International Green Learning and Skills Accelerator

There are few sectors where skills shortages are as much of a barrier to growth as in the industries transitioning to net zero, in particular construction and manufacturing. New research in England has highlighted the struggle in upskilling the labour-force needed required to hit 2030 government targets, and points to a critical role that only education institutions can play - if they can set a strategy with government and employers.

Aligning our education systems with the needs of our planet is essential. Programs and curricula must reflect the realities of our ecological crisis and the requirements of a green economy. Initiatives such as the ‘International Green Learning & Skills Accelerator’ are crucial in plugging this gap by bringing different stakeholders together. To the young people reading this and to those who led and participated in this consultation, your drive and determination are inspiring. Your commitment will be the driving force behind this transition. To educators, policymakers, and industry leaders: I urge you to prioritize this alignment. Invest in green skills education. Support policies that facilitate continuous learning. Create pathways for young people to enter and thrive in green jobs. Nothing good ever happens in isolation; the urgency of this collaboration is even more evident today. Therefore, by working together, we can shape policies and initiatives that guarantee a smooth and fair transition for all, creating a just and sustainable society where no one is left behind.

This article provides a summary of the discussions held on how coalitions of private sector, government and further and higher education institutions can best collaborate in order to achieve greater impact in growing a green economy. 38 specialists in teaching and learning were invited to contribute and this article is designed as a resource for people wanting to understand the core outputs of the discussion.

In this election year of all election years, our governments (and prospective governments) are increasingly vocal of the crushing need to prepare our economies, and our people, for the future we will face as climate change becomes an ever more pressing reality. But there hasn’t been enough debate about what that means for education policy; how do we train or re-train the labour force with the required green skills?

This exclusive 2023 interview with Professor Wendy Purcell, former vice-chancellor of the University of Plymouth and now a US-based research scholar exploring 21st century leadership & governance, sustainability & the SDGs and global higher education, tackles how universities can produce a strategic agenda in order to be focussed on producing transformational change.