The green skills advantage

As Australia’s emissions targets and other green goals become more ambitious, employers are placing a higher emphasis on green skills. LinkedIn’s Global Green Skills Report 2023 shows that job postings requiring at least one green skill grew 22.4% between 2022 and 2023.

It could be time to start integrating green skills into your career planning – don’t miss this opportunity to market yourself as a green leader to potential employers searching for answers to sustainability problems.

What are green skills?

Green skills refer to the knowledge, abilities and competencies needed to work in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner. As innovate new systems replace inefficient ones to achieve low-carbon emission goals, and doors open for entrepreneurial opportunities, research and development roles, and positions contributing to sustainability-driven innovation, green skills will become more and more sought after.

To help you assess your own skills, let’s break it down into three categories – technical skills for new green jobs, adaptive skills aimed at transforming current practices and processes, and generic skills defined as our generic capacities to adopt sustainable actions and behaviours.

Technical skills are the specific skills and capacities needed to fill the green jobs created as we strive to meet sustainable development goals. Including industry-specific knowledge like data analysis and engineering, these skills will be required to implement sustainable practices, technologies, and strategies.

Adaptive skills are those that can be used for transforming current systems into more sustainable systems. These includes cognitive skills like disruptive thinking, emotional intelligence, coalition building and understanding traditional indigenous knowledges. These skills are essential to navigating the changing landscape of industries and workplaces as we transition to a more sustainable future.

Generic skills represent those skills centred on enhancing the capacity of individuals to adopt sustainable behaviours and actions. They can also be explained as skills that are that overlap with both technical and adaptive skills, including critical and strategic thinking, empathy, collaboration, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and decision-making.

Build your green advantage

There is a growing demand for professionals with green skills who can contribute to sustainability initiatives, reduce environmental impact, and comply with green regulations.

Building your knowledge and abilities in this area, demonstrating your commitment to sustainable practices, and providing evidence of these skills will enhance your employability.

Get involved with volunteer environmental projects or join community groups such as the Australian Association for Environmental Education (WA).

First published https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/oasis-news/the-green-skills-advantage/