Green jobs present opportunities for vocational school graduates

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) revealed that green jobs in the green economic development model present opportunities for graduates of vocational schools in Indonesia.

BRIN Public Policy Researcher Renny Savitri stated that green jobs require new skills to prevent increased greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

“Green jobs require basic skills in the form of data and information analysis, creative thinking, interpreting information for other people, and interpersonal capabilities,” she noted in a research presentation monitored in Jakarta on Thursday.

“Training and mentoring other people combined with special knowledge about sustainability and life-cycle analysis,” she added.

Savitri explained that people engaged in green work must possess green skills to support sustainable and resource-saving business operations, as companies focus on reducing the carbon footprint or gas emissions they produce.

Through research on vocational education and skills development for the blue economy, green economy, and digital economy in 2023, BRIN examined several vocational schools in Indonesia that prepare their students to enter green jobs.

Some of these schools include the State Vocational School (SMKN) 2 Banjarbaru, SMKN 3 Mataram, SMKN 1 Salam in Magelang, SMKN of Agriculture of Pacet in Cianjur, and SMKN of Integrated Agriculture of Riau.

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Strengthening vocational education, including Vocational High Schools (SMK), aims to respond to the momentum of the demographic bonus. Moreover, most of those interested in vocational schools come from the lower to middle economic classes.

Savitri remarked that the green economic model plays a role in replacing the black economic model that causes waste through the consumption of fossil fuels, coal, and natural gas.

Green economic development interventions focus on the three aspects of climate change mitigation, saving fossil energy, and creating jobs based on green jobs.

“With the birth of a green economy approach, new jobs will definitely emerge, namely green jobs,” Savitri remarked.

According to the researcher, green jobs have quite bright prospects, as various new jobs have emerged as a result of the climate crisis.

Some green jobs include those in New and Renewable Energy (EBT), EBT technicians, and sustainability managers.

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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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