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New jobs in sustainability and green technologies are being created faster than workers can be trained to do them—and unfortunately, learning by osmosis is not currently an option (no matter what Garfield says).
Where in the world? Europe is facing a growing knowledge and skills gap in green technology, according to a recent survey of more than 12,500 European businesses, and the Financial Times reported that the personnel deficit is preventing the region from properly investing in green technology. The demand for these workers will likely only increase, as the World Economic Forum predicts the global green economy will create more than 10.3 million new jobs by 2030.
The EU could need to double its workers to 1 million by 2030 just to handle solar projects, according to SolarPower Europe. “Companies in the industry are not only faced with the challenge to retain their workforce, but to grow it during a time when there is already a lack of fresh talent,” Sanda Bozic, head of HR EMEA at developer BayWa r.e., said in an interview with Reuters Events.
Satellite view. The skills most in-demand at companies around the world are sustainable development, environmental remediation, and environmental policy, according to a 2022 report by LinkedIn.
More than two-thirds (68%) of sustainability leaders say they were hired internally to fill their jobs, according to research from Boston Consulting Group. And 60% of people currently on sustainability teams say they were not originally hired for their “sustainability expertise.”
Companies like Salesforce, Deloitte, and Schneider Electric are trying to get ahead of the curve by offering employees reskilling opportunities. KPMG, for example, offers 10 courses on sustainability, ranging from an introductory course on sustainability reporting to how to build a sustainable supply chain.
Too bad reskilling can’t happen while we nap, eat lasagna, or complain about Mondays...yet!—KP