Green Jobs in Italy: 8 out of 10 Italians want more "sustainability" in their education programs.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) defines "green jobs" as jobs "whose goal is to preserve or restore the quality of the environment."

The International Labor Organization suggests that the adoption of more eco-friendly production models in emerging markets, such as the e-vehicle industry, could create about 18 million new vacancies.

Firms are demanding more and more green professionals

Job openings pertaining to “green jobs” in Italy are increasing on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, vacancies in the sustainable mobility sector have increased by 85 percent in the last few years and are mainly focused on those who deal with technology and innovation, from design to the production of electric vehicles to the development of new transportation systems based on digitalization, such as car and bike sharing.

In this regard, an increasingly in-demand professional figure is the energy engineer, who can act in domestic, public, and industrial settings, conducting energy diagnoses within firms, and issuing the necessary certifications.

The design of new buildings that meet environmental sustainability requirements is increasingly calling for the position of sustainable material building promoter, whose role is to provide advice to construction companies regarding the proper use of natural building materials.

Other professionals in high demand are green industrial mechanics, who are responsible for the maintenance of the new green equipment that firms purchase to replace their old machinery with environmentally friendly ones, as well as environmental computer scientists, who are instead in charge of developing the control software for our smart appliances, heating systems, and consumption monitoring.

In addition, more and more Italian firms are looking for environmental lawyers who offer advice when it comes to interpreting environmental regulations that are constantly evolving and specialists in green accounting who can formulate opinions and proposals on energy efficiency tax issues.

As a matter of fact, according to the most recently reported data, at the end of 2021, those employed in “green jobs” accounted for 13.7 percent of total employment, mainly concentrated in the regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Piedmont. Most of the contracts for “green jobs” are addressed to university graduates in 15.2 percent of cases (compared to 12.9 percent of contracts addressed to non-green occupations) or to professionals with experience in the same field for 48.9 percent of new green contracts (compared to 45.6 percent of new non-green contracts); there is evidence that “green jobs” may become the most potentially resilient and stable occupations, as about 24.1 percent of the total number of contracts are permanent, compared to 13.2 percent for non-green occupations.

What can we do to encourage young people to choose “green jobs”? 

By now, it could be argued that one out of four Italian firms is green in terms of energy efficiency and use of raw materials. The only hindrance is that approximately 78 percent of sustainability-related job positions often require more and more specific skills and high qualifications that not everyone possesses, so how can these gaps be filled?

According to research conducted by Indeed (a web platform that helps people find jobs), almost eight out of ten Italians believe that it is necessary to include in-depth courses devoted to the environment and sustainability in school programs, increase specialization courses aimed at environmental protection in the educational offerings of universities (45 percent), and finally provide young people with more information on professional outlets (41 percent), including making available subsidies for those who choose to undertake education in green studies (41 percent).

It is no coincidence that Italy will benefit from the European Horizon 2020 program, which has made available 50 million euros to be allocated to research institutions, European firms, and professionals in order to fund research on the development of equipment, materials, and infrastructure, thereby reducing the environmental impact of means of transportation.

Conclusion

As the world continues to prioritize sustainability and environmental protection, the range of “green jobs” is likely to expand and evolve to meet emerging challenges and technologies. None of us, in any professional field, will be able to avoid considering the role played by the green transition.