Working Together for a Sustainable Future
Preparing the Students of Today for a Greener Tomorrow
Français • August 3, 2023
Signal49 Research, on behalf of the Future Skills Centre, is studying how Canadian post-secondary institutions (PSIs) are preparing future graduates with the green skills that are needed for a more sustainable future.
This project will:
- Identify the green skills that workplaces need today and explore how the demand for green jobs might change in the future.
- Investigate how PSIs are teaching green skills and determine if there are any gaps between the skills being taught and those sought by employers.
- Identify any challenges that PSIs have in teaching green skills and provide recommendations for improvement.
The need for green talent
As climate change continues to threaten our ecosystems and ways of life, workplaces must find replacements for unstainable practices and technologies. The transition to a more sustainable economy is expected to create many new employment opportunities. Canada will require not only more workers with the technical skills needed to build and operate green technology, but also workers who are sustainability-minded, innovative, and prepared to solve tough challenges.
Moving to a greener economy will not be easy. The Canadian workforce will require significant training and/or upskilling to acquire the skills for the sustainable jobs of today and tomorrow.
But what are the green skills that employers are looking for?
Green skills in demand
Clean water and energy are top priorities for Canadian employers. A preliminary analysis of Canadian job postings data reveals that employers across all regions in Canada are looking for workers who are proficient in and/or knowledgeable about wastewater processing, renewable energy, and solar power.
Employers are also looking for workers who can contribute to their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. In particular, they are looking for workers who can implement and evaluate green building standards and/or have the skills to operate environmental management systems. Having the skills to implement, evaluate, and manage environmental mandates and targets is key to creating sustainable workplaces.
Table 1
Top five green skills that Canadian employers are looking for
| Green skill | Number of job postings in 2022 |
|---|---|
| Wastewater processing | 6,533 |
| Renewable energy | 3,707 |
| Solar power | 3,131 |
| Leadership in energy and environmental design | 2,775 |
| ISO 14000 (Environmental Management Standards) | 2,767 |
Note: Data were collected from online job postings with key words for skills that are environmentally related.
Sources: Vicinity Jobs; Signal49 Research.
More skilled, more green
Demand for green skills is highest for job postings that require higher levels of training, education, experience, and responsibilities (TEER). Job postings for management-level positions are most likely to require green skills, followed by those that require at least some post-secondary education.
Chart 1
Jobs at higher levels are looking for more green skills
(percentage of job postings requiring green skills in 2022)
Note: Data were collected from online job postings with key words for skills that are environmentally related.
Sources: Vicinity Jobs; Signal49 Research.
Teaching green
The high demand for green skills within jobs that require post-secondary education speaks to the importance of PSIs in equipping graduates with these skills. But what are Canadian PSIs currently doing to help meet this demand, and what more can be done? To answer these questions, we need to:
- know the specific actions they are taking to promote green skills
- understand the challenges they are facing
- respond to these challenges
Building a green workforce
To better understand the role of Canadian PSIs in preparing graduates with the green skills that are needed for a more sustainable future, we will:
- analyze job postings data to identify the most in-demand green skills in Canada today and explore how the demand for green jobs is expected to change in the future;
- scan Canadians PSIs to determine whether/how green skills are currently incorporated into their existing programming/curricula;
- interview PSI leaders and educators to dig deeper into how green skills are currently being taught in Canadian PSIs, the challenges they are facing, and ideas for improvement.
Insights from these activities will help Canadian PSI leaders and educators know what green skills are needed in the workforce and plan ways to promote them to their students. In doing so, we can help shape a more sustainable workforce.
Green learning today for a greener economy tomorrow.
If you are interested in learning more about this project or participating in an interview, please contact Jane Hutchison, Senior Manager, Future Skills Research, Education & Skills ([email protected]).
FSC partners
The responsibility for the findings and conclusions of this research rests entirely with Signal49 Research.