The Covid-19 pandemic and the related fundamental shift in how people live and work have led many individuals to seek purposeful careers. According to a 2021 Gartner study, the Great Resignation saw 56% of American employees want to contribute more to society as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. LinkedIn’sLNKD 0.0% 2022 Global Green Skills Report has found that as climate change begins to have adverse effects around the world and countries look to mitigate its impacts, more people are starting to acquire new skills and pursue ventures that equip them for careers in tomorrow’s green economy. A recent McKinsey report mentioned that businesses are also actively looking to position themselves and advance their long-term commercial interests in the green economy, with increasing venture capital investments flowing into cleantech and zero-emissions technologies.
Targeted learnings and professional connections can accelerate climate career transition
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the green economy can create 24 million jobs worldwide by 2030, and acquiring green skills will be crucial for workers to position themselves for these emerging roles. LinkedIn’s skills report shows these green jobs span a wide range of industries, from obvious ones like renewables to less-expected ones like finance, fashion technologies and transport. Among these are careers in the renewable energy industries, where opportunities are projected to rise rapidly in the coming years. But as countries look to reduce their carbon emissions, specific economic sectors, notably the fossil fuel industries, will see a drop in employment, with workers needing to transition into new careers.
Despite the growing interest in climate-related positions, companies are reporting challenges in recruiting workers with the skills needed to support their businesses and adjust their operations in a net-zero economy. Alongside this, Foresight Canada mentions that workers would benefit from taking the initiative to improve their knowledge and acquire in-demand green skills in order to become gainfully employed. One company working to reduce these talent and skill bottlenecks is Terra.do. The California-based company is building a global climate career platform to get 100 million people working in environmental industries by 2030. Nishant Mani, Terra’s Chief Business Officer, provides insights into the company’s global climate career platform, the cohort-based learning curriculum aiming to provide opportunities for industry experts and workers, and the importance of understanding climate change’s global implications for driving the necessary shifts in society’s approach to tackling climate issues.
Nishant Mani says that, given the emerging labour markets and economic trends, “Terra.do devised the global climate career platform so workers, investors, organisations and companies from various parts of the economy can engage, learn and see their place in the climate solutions economy”. In 2020, Terra.do launched its live and interactive cohort-based learning programs. Mani adds that to support cohort participants, “Terra.do has also built topic-specific communities and developed mentorship programs to connect learners with industry professionals so participants can understand how climate change can be addressed by their particular line of work. We aim to enable our members to drive influence in their current organisations and/or leverage the community and upskilling from the program to move into new roles”.
Continuous learning is essential in building up knowledge
The WEF’s Future of Jobs Report 2020 reveals that skill gaps will continue to be prevalent as in-demand skills change across jobs in the lead-up to 2025. Companies surveyed by the report believe that around 40% of employees will need reskilling for up to six months, and 94% of business leaders covered by the Future of Jobs report expect employees to pick up new skills on the job—a big jump from 65% in 2018. Moreover, as countries look to meet net-zero goals over the coming decade, green technologies will have to be further developed and enhanced, requiring a continuous cycle of reskilling and knowledge development to empower workers with green skills and foster green entrepreneurship. While there is enormous potential for driving/making a green transition, the OECD notes that we are not moving fast enough to seize it, with jobs requiring green skills having increased by 8% annually over the past five years and the share of green talent only by 6%.
Regarding the long-term outlook required to execute the energy transition and meet the growing demand for talent, Mani notes that “Terra.do’s cohort-based learning curriculum has been created to continuously engage learners and connect them with the community, with course content being developed to meet ongoing industry and skills demands”. But with several Edtech and online learning platforms already on the market, consumers have various avenues to choose from on their learning journeys. Mani emphasizes that the “cohort and live-based nature of the program that builds relationships between participants, mentors and experts is the major difference compared with traditional and self-run platforms”. Just as climate change and its economic impacts are evolving issues, Mani says, “continuous learning and interaction with industry professionals and mentors will be critical for workers and those currently employed to get the best insights for their careers and to apply their knowledge to drive positive outcomes”.
Nishant Mani says that, given the emerging labour markets and economic trends, “Terra.do devised the global climate career platform so workers, investors, organisations and companies from various parts of the economy can engage, learn and see their place in the climate solutions economy”. In 2020, Terra.do launched its live and interactive cohort-based learning programs. Mani adds that to support cohort participants, “Terra.do has also built topic-specific communities and developed mentorship programs to connect learners with industry professionals so participants can understand how climate change can be addressed by their particular line of work. We aim to enable our members to drive influence in their current organisations and/or leverage the community and upskilling from the program to move into new roles”.
