This article was written in collaboration with WorldSkills UK.
WorldSkills UK surveyed over 1,000 young people, and nearly two-thirds said they want to work in a job that is committed to tackling climate change!
If you also think this kind of job would be interesting, read below to discover what skills you might need and how to find a ‘green job’ that will help you make a difference.
What are green jobs?
Green jobs (aka green careers) are roles that contribute to fighting climate change, sustainability, and improving the environment.
Examples of green jobs
You could work in any traditional sector, such as retail or manufacturing, and work in a green job.
This could look like an engineer installing solar panels, or a legal representative advising on environmental law, or even a scientist exploring the future of sustainability.
What are green skills?
Green skills refer to the key abilities you need to work in a green job. This can include your knowledge, your soft skills, and your technical skills.
Examples of green skills
Knowledge mainly refers to your theoretical knowledge. It might include what you know about environmental requirements, UK net zero targets or even emissions, as long as it’s useful to your job.
Soft skills refer to skills you can transfer from one job to another. Important soft skills for green careers include teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, analytical thinking, and communication.
Technical skills are your practical skills and experience using them. You might train in construction, digital/technology or engineering (to name a few).
STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, maths) are core to a variety of green careers. The industry is built on innovation and development, so having expertise in these areas can help you make an impact and support your green career.
Why do we need green skills?
WorldSkills UK surveyed over 1,000 employers and found that:
- Most employers surveyed currently require green skills or expect to in the future.
- Skills related to electric vehicles, clean energy and sustainable manufacturing are in demand.
- Green careers are needed across all career levels, not just managers and senior leaders.
- Employers need to reduce emissions to meet UK net zero targets (to achieve a balance of greenhouse gases added and removed from the atmosphere by 2050) and to manage rising energy costs.
We need people in green jobs to come up with and manage new solutions and technologies. That’s why green jobs exist in every industry and why employer demand for green skills is growing.
How to get a green job
When applying for any job, you’ll need to show you have the relevant skills and experience that make you a suitable candidate. For green jobs, being able to evidence practical experience and green skills will help you stand out from the crowd.
Technical education and apprenticeships are a great way to prepare for a green career. These programmes focus on industry learning, helping you build work-related knowledge, STEM skills, and practical experience.
Check out the Green Buzz Quiz to discover skills you could apply to green jobs.
Learn more about pathways open to you.
Who are WorldSkills UK?
WorldSkills UK is the official technical education partner of Green Careers Week 2024 – 4th – 9th of November. They’re empowering and inspiring young people from all backgrounds to build STEM skills and pursue careers that tackle climate change.
They’re a proud member of WorldSkills, a global movement of over 80 countries. WorldSkills supports young people across the world via competitions-based training, assessment and benchmarking, with members’ national teams ultimately testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills Olympics’.
WorldSkills UK inspires young people, whatever their background, to choose high-quality apprenticeships and technical education as prestigious career routes.
