A successful green economy requires participation and global cooperation between government and business. Public Employment Services play a critical role in supporting the migration of workers to more sustainable jobs. Aside from merely signposting available jobs in this sector, a PES needs to take an overview of the issues that might affect sustainable employers, such as the match between available jobseeker skills and the demand in greening labor markets. Furthermore, training and skill enhancement programs are needed to prepare the workforce for a green economy transition. 

What are green jobs and how should they be defined?

There are two definitions that provide a good starting point for PES around the world, detailed within the Towards a GREEN economy report by UNEP: 

• • Green occupations actively contribute to the protection of the environment.  
  • Greening occupations integrate new environmental skills, while their final output is not necessarily environmental.  

Green skills requirements within many traditional professions and job profiles are also increasing. In Europe and the rest of the G7 countries, the prevalent approach is to focus on green occupations and their relevant skills. 

The greening of economies neither inhibits wealth creation nor employment

It is a widespread myth that there is an unavoidable trade-off between environmental sustainability and economic progress. However, there are many green sectors which show significant opportunities for investment and related growth in wealth and jobs. The fisheries sector, for example, fishermen may need to be trained for alternative livelihoods, which could include participation in a rebuilding of fisheries stocks. In Germany, the renewable energy industry has been experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, particularly engineers, operation and maintenance staff and site management. In fact, almost all energy sub-sectors lack skilled workers with the most pronounced shortage found in the hydro, biogas, and biomass sectors. There is hence a need to establish new enabling conditions to promote the transition to a green economy, and this is where urgent action is required of policy makers around the world.

Total employment in the energy sector and its disaggregation into fuel and power, and energy efficiency under a 2% green investment scenario. Roughly half of the investment is allocated to renewable energy and energy efficiency.   

– Towards a green economy report by UNEP, 2023

A Call-to-action for Public Employment Services

A Public Employment Service has a broad responsibility to ensure that the entire workforce, particularly jobseekers, have the knowledge and skills to perform in these new roles. Many employees will find themselves displaced by the transition to a green economy and will need the support of their regional PES to gain the skills for a completely new role. Aside from training, they will also need counseling and support as they embark on a new career.

The work a PES undertakes to define and monitor green jobs is not isolated, however. It must occur within the context of a whole economy and will be subject to and influenced by government policy and priorities. 

How can Knowledge Management support green actions?

As a PES grows, it requires a robust knowledge management system for making better-informed decisions, which also benefits counselors and jobseekers in various ways. For counselors, it provides access to comprehensive and up-to-date labor market information, enabling them to offer more accurate and personalized guidance to jobseekers. For jobseekers, it means access to a wealth of resources, such as skill development opportunities, job openings, and career pathways, leading to increased employability. 

WCC’s EP Taxonomy Manager is built to handle constantly evolving requirements and is customizable to maintain the classification for green skills and job roles. This ensures consistent and accurate identification of skills needed for the green economy, facilitating better matching between jobseekers and green job opportunities. Augmented matching bridges the gap between potential and experience to help jobseekers train in new skills and acquire the knowledge to make a successful leap to a sustainable career. 

Find out more about WCC’s EP Taxonomy Manager. If you would like to learn more about this topic, stay tuned for our next webinar in which our Employment solution expert will discuss the significance and benefits of knowledge management for PES and jobseekers.