Event description:
As a part of the 14th GFMD Summit, held under the French presidency, a side event on the topic of "The Workforce for the Future: International Skills Partnerships for the Green and Just Transition," was held on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024, at 12:30 - 14:00 CET.
This side event was a collaborative effort between IOM, Enabel, IOE, AFFORD, OECD, CGD, LaMP, World Bank/KNOMAD, and sponsored by the Government of Belgium and Australia.
The transition to a low carbon emissions economy is a global task of unprecedented scale and speed, still only in its early stages. The scale, pace, and global simultaneity of the green transition present both considerable opportunities and immense challenges. Few governments’ plans for attaining net zero carbon emissions incorporate skills in sufficient depth. Very few have begun to consider the potential of, or need for, green-skilled labor mobility.
Filling skills gaps domestically for some countries of destination is likely to be challenging. Partly because many of the jobs required – such as in solar panel installation, or insulation retrofitting — may be unattractive to nationals. More importantly, demographic shifts due to ageing populations will see increased retirements from existing workforces and smaller numbers entering key sectors at a crucial time.
In this context, recent tools and frameworks from Enabel, IOM, IOE, CGD, OECD and others have highlighted the potential for migrant workers to contribute to the green and just transition. By prioritizing green skill anticipation, recognition, development and transfer it is possible to create a global workforce for the future. This hybrid side event highlighted innovative interventions, tools, and frameworks to address the skill challenge and boost the green transition in both countries of origin as well as destination.
To watch this session, please click here.
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