Green jobs: New direction for the green youth generation

The issue of employment associated with environmental protection, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and contributing to sustainable growth is becoming increasingly necessary in the face of the current increasingly severe climate change.

Demand for “green” jobs is increasing

Vietnam is moving towards green growth, with the participation of many industries, creating a great demand for “green” jobs and “green” skills in the labor market. “Green” jobs are a new concept that refers to jobs created in manufacturing and service industries that aim to protect the environment, reduce emissions and implement sustainable development criteria of enterprises.

Green jobs: A new direction for the green youth generation. (Illustration photo)

According to economist Dinh Trong Thinh, green jobs do not appear spontaneously, but are formed from the awareness of businesses, from the thoughts and responsibilities of people in protecting the common atmosphere. Mr. Thinh emphasized: "When businesses have commitments to sustainable development, they must also have plans to protect the environment, from which there is a demand for green jobs."

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Huong, National Human Resources Director of ManpowerGroup Vietnam, said that while in the past candidates were more interested in the company's industry, salary, and work location, employers now receive more questions about the company's social activities. Candidates, especially young candidates, are often more interested in recruitment advertisements about businesses with high responsibility to the environment and the community.

According to a survey by ManpowerGroup Vietnam, the “green” job positions applied from 2022 to present are mainly positions such as project technical manager, construction supervisor, investment director, operations management director, etc. The demand for “green” jobs is increasingly receiving great attention from workers. This is clearly shown through the job search towards “green” businesses of candidates. So far, the highest demand for “green” jobs comes from the manufacturing (48%), energy (34%), agriculture (11%) and technology (4%) industries.

Some industries with the highest demand for green human resources from 2022 to present according to ManpowerGroup Vietnam. (Photo: VnEconomy)

Sharing more about the growing demand for “green” job positions, Mr. Andree Mangels, General Director of ManpowerGroup Vietnam, said that businesses are increasingly placing importance on “green” practices in their operations, especially in the field of talent attraction.

“We have been actively cooperating with domestic enterprises and foreign corporations to bring more “green” job opportunities to Vietnamese workers,” Mr. Andree Mangels affirmed.

Many promising careers

According to a study conducted by the World Bank in collaboration with the General Statistics Office, green jobs currently account for only a small portion of total employment, at 3.6%, with 39 “green” occupations. This ratio is equivalent to the green employment ratio of the United States, Indonesia, and Cambodia.

However, there are 88 other occupations that have the potential to become “green”, accounting for 41% of total employment, showing the huge benefits that can be brought about by greening the Vietnamese economy. Even industries with environmental impacts such as cement, steel, and industrial materials still have opportunities to expand “green” jobs.

The sectors with the highest concentrations of green jobs are electricity, gas and water supply (23%), mining (5%), and market services (5%). Although these sectors may not directly provide environmental goods and services, they do have green occupations. For example, environmental engineers and environmental protection specialists are green occupations in the mining sector.

According to Mr. Ngo Xuan Lieu, Director of the National Center for Employment Services (Department of Employment, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs), the issue of “green” jobs and “green” skills in Vietnam, although studied, has not been systematically evaluated and measured. In the coming time, it is necessary to continue to perfect policies to integrate climate change response and promote the creation of “green” jobs.

“We need to research and deploy “green” employment models, employment models that respond to climate change, and research and assess the impact of climate change on employment according to updated national scenarios,” Mr. Lieu emphasized.

According to Mr. Tran Quang Chinh, Head of Analysis and Forecasting Department of the National Center for Employment Services, it is necessary to further strengthen the forecasting of human resource demand and human resource supply capacity in general, and human resource demand for green growth in particular. Accordingly, there is an assessment and update of information on "green" occupations to have a reasonable human resource training plan.

Mai Anh