males are overwhelmingly more likely to participate in green job transitions; for example, from 2015 – 2021, 66% of green job transitions were done by men. Additionally, 19 million green jobs are expected to be created for men, compared to just 6 million for women.
- Education Gap: Less than half of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to address climate change mention integrating green skills education in their plans.
Conclusion
The green transition isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a fundamental shift that is reshaping our world, creating new opportunities, and requiring a new set of skills. We need to ensure young people have the training and resources they need to not only participate, but lead in this transformation.
We all must invest in green skills education to close the gaps that exist today and build a more sustainable future, together.
