Green skills development in the Asia-Pacific

Societal imperatives and lifestyle choices influence market demands, which drive the greening of economies and the transformation of workplaces. The unavailability of market and skills demands data and a lack investment in green technology results in a serious mismatch between supply and demand. This makes localized skill development strategies difficult to implement.

How can national technical and vocational education anticipate demand and plan their skills training systems accordingly? One key approach is to work with companies to meet the skill requirements of job-rich sectors in the post-pandemic and green jobs expansion landscape.

“For the session that we are supporting, UNESCO-UNEVOC cooperating with UNIDO, we are inviting VET institutions to showcase their projects of integrating green skills development in their education and training approaches,” says Ken Barrientos, Program Officer at UNESCO-UNEVOC, on the showcase ‘Job-rich opportunities of the green transition’ which will take place on Tuesday, 26 October.

“We are going to hear from countries like Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka on some very concrete steps that they are taking to respond to the demands and impulses for developing green skills,” Barrientos adds.

The discussion will help VET institutions to learn business re-structuring priorities, ongoing partnership models, and innovative green skill development approaches.

The Asia-Pacific region is a powerhouse of talent and skills, with a great demographic dividend. As the region is helping drive the world’s economy in terms of policymaking, business development, and change, having an understanding on green skills development in major Asian economies is of relevance for everyone.

That’s why as part of the ‘Skills for green jobs’ track, the session ‘Bringing green skills to curriculums - a focus on the Asia-Pacific region’ will look into the strategies and implementation mechanisms in Asia-Pacific countries.

With a diverse panel including experts from UNESCO in Asia, representatives from national VET bodies, institution and transnational capacity building organizations, this session will explore the sectors driving the demand for green skills in the region, and draw examples of cooperation for skills development in the region.

Find out more about all the WorldSkills Conference sessions happening 25–29 October 2021.