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Data from the social media platform suggests 18-24 year olds are struggling to develop the skills and experience needed to pursue their dream green careers
Many young people are struggling to secure green jobs due to a lack of requisite skills and experience, despite their generation harbouring high levels of concern about the climate crisis and a strong desire to work in roles that can have a positive impact on the planet and society.
That is the headline conclusion from new data released today by social media giant LinkeIn, which shows that just one in 20 young people in the 18 to 24 age bracket using the social media platform worldwide have the green skills needed to play their part in building the net zero economy of the future.
The skills shortfall threatens to exacerbate a global skills crunch for green industries, with the data showing that across all age groups just one in eight LinkedIn users believe they have the skills needed to help tackle the climate crisis through their profession.
The difficulties 18-24 year olds - sometimes known as Gen Z - are facing in securing green roles come despite the survey showing they are highly concerned about climate change and often want to build a career in a profession that can help accelerate the transition towards a net zero emission economy.
The research found 73 per cent of Gen Z LinkedIn members are more worried about climate change than they were a year ago, while just over half believe global warming is taking its toll on their mental health. Around 60 per cent said they would consider turning down a job offer if they did not like an employer's green policies, compared to 52 per cent of the workforce as a whole.
Gen Z's desire to work in green jobs appears to be driven first and foremost by wanting to help protect the environment, with 61 per cent citing this as the leading reason, followed by 44 per cent who believe these types of jobs offer good career opportunities, and 40 per cent citing salary.
These younger people are set to play a critical role in the net zero transition and are starting to enter the global workforce at a rapid rate, according to LinkedIn. In Europe, they now make up 24 per cent of the workforce, but only account for 15 per cent of the green economy workforce, the research found.
The data shows younger people are struggling to break into these crucial green industries and careers, with 63 per cent citing a lack of available job opportunities, 52 per cent highlighting difficulties securing relevant experience, and 40 per cent saying they lacked requisite green skills.
Moreover, fewer than 20 per cent of Gen Z members said they had a very good awareness of the different career paths to take to break into these green careers, according to LinkedIn.
More positively, the research found 66 per cent of these younger people said they were interested in undertaking green skills training programmes, and 78 per cent said they felt confident they could pick up these additional skills if they were offered such training.
Meanwhile, green hiring continues to surge, significantly outpacing overall hiring for all types of jobs by up to 44 per cent in key markets around the world, according to LinkedIn. That includes the UK, where green hiring is outpacing overall hiring by 30 per cent.
Sue Duke, head of public policy at LinkedIn, said the future of the planet depended on green talent, which she said necessitated a major upskilling of the workforce through targeted skills programmes, particularly for younger people.
"Gen Z are the most environmentally conscious generation in the UK workforce and want to take action through their careers," she said.
"Young people are confident they can learn green skills if they're given training. In the face of an ongoing green talent shortage that is putting climate progress at risk, it's essential that businesses and policymakers do more to prioritise skills training and entry-level green jobs to empower young workers in the green transition."
In order to help boost green career opportunities for younger people, the social media platform recommends businesses take an approach to their recruitment that puts the onus on green skills rather than previous job titles or academic qualifications. It also suggests younger workers seek to deepen their digital and STEM skills in order to increase their chances of successfully securing roles in green industries.
Commenting on the jobs data, Helen Bradbury, chief people officer at energy giant E.ON UK, said employers had a major role to play in enabling skills development for younger people.
"It's on us to make new energy work and we all need to level the playing field on green jobs for the energy transition to be a success," she said. "At E.ON, we're committed to leading the energy transition and as a key part of this, enabling and supporting green opportunities for younger workers looking to build an impactful career."
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