The Growing Green Skills Gap

If you want to get ahead in green skills for your organisation, we offer a range of IEMA Sustainability Training sessions. Whether you are improving your existing knowledge, or looking for a place to start, our training can accomodate you. Click here to find out more.

“From 2023 to 2024, the global demand for green talent surged by 11.6%, but supply only grew by 5.6%.” This comment recently came from the Senior Lead Manager of LinkedIn and perfectly encapsulates the issue of growing demand for green skills not being met by supply. We are currently amid a historic shift in work, as nearly all industries are faced with a need to transition towards a greener way of life to address climate change. 

So, green skills are in demand across the entire job sector, and the demand is only set to increase. For example, the UK  has seen a 46% rise in roles requiring green skills year-on-year. LinkedIn also reports that those with green skills or titles see a 56.4% higher hiring rate than the overall workforce. For those currently with the relevant skills, this is fantastic news, but for employers it means that finding someone can be extremely difficult. 

So, How Do We Close the Green Skills Gap?

With current figures it does look like we are at risk of the Green Skills Gap continuing to grow. If we are to close the gap, there are a number of different approaches that can be taken: 

Education Reform

To get ahead of a growing Green Skills Gap, the most effective strategy is to educate children on the subject. Integrating this into the current curriculum ensures an immediate, broad reach and can build interest in green careers from a young age. We have seen the positive impact of this strategy on numerous occasions, with the most recent being the session we held at New College Pontefract’s Green Employer Conference.

Apprenticeships, Internships, and Entry Level Roles 

Another strategy to combat the Green Skills Gap is to provide the skills on the job through apprenticeships and internships. Bringing on apprentices or interns in green careers provides practical training and experience to those who show an interest in the field.  

We recently provided work experience in collaboration with University of Leeds. Harriet Adjabeng was an MSc candidate in Sustainability and Consultancy. We gave her a live project with a real life problem that businesses are facing, which was great training for her. We also provided an opportunity to students from the University of York’s School of Business and Society with a live project that culminated in our supplier education on Global Goals 

Internal Training and Upskilling 

Many people are years into their careers, and although having an interest, may feel as if they are unable to acquire green skills. This is where internal training and upskilling can be of service. At Techbuyer, we offer a range of different IEMA Training Courses for everyone in your organisation to help them develop their green skills and knowledge of sustainability in the workforce. We offer IEMA training to all our own staff as well as externally, helping our team to understand and apply sustainability best practices.  

From Concern to Opportunity 

It is absolutely vital that the Green Skills Gap does not continue to grow if we are to achieve our sustainability goals as a society. However, on a personal level you may see this gap as more of an opportunity for you and your business rather than a growing concern. Now is the time to develop your Green Skills to put you and your business in an advantageous position compared to those who are slower on the uptake. Sustainability is incredibly important to us at Techbuyer, from our Global Goals to our EcoVadis accreditation. We believe that by investing in green skills today, we are able to build a more sustainable future for everyone.