The green transition on the labour market is crucial to mitigate climate change and ensure sustainable development. This transition also impacts the labour market as new jobs and skills are required, and existing jobs need to be performed in a more sustainable manner. Recognising the opportunity these new jobs can offer for new labour market entrants, multiple countries across the OECD are implementing initiatives to assist young people in entering green jobs, including in Estonia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, and Spain.
Green Initiatives – Multiple countries
Abstract
Green initiatives vary widely in their operations. The YENESIS (Youth Employment Network for Energy Sustainability in Islands) programme, launched in 2018, targets young people who are not in employment nor in education or training (NEETs) and living on islands in Estonia, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, and Spain, and in two non-OECD countries (Croatia and Cyprus). Funded by the EEA and Norway Grants, the programme aims to assist 25 000 young people in finding employment, create 3 500 NGO and social enterprise jobs, and help 1 800 young people start their own businesses. Phase one included training, international study visits, and half-year internships in green companies. Phase two, which started in 2022, added training in climate adaptation, sustainable food and water systems, and the circular economy to the programme.
The EGREJOB (Euro-Mediterranean Green Jobs) project, funded by the European Union over 2014‑16, aimed to boost youth employment in the green economy. It provided training to young people, 50% of whom were women, analysed the development prospects of green work in the region, and raised awareness about the green economy. The project operated in France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and eight non-OECD countries.
Luxembourg’s Fit 4 Green&Build Jobs programme, running from 2015 to 2020, supported unemployed young people aged 18‑29. Participants received training in working sustainably in the construction sector and were offered trainee/internship positions with participating companies. The programme subsidised up to 50% of the trainee’s salary for 12 months, aiming for full-time employment afterwards.
The PEP (First Professional Experience) programme in Spain, which ran from 2022 to 2023 as a pilot within Spain’s policy lab, aimed to provide young residents of Madrid with employment. Participants, who are all under the age of 30, received mentoring and a personalised educational itinerary, and placement with a company. At least 20% of the job placements were allocated to green jobs focused on environmental preservation and restoration.
These policies to create green jobs are promising, with some still ongoing, though not all have been fully evaluated. The YENESIS programme had 12 participants per country and led to the creation of an online platform for best practices and a green skills guide for schools. EGREJOB trained 100 people in renewable energy, eco-building, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and waste recycling. It also produced a charter in which participating companies recognise the importance of green jobs and commit to disseminating the project’s results. Fit 4 Green&Build Jobs trained 223 young people in 2018, and another 173 participants in 2019, with over 70% finding employment. Participation numbers for the other years are unavailable. The PEP Programme, part of Spain’s policy lab, is being run as a randomised controlled trial, with results to be published later. So far, 421 young people with low employability have participated.
This practice also supports the implementation of provisions II.4, II.7, III.3, and III.4 of the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People (OECD, 2022[1]).
Further reading
[2] ASCAME (2020), Euro-Mediterranean Green Jobs Charter, https://www.ascame.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/EGREJOB-Presentation.pdf.
[3] Comunidad de Madrid (2023), Primera Experiencia Profesional (PEP): un modelo de éxito para la empleabilidad y el retorno educativo de jóvenes en situación vulnerable., https://www.educa2.madrid.org/web/revistadebates/articulos_10/-/visor/primera-experiencia-profesional-pep-un-modelo-de-exito-para-la-empleabilidad-y-el-retorno-educativo-de-jovenes-en-situacion-vulnerable-.
[4] EEA Grants (undated), Youth Employment Network for Energy Sustainability in ISlands - YENESIS, https://eeagrants.org/archive/2014-2021/projects/RF-YOUTH-0015 (accessed on June 2024).
[5] europapress (2024), Dos de cada tres participantes en el programa Primera Experiencia Profesional de Pinardi consiguen empleo, https://www.europapress.es/epsocial/responsables/noticia-dos-cada-tres-participantes-programa-primera-experiencia-profesional-pinardi-consigue-empleo-20240325104918.html (accessed on June 2024).
[6] European Commission (2018), FIT4 Green & Build Jobs – trainings for NEETs in the construction sector, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwib0bqJm9aGAxVjTaQEHa_jBxcQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fec.europa.eu%2Fsocial%2FBlobServlet%3FdocId%3D20134%26langId%3Den&usg=AOvVaw0H6-skHbsa_i4ky1GPGnmn&opi=89978449.
[7] Goffin, S. (2019), Au Luxembourg: Les emplois verts sont en pleine croissance, https://www.lessentiel.lu/fr/story/les-emplois-verts-sont-en-pleine-croissance-121655860545 (accessed on 2024).
[1] OECD (2022), Recommendation of the Council on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People, https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0474.
[8] SEI Tallinn (2022), Policy Recommendations - Summary document of EU-level policy recommendations prepared by SEI Tallinn, https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/yenesis-wp6-eu-level-policy-recommendations-synthesis.pdf (accessed on June 2024).
[9] Tuscany (2013), EGREJOB, https://www.sviluppo.toscana.it/sites/default/files/Brochure_1.pdf.
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