🌎 Green Skills #13

As climate goals continue to intensify, workforce shortages are emerging as a major bottleneck in the global green transition. In the US, up to 50% of water sector workers are set to retire within the next decade, threatening critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, global hydropower—still the largest renewable source—faces stagnation, with capacity additions falling from 23 GW in 2022 to just 7 GW in 2023 and a 16% drop in jobs.

In response to workforce shortages, governments are scaling up investment in green skills. India, for instance, launched 100,000 green internships to upskill engineering students in sustainability and energy.. Meanwhile, Thailand introduced national policies aligning education with climate tech, EV, and digital manufacturing demands, further underscoring the urgent need for strategic workforce development across the green economy.

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Green Labor Market Trends

💧 US Water Sector Faces Critical Workforce Shortage. An estimated 30–50% of the US water sector workforce is set to retire within the next decade, leaving a significant gap in skilled labor. With 88% of treatment plant operators aged 45 or older, the industry struggles to attract younger workers, threatening the maintenance of essential water infrastructure.

☀️ Boviet Solar's US Expansion to Create Over 3,200 Jobs. Vietnamese company Boviet Solar is investing nearly $300M in a new manufacturing facility in Greenville, North Carolina. The plant will generate over 1,300 direct jobs and approximately 1,965 indirect positions, significantly boosting the local economy and enhancing the US solar manufacturing sector.

🧵 Labor Shortages Disrupt India's Textile Industry. India's textile hubs in Gujarat and Maharashtra are experiencing a labor shortage, with approximately 30% of migrant workers not returning post-holidays. This deficit has led to a 30–40% drop in production across over 1,000 factories, impacting the nation's textile output and export capabilities.

Hydropower Employment By Country, 2023

💧 Renewable hydropower remains the largest renewable energy source, contributing 51.2% of global renewable electricity generation with a capacity of 1,265 GW.

📉 Global capacity additions dropped sharply to 7 GW in 2023, down from 23 GW in 2022, reflecting hydropower’s maturity and concerns over environmental and community impacts.

☀️ Solar PV and wind are outpacing hydropower, with solar already surpassing it and wind potentially overtaking within 2-3 years due to rapid expansion.

👷 China’s hydropower growth slowed, adding only 2.9 GW in 2023 compared to 13.2 GW in 2022, while India and Brazil saw declines to 112 MW and 100 MW, respectively.

👷 Employment impact saw a 16% reduction in direct hydropower jobs globally, though China still leads, holding 34% of jobs, followed by India, Brazil, Vietnam, and Pakistan.

🎯 Actionable Strategies: Reviving hydropower’s role requires balanced approaches. Address environmental and social concerns through sustainable project designs and community engagement. Incentivize the modernization of existing facilities to boost efficiency without new large-scale projects. Support job retention via retraining programs for workers in declining markets. Promote smaller, low-impact hydro projects in emerging markets like Vietnam and Pakistan. Collaborate globally to share best practices, ensuring hydropower remains a viable clean energy contributor.

Upskilling/Reskilling Intiatives

🌱 India Launches 100,000 Green Internships Nationwide. India’s AICTE and 1M1B Foundation launched a program to offer 100,000 green internships focused on sustainability, energy, and climate innovation. The initiative aims to upskill engineering students nationwide, building a pipeline of climate-literate professionals to support India’s green transition and emerging net-zero economy.

🌬️ UK Opens First Hydrogen Training Centre to Equip Next-Gen Green Gas Engineers. The UK inaugurated its first hydrogen training centre for gas engineers in partnership with Fife College. This facility aims to prepare a skilled workforce for the country's expanding hydrogen economy, addressing the growing demand for green gas expertise.

☀️ New Jersey Allocates $4.3M for Green Workforce Development. New Jersey invests $4.3M to train workers for clean energy jobs, supporting solar, offshore wind, and environmental justice roles. The funding targets underserved communities, emphasizing equitable access to the green economy while addressing regional labor shortages in key sustainability sectors.

💰 SMUD Funds $532K for Local Green Jobs & STEM Training. Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) allocated $532K for workforce programs. Funding supports local clean energy job training, STEM education, and community health initiatives. The investment backs regional nonprofits and aims to build foundational skills in renewable energy and sustainability, focusing on youth engagement and equitable job access.

Policy Initiatives

🏭 Thailand Drives Skills for Future Industries. Thailand’s National Committee launched skills-based policies to accelerate green and future industries. The new plan prioritizes climate tech, digital manufacturing, and EV sectors by aligning education with labor market needs. The initiative targets workforce development in high-growth industries through vocational training, private sector coordination, and national upskilling strategies.

📄 Scotland Launches $160M Green Heating Framework. The Scottish government unveiled a $160M policy framework to accelerate low-carbon heating. The framework supports home decarbonization through heat pump installations and retrofit services. It strengthens Scotland’s policy infrastructure for net-zero goals, driving regional job growth in green construction and building efficiency while boosting market confidence in long-term heating transitions.

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