With the European Green deal in full force and the Green Transition running through all economy sectors, Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools can be the protagonists in showing the way to green skills which highlight the new green practices to the future work force. For this reason, in GreenVET, we look forward to instructing VET schools not only in providing their students with green skills, but also in exploring the possibilities of creating new future jobs.
According to the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), the impact of the European Green Deal in the labor market will be positive since it is estimated that by the end of 2030, 2,5 million jobs will have been created not only in professions which lead the green transition, but also in the sectors of Administration, Law, Accounting, Informatics, etc. However, the executive director of CEDEFOP, Jürgen Siebel, stressed that there is a particularly high demand for professionals of green transition professions.
The most significant rise will be visible in sectors of high green transition potential, like plumbing and waste management. In the sector of electric energy alone, until the end of the decade, 200.00 new work positions will have been created. In contrast, the demand is to decrease in polluting sectors such as mining, as societies are trying more and more to gradually leave behind their carbon dependence.
It is, therefore, obvious that there is an imperative need in investing in education so that the future workforce is aligned with the European Green Deal goals, and in doing so, contributes effectively to achieving them. After taking all these into consideration, GreenVET project aims to equip VET students with skills which minimize the negative effects of human activity in the environment. These skills include sustainable manners of thinking and acting, for instance integrating renewable energy sources in car repair and construction or in the reduction of food waste in restaurants and cafeterias through composting.
In the next years, it will be mandatory for employees to be familiar with green practices so that they can keep up with the regulations that are to be followed in favor of environmental sustainability. In GreenVET we have a head start, aiming at the foundation of the work force education, VET schools, and we are giving the advantage to future employees to green their knowledge from the very beginning of their work experience.
