Second sectoral workshop of the project Green Skills in VET

On 1 February, SGI Europe and the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE) organised the second sectoral workshop of the European project ‘Green Skills in VET’, focused on the energy sector. The project is co-financed by the European Commission.

The workshop was opened by Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary of SGI Europe, and Daniel Wisniewski, General Secretary of EFEE, emphasizing the importance of building solid partnerships between SGI and VET providers in the context of the green transition, and framing SGIs and VET as key actors in building sustainable economic growth.

The project research team lead by the Association for International and Comparative Studies in Labour and Industrial Relations (ADAPT) underlined that the lack of a didactic framework and adequate learning facilities are the main issues encountered by VET providers when providing green skills. Examples of skills and qualifications in the low-carbon economy include chemical engineers, electronics engineers, and project managers. The preliminary research outcomes indicate that the integration of the matrix of green skills into existing occupational profiles is more likely than the creation of totally new ‘green profiles’.  

Participants of the workshop also exchanged best practices from several Member States. Maria Margarida Azevedo, Head of Learning at Energias de Portugal University (EDP), described the communication campaign promoting their training offers, which helped EDP double the number of employees aged 25-40 in the last 6 years.

Samah Elsayed, Programme Officer at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), highlighted the need to increase the use of experiential learning, and make sure students can be independent learners, as the necessary knowledge on the labor market evolves very fast and require life-long learning competences.

Elmar Thyen, chair of SGI Europe Energy task force, underlined the lack of youth in the sector, and the importance of quality apprenticeships. Eliza Mahdavy, Head of ESG Performance at Electricité de France (EDF), emphasized the need to raise awareness of local industries, and boost the capacity to upgrade skills of the companies at local level.

Member States now need to actively involve social partners in modernising education and training curricula, reforming their skills and employment strategies for encountering new skills and training needs, and strengthening the opportunity of jobs creation within the greening of the economy.