Recognising the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in closing the green skills gap

The development of “green skills” is essential to the transition towards a green, just, and sustainable future economy. There is an increasing gap between the green skills required of the changing labour market, and the graduate competencies available to fulfil this demand. As industries increasingly seek to make their practices more sustainable, higher education institutions are in a unique position to enhance and raise global standards of green skill development.

In this whitepaper, we explore a key question: what are universities doing to prepare their students for a future green society? At the centre of this is the development of an International Green Skills Assessment Framework, proposed as a practical tool to support the continuous development of universities in their green skills practices across three pathways – in the classroom, in society, and across the globe.

The framework concept, co-developed with a group of global green skills experts founding the International Green Skills Advisory Board, is presented alongside university case studies and a landscape view of the current green skills conversation.

We would like to thank Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, the University of Manchester, Singapore Management University, and SOS International for their contribution of case studies.