13 February 2014: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released a report discussing needs in job training to match the shift away from high- to low-carbon production.

‘Greener Skills and Jobs’ is a compilation of papers from the Green Skills Forum, which was held in February 2012, in Paris, France, and organized by the OECD and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), an EU agency. The authors anticipate substantial labor market impacts in certain industries as a result of greener policies, and highlight the need to re-train workers in sectors that are expected to decline.

Besides education and training needs, the authors address enterprise approaches in a green economy, such as licensing and certification, and managerial skills. They consider how local development strategies can include the creation of green jobs.

The report calls for: upgrading skills sets in industries experiencing minor adjustments; preparing educational institutions and companies to provide the relevant skills for occupations and sectors emerging from the green economy; and re-training workers in sectors that will decline as a result of the shift to a green economy. [Publication: Greener Skills and Jobs]