Energy transition drives environmentally friendly employment

Green transition, decarbonisation, circular economy are increasingly inevitable paths that require new skills. Which ones? "ManpowerGroup has identified for Italy the key sectors for green jobs, where most of our personnel searches are being concentrated, thousands of them throughout the country. Among the main areas: renewable energy, energy efficiency, circular economy, sustainable mobility, green It and sustainable agriculture. The sectors involved include energy, telecommunications, industry, automotive and logistics'. Responding is Daniela Caputo, Sales, Marketing & Innovation director of ManpowerGroup Italy.

To achieve the goals of the European Green Deal, demand is likely to increase in sectors such as construction, transport, waste management, electricity, architecture and engineering, Cedefop's European study 'Skills in transition-The way to 2035' also confirms.

The need for green skills is at all levels: 'Among the most sought-after profiles in these areas are, for each sector, all the specific skills needed to cover the entire production cycle: from designers, often engineers with different addresses, to technicians up to fitters, installers and maintenance workers, who are specific to renewables, the circular economy, and energy efficiency,' Caputo continues.

"Some of the most in-demand green profiles are also Hse managers - responsible for health, safety and environment -, renewable energy system designers, sustainable building experts, corporate sustainability consultants, hydrogen energy engineers, technicians in regenerative agriculture, electric vehicle infrastructure engineers and sustainable mobility specialists," lists the ManpowerGroup manager further.

Estimates by the International Energy Agency (Iea) speak of 30 million new green jobs globally. According to Unioncamere, as stated in the latest paper 'Forecasts of employment and professional needs in Italy in the medium term', "between 2024 and 2028 companies and the public administration will require green skills with at least intermediate importance to more than 2.4 million workers (almost two-thirds of the five-year requirement) and with high importance to more than 1.5 million (just over 40% of the total)". That is 3.9 million jobs, ranging from blue collar workers to highly specialised figures: the sectors most in need of these skills are construction, mechatronics and advanced business services, which are essential for the green transition of industry.