Green Skills For Rural Youth in South East Asia

In order to ensure the necessary ‘green transformation’ of market economies, it is essential that workers are skilled in environmentally friendly and adaptive practices. There can indeed be an element of ‘greening’ in all professions; it is essential, therefore, that the importance of climate change awareness and green skills training is understood by all. 

Skills development has been proven to ensure labour productivity. Research conducted to date, however, has shown that countries’ transitions to a greener economy are hampered by skills shortages in new environmental professions as well as the lack of skills adaptation taking place in existing jobs. For this reason, development programmes must ensure that green skills training is incorporated into any new and existing skills-based initiatives.

Plan International commissioned this research report in order to investigate the potential for green skills training in four countries: Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The research has sought to identify the existing provision of green skills training in each of these countries and the sectors in which green skills gaps are likely to occur in the future. 

The views of young people, aged 15 to 24, were also gathered using focus groups and online surveys. The final report, which has been drawn from the analysis for each country, aims to identify specific action points for Plan International and other NGOs in the area of green skills.