Data from the Office of National Statistics suggests that only a quarter (27%) of working adults would describe any part of their job as a “green job”, while around 1 in 20 (4%) of working adults reported that all or most of their job relates to “green” activities.
Green jobs are defined as “employment in an activity that contributes to protecting or restoring the environment" and are integral to the government accomplishing its objective of Net Zero by 2050.
Inspiring Skills Excellence Wales, a Welsh Government project under the direction of Coleg Sir Gar, is supporting this endeavour. The initiative helps people in Wales attain excellence and motivates them to succeed in the workforce.
Emma Banfield, Project Manager of the Inspiring Skills Excellence project said:
“The fact that just 27% of workers can say that their occupations are in any way "green" illustrates the significance of people gaining green skills.
We have seen recently that young people are becoming more and more interested in Green skills and are therefore adapting our competition portfolio ensuring that green skills are embedded across a wide portfolio. Our Renewable Energy competition is also attracting a lot of interest.
Developing new skills makes communities more resilient and boosts productivity in our economy. Investing in skills is an investment in our nation's, our companies', and our peoples' future.”
Arwyn Williams, Head of Faculty at Pembrokeshire College commented: “The Renewable Energy competition is an exciting opportunity for young people , raising awareness of the increasingly important role of renewable energy generation, the opportunities and challenges. The competition also helps develop some of the skills needed to work in the industry: problem solving, team work, effective communication, resource management and leadership.”
Developing vocational excellence, encouraging and enabling greater participation in Skills Competitions is a priority of the project supported by widening the knowledge and expertise across the education and training sector.
To find out more about Inspiring Skills Excellence Wales, go to https://inspiringskills.gov.wales/
For more information, contact the Inspiring Skills team at info@inspiringskills.co.uk