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Dam Press:
Students for Sustainable Development International calls on students, young graduates and policymakers around the world to understand that “green jobs” extend beyond manufacturing, construction and renewable energy to include all roles that promote sustainable development and environmental protection, as well as address the climate and environmental emergency.
The Green Skills, Green Jobs report was recently released at a celebration event organized by the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative, a partnership between multiple United Nations entities and the international higher education community.
Towards green and sustainable development
An online survey of 1,108 university students and recent graduates (aged 18-35) from 56 countries across five continents concluded that almost all jobs can be oriented towards sustainability and green skills, although there are some differences in how this can be achieved… Survey participants from different countries and continents identified “green jobs” and “green skills” equally.
African participants considered “green jobs” to be roles that promote sustainable development, aim to protect the environment and address climate change, mainly in the energy, agriculture, manufacturing and mining sectors. They considered “green skills” to be those that help prevent environmental damage, promote sustainable development, are friendly to ecosystems, and promote environmental protection. They also associated “green skills” with technical knowledge and experience and human capabilities that can use green technologies.
Green jobs and planning
Their Asian counterparts were more specific, as they considered “green jobs” to fall into areas such as urban planning, renewable energy projects, social entrepreneurship, education, marine sciences, forestry, medicine and environmental engineering. For them, “green skills” are the knowledge, abilities and values needed to support a sustainable society that uses natural resources efficiently.
For their part, South American participants described “green skills” as both “hard” and “soft” skills, with a focus on understanding different environmental dynamics and finding solutions. Overall, South American youth in higher education have a strong understanding of the challenges posed by environmental conflict and injustice, and would like to see a balance between hard and soft skills in “green jobs” curricula, as well as a greater focus on the social aspects of green jobs, sustainability, and social justice.
Higher education students generally agree that “green jobs” should not only eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution, but should also encourage the restoration of degraded ecosystems, improve human health, and support adaptation to the impacts of climate change. For most students, “green skills” are the skills of the future and are essential for adapting to the processes, knowledge, abilities, values and behaviors required to live in a sustainable society that uses natural resources efficiently.
Transitioning to clean energy
In a recent study, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of university students’ attitudes towards sustainability, “green jobs” and “green skills”, student leaders from various advocacy and lobbying groups were surveyed to understand their views on the green transition of higher education and the labour market. Many of them agreed that universities should do more to train and educate students for “green jobs”. Some pointed out that while the education and training sectors should prepare young people for the transition to clean energy and the changing relationship between work and sustainability, many universities have not yet revised their curricula to include courses on sustainability, “green skills” and “green jobs”.
In general, most students around the world realize that “green jobs” are a sustainable phenomenon and not just a temporary trend. As technology advances and society becomes more environmentally conscious, they will become a permanent and important part of the global economy. Almost all available jobs can be transformed into green jobs, and knowledge of sustainability should be considered essential for every job description.
The gap between curriculum and skills
However, universities are currently not doing enough to train and educate students for green jobs. Although many have begun to offer new education modules or programs centered around sustainability, there is still a large gap between the courses provided and the practical skills required by the labor market. “Green jobs” are expected to become an integral and growing part of the future workforce. The importance of these functions is expected to increase with increased regulation and consumer demand for sustainability.
However, despite this optimism, many students also expressed concerns about the quality of qualifications and wages for green jobs. Many pointed out that there are significant differences in pay based on industry, geographic location, experience level, and government support. For example, some pointed out that while many green jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency offer competitive salaries, jobs in sustainable agriculture offer lower wages.
Many businesses tend to underinvest in sustainable compliance and green transformation, which not only leads to low wages, but also increases the burden on the small number of people working in the field of sustainability. Generally speaking, green jobs are underfunded and undervalued compared to traditional corporate roles.
Sustainability at the Arab and national levels
At the Arab level, the Fifth Arab Conference on Higher Education and Sustainable Development, held in Egypt in September 2023, under the motto “The Role of Universities in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”, urged Arab universities in Arab League member states to integrate the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals into their education and research programs, including their implementation plans, in order to produce graduates who can promote sustainable economic and social development. However, there is no information on the extent to which the Arab League has responded to this call.
The Director General of the Arab Organization for Sustainable Development said that the goal of the conference is to provide an Arab platform through which to play the role of universities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including improving the quality of life, eradicating poverty, enhancing learning and other goals. In particular, universities play a vital role in disseminating knowledge and science and providing initiatives and solutions.
Although most Arab countries have successfully achieved the fourth goal of the SDGs, which calls for equal access for all women and men to affordable technical and vocational education and quality higher education, including university education, the Arab region as a whole needs tremendous efforts and cooperation in achieving all SDGs in the remaining time to achieve the SDGs, especially Arab countries affected by conflict and war, which face the highest risk of falling behind.
At the national level, although many of the educational programs set up by our universities are consistent with the global goals of sustainable development, we still lack a national strategy to integrate the concept of sustainable development into our educational programs, scientific research and development. So far, in our practice at the campus level, there is no plan to integrate the concept of sustainable development into university courses.
However, it is important to point out here that some of our national universities appear for the first time in the University Global Impact Classification (including Damascus University and Manara University), which is published annually by Times Higher Education Foundation and Times Higher Education Foundation. Universities are classified according to how they work towards the global goals of sustainable development. This can be considered a step in the right direction, expressing awareness of the common global challenges we all face, namely climate change, extreme poverty, social justice and other challenges.
Committing to the global Sustainable Development Goals is no longer an option, but has become an urgent need and principle that all universities in the world must adhere to. The presence of sustainability elements in all educational programs has also become a basic and indispensable requirement. Therefore, it has become imperative to rethink programs and curricula, and the Higher Education Council must develop a national strategy to integrate the concept of sustainable development into the educational and research programs of universities and practices on and off campus.
As for green jobs, despite the challenges Syria faces in the aftermath of the war, there is huge potential for labour market growth in green jobs and skills. The war waged on Syria has caused significant environmental damage, which will require a major effort to repair infrastructure and restore agricultural and other lands. This in turn will generate demand for experts in areas such as waste management and recycling, land restoration, water management, renewable energy and green buildings. Our universities must play a leading role in the qualification and training process in these areas, and in developing the technical and soft skills required for jobs in the green sector.
There is no doubt that a new generation of Syrian youth is interested in innovation and leadership and they want to contribute to building a sustainable future for our dear country. Green projects help create jobs for youth and develop the local economy.
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