Critics often complain about increasing unemployment in India. Have they looked at sectors where there is increasing demand for people, yet qualified people are difficult to get? The famous poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, comes to mind and the line “Water, Water Everywhere,Nor any drop to Drink” seems very apt in the labour market of today. One such sector where there is shortage in India is the shortage of individuals required for roles in renewables and green construction. The jobs are being generated across the hierarchy- Chief Sustainability Officer, Sustainability Engineer, Environmental Manager, Environmental Auditor, Compliance Specialist, Landscape Architect, Solar Installer, to name some of them. While the demand for green skills is rising by 8% in India, the people with those skills are growing only at a rate of 6%, market data is showing. The ILO estimates that shift to a Green Economy will create 100 million new jobs by 2030 of which 30-35% would be in India, as per various Research Reports, many of these jobs require a solid foundation in STEM skills, with engineers being the most in demand. Operational Management skills are equally important, which helps the organizational restructuring needed to support green initiatives. ESG implementation is no longer a wish list, but a reality. Sustainability Specialists and Transportation Planners lead the strategic initiatives promoting Environmental responsibility and resource efficiency. Soft skills such as Design Thinking, Creativity and Adaptability are highly important for sustainability challenges and fostering innovation.
The predictable go-to solutions are building Industry-Academia synergy where increasing courses on Environmental Management would help and may be some incentives could be given for the same. We can also help by hosting targeted workshops on Green Skills training. What are your thoughts? Do share with us.