Ecological sustainability, the green economy and the effects of climate change are now words that enter every aspect of our lives; they are indeed important and highly topical issues for the labour market and therefore also for the world of vocational training. The green transition requires the creation of new jobs, the innovation of production processes, the need for investment in training programmes to develop new skills and knowledge and the development of a sustainable corporate policy. The implementation of environmental sustainability and a greener, more resilient economy demands a concerted effort by all stakeholders to develop innovative solutions and share best practices to ensure sustainability.
The seminar organised by the Fondazione Luigi Clerici (FLC) on “Green jobs in a climate change era: how to promote the employability of young workers?”, which was held from 13 to 15 November 2024 in Milan/Italy, was the perfect opportunity for conducting the necessary exchanges and discussions on the chosen topic, as it enabled the participation of major stakeholders from Italy and other countries. The seminar was organised in collaboration with EZA and funded by the European Union.
The seminar was attended by 71 representatives of workers’ organisations (with no speakers). The participants came from Italy, Ireland, Bulgaria, Spain, Belgium, France, Portugal, Poland, Lithuania and Serbia.
The following topics were discussed:
Green skills - challenges and opportunities for the world of work
The consequences of the green transition for workers: Measures and initiatives to avoid inequalities between employees.
The role of vocational education and training in the transition
Sustainable companies: Where to start?
Combating the risk of social poverty that could arise from the green transition
The importance of retraining and upskilling in the era of the green transition
The role of the church in promoting an inclusive green transition
Green skills
Key green skills in vocational education and training
How can green skills be promoted in the veterinary profession?
Several findings emerged from the round table discussions and interventions:
The green transition is a major challenge for small and medium-sized companies. There is a lack of awareness, knowledge, understanding and a strong resistance to change by the owners and also on the part of employees. Small and medium-sized companies report an information overload and are struggling to understand and comply with the new requirements of the green and digital transformation. Other issues that arose were:
The discrepancy between the skills that are required and existing skills
The gender gap: Only 30% of women work in green jobs, although women generally have a high awareness of the green agenda
The green transition requires companies to make investments that involve high costs, despite the opportunity of gaining multiple benefits
Important measures to counter the resistance of companies include
Raising the awareness among companies of a successful green transition (competitive advantages, access to new markets, etc.)
Active participation in decision-making and in the development of the essential policies and strategies at a local/regional/national level, while also including the participation of employees in the individual companies. The importance of employee participation was emphasised by the Serbian representative, who stressed that it will be impossible to create a sustainable company without the active participation of employees. Companies must work to create a culture which motivates workers to adopt environmentally and socially responsible practices.
Specific strategies are being implemented in some countries to increase the acceptance of the green transition among the population and, above all, among companies and employees, as the French example shows: The financing of retraining projects and the development of green jobs; promotion of training for workers whose jobs are threatened by the green transition to enable them to switch to greener sectors; support and tax incentives for companies that invest in sustainable projects; subsidies for companies that hire young people or retrainers in green sectors.
Vocational training plays a key role in the green transition: Further training must provide training and retraining courses for all groups of employees. However, initial training must ensure that the future workforce, i.e. young people, are adequately prepared to be competitive in the labour market. The training centres and schools must work closely with the labour market to achieve these goals. This was also emphasised by the Spanish speaker who used a project on sustainability in the fashion industry: Close collaboration with companies led to the precise identification of key trends in the fashion industry, including emerging professions and the skills required.
Ecological sustainability, social justice and the economy must be brought into alignment. A fair and equitable environment must therefore be created for all employees: All must have access to the same opportunities for retraining and integration. Participation in seminars to raise awareness must also be encouraged. A practical example was provided by the Barka Foundation (Poland), which emphasised the importance of retraining measures for people who are on the threshold of poverty.
Raising awareness of environmentally friendly practices must start at a young age. The Greek example demonstrates this: Sustainability projects are under way for teachers at all school levels to enable knowledge and skills to be passed on to all pupils, including the youngest.
In summary, we are increasingly losing sight of the common good that comprises our world and we therefore risk of over-exploiting the resources it offers us. We must therefore design joint actions that teach us how to live in the world through social dialogue. We should collaborate to create a sustainable society. This means we should:
Develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gases
Work with energy efficiency in mind
Preserve natural resources
Counteract the loss of biodiversity
We must not forget that raising awareness of these issues is crucial and that we have a responsibility towards future generations. Economic growth must be planned to reduce the environmental impact. We must also ensure that a green strategy does not turn into an ideology, but that issues around the green transition should be addressed in a responsible and ethical process.