© UNICEF/UN0364558/Casares

Skills for a Green Transition:

Solutions for Youth on the Move
 The green If the global temperature
can be limited to
economy has below 1.5 °C,
the potential to
create millions 20+
of new jobs million
clean energy jobs could
be added by 2030
International Renewable Energy Agency,
2022

2 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 The green The number of green
jobs globally has already
economy has grown at a rate of
the potential to
create millions 8%
of new jobs per year
over the last five years
World Economic Forum, 2023

3 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 The green Green policy measure
can create
economy has
the potential to
create millions
8.4
million jobs
of new jobs for young people
by 2030
ILO, 2022

4 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

Youth are crucial for driving the Factors hampering youth on the Green jobs
transition to the green economy move’s potential to participate in
the green transition
…but youth on
the move face Energy Agriculture
increased challenges Lack of recognized Limited legal status

that hamper
their potential to Restricted
Health Education

right to work
participate in the
green transition. Tourism Transportation

Inadequate
post-training support
Absence of
social networks

Connectivity
challenges

5 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

Youth on the move Percent of refugees enrolled in secondary school around the world
also face education compared to secondary age children worldwide
disruptions, hindering 33%
their opportunity to of refugees enrolled
in secondary school
build a breadth of
green skills needed 84%
secondary age

for a green transition children worldwide

Percent of refugees enrolled in higher education around the world

compared to non-refugees

3%
of refugees enrolled
in higher education

37%
non-refugees

6 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 Youth on the move need a breadth
of green skills, including
occupational/technical, transferable,
and transformative skills, that are
portable and adaptable to be prepared
to participate in green economies
across all sectors.

7 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 Skills for a Green
Transformation
Skills for Green Jobs Green Life Skills
Skills for green transformation needed to drive
Skills used more intensively in green Skills used in many occupations. These include: the systems change demanded by the 1.5°C
occupations, including engineering, science decision-making, teamwork, leadership, risk target. These include disruptive thinking,
operation management and monitoring. management, design, communication, political agency and coalition building.
While these skills may not be that different commercial, and creativity and problem-solving.
to those required in other industries, Transformative Capacities
they require adaptation to environmental Transferable Skills
• Ability to analyze • Political agency,
phenomena and technologies. • Adaptability • Gender unequal systems activism
• Collaboration empowerment skills to power • Reflexivity
Occupational/Technical Skills • Collaboration • Growth mindset • Coalition building • Respecting diverse
• Business skills • ICT skills thinking • Higher order • Collective action viewpoints
• Data analysis • Innovation skills • Communication thinking skills • Disruptive vs. • Solidarity
• Engineering • Marketing skills • Coping with • Interpersonal normative thinking • Systems thinking
• Entrepreneurship • Monitoring skills emotions competence • Environmental • Trans-cultural,
• Environmental • Project • Coping with • Leadership stewardship transspatial,
and ecosystem management uncertainty • Negotiation • Future and trans-temporal
management • Research skills • Creativity • Networking anticipatory thinking mindsets
• Environmental • Sales skills • Critical thinking • Open-mindedness • Interdisciplinary • Valuing traditional
knowledge and • Science skills and reasoning • Participatory skills and multidisciplinary and indigenous
awareness • Technological • Decision-making • Problem-solving thinking knowledge
• Finance skills skills • Empathy • Resilience • Interrelational • Working within
• Flexibility • Strategic thinking thinking complexity
• Teamwork

TRANSFORMATIVE
INSTRUMENTAL

8 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

If youth on the move
are not included in the
green transition and do Leaves no
one behind
not have the opportunity
to build a breadth of Fair and
inclusive
Just,
green skills, this hinders green
transition
a comprehensive Youth on
and effective just, the move

green transition Decent

work

9 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 We need to SOLUTION 1

meaningfully Leverage successful skilling programmes

to create inclusive green skilling
include youth on pathways for youth on the move
the move in the
green transition.
SOLUTION 2
Here are three ways Promote access to green work
programmes and policies
opportunities for youth on the move
are already doing this:

SOLUTION 3
Foster access to self-employment
and entrepreneurship opportunities for
youth on the move in green sectors

10 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 SOLUTION 1
To leverage successful Ensure that skilling programmes
skilling programs transitioning to becoming green
to create inclusive targetnotonlyoccupation-specific
skills but also transferable skills
green skilling pathways
and transformative capacities
for youth on the move…

Connect youth on the move to

local and Indigenous knowledge

Start early! Integrate climate

education in all curricula

11 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

SOLUTION 1 Highlights: Impact to Date:
• Starts early • Reached almost
PROGRAMME with Grades 4 – 10​ 500,000 students
EXAMPLE (65% girls)
• Integrates climate
in 2020/2021​
LEARNING education and
sustainable development • Trained 30,000
BRIDGES into core curricula ​ teachers in online
• Includes Syrian refugee blended learning
Jordan
students ​
• Targets transferable skills​
• Critical thinking​
• Digital literacy​
• Problem solving​

© UNI458413
12 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move
SOLUTION 1 Highlights: Impact to Date:
• Empowers Vietnamese • Directly impacted
PROGRAMME youth for local, national, 13,902 Vietnamese
EXAMPLE and global climate advocacy​ youth​

ENGAGING • Targets a breadth of green • Funded 20

skills ​ youth-led sustainable
YOUTH development projects ​
• Climate-smart research
AS GLOBAL (occupational/technical • Established a
CITIZENS skills)​ network with 303
IN VIETNAM • Leadership & networking active youth members
(transferable skills)​
Vietnam • Advocacy (transformative
capacities)​

© UNI310307
13 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move
 SOLUTION 2
To promote access Amplify access to green skills
to green work development and employment information
opportunities for and opportunities
youth on the move…
Establish policies that support youth on
themovetofindgreenworkopportunitie
in their host communities & reform policies
that discriminate against their participation

Incorporate green vocational training

into temporary employment programmes

Offer green apprenticeship opportunities

14 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

SOLUTION 2 Highlights: Impact to Date:
• Empowers under- • Directlybenefited
PROGRAMME resourced youth through 250,000 youths
EXAMPLE a digital marketplace ​ across East
and Southern Africa
YOUTH AGENCY • Engages youth in social
impact projects ​
MARKETPLACE
• Supports youth through
(YOMA) job matching, mentoring,
technical and transferable
South Africa, Nigeria, skills training​
Tanzania, Malawi and Peru,
with prospects of project
expansions in Ghana
and Ivory Coast

© UNI466288
15 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move
SOLUTION 2 Highlights: Impact to Date:
• Addresses • Created 3,528 short-
PROGRAMME immediate and long- term employment
EXAMPLE term employment opportunities for women,
challenges ​ youth and people with
IRAQ disabilities affected by
• Targets a breadth
CRISIS AND of green skills the ISIL crisis and
RESILIENCE for diverse fields ​ secondary displacement​
PROGRAMME
(ICRRP)

Iraq

© UNI457191
16 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move
 SOLUTION 3
To foster access Provide holistic support to youth on
to self- employment the move to start their green enterprises,
and entrepreneurship including training, incubation and
financialsupport
opportunities for
youth on the move Foster networks between youth on the
in green sectors… move and market- based services that
can help their green enterprises succeed

Connect youth on the move with

established green professionals in their
community for mentorship opportunities

17 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

SOLUTION 3 Highlights: Impact to Date:
• Comprehensive skills • Upskilled over 1,700
PROGRAMME training, mentorship, and adolescents and youth​
EXAMPLE seed funding programme​ • Special focus on
INTEGRATED • Targets a breadth Youth on the Move,
of green skills​ girls, and child mothers​
UP-SHIFT
• Entrepreneurship • Implemented across
(I-UPSHIFT) skills (occupational/ 19 districts of Uganda​
technical skills)​
Uganda
• Social innovation skills
(transferrable skills) ​

© UNI514346
18 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move
SOLUTION 3 Highlights: Intended Impact:
• Facilitates market • Initial implementation in
PROGRAMME connections ​ three refugee settlements
EXAMPLE in Uganda​
• Builds financial capacity ​
DELIVERING • Supports small business • Potential for substantial
growth, benefiting
RESILIENT development ​
30,000+ households and
ENTERPRISES 150,000+ individuals in
AND MARKET Uganda and Ethiopia.
SYSTEMS
FOR REFUGEES
(DREAMS)

© UN0331774
Uganda

19 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

All green skilling
programmes and policies
should follow these core
principles to support PROTECTION
youth on the move A safeguarding framework to:
• protect youth on the move
EMPOWERMENT
from harm, exploitation,
Tools, opportunities, and support discrimination, and violence,
for youth on the move to:
• foster their overall
• shape their futures, well-being and integration
• voice ideas, in their host communities
• make decisions,
INCLUSION
• contribute to programme
Intentional and proactive development
measures to:
• break down barriers,
• provide equal opportunities,
• adapt training approaches,
• foster a sense of belonging
for youth on the move

20 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 Key takeaways SOLUTION 1
• Target a breadth of green skills
We don’t need to start • Connect with Indigenous knowledge
from scratch or reinvent • Integrate climate education in curricula
the wheel. We have
solutions at our fingertips.
SOLUTION 2
Skills for a • Boost green skills & jobs access
Green Transition:
• Inclusive green work policies
Solutions for
Youth on the Move • Integrate green training into temp jobs
• Green apprenticeship opportunities

SOLUTION 3
• Provide holistic support
• Connect with market services
• Connect with mentorship opportunities

21 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move

 Thank you!

22 Skills for a Green Transition: Solutions for Youth on the Move