Preen your skills for green jobs

By Ranjan K Baruah We are always looking for clean air and water and this is possible when we have a clean environment. We are already aware about climate change and how it is affecting our Mother Earth. It is important that everyone of us to contribute to the environment positively. In this regard we can think of our careers related to environment and also think of green skills. Let us understand what are green skills and green jobs. This will help us in choosing our careers related to green future. According to National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Australia, green skills mean ‘technical skills, knowledge, values and attitudes needed in the workforce to develop and support sustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes in business, industry and the community.’ According to European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), green skills mean ‘abilities needed to live in, develop and support a society which aims to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment.’ There might be other definitions but in simple words, we can say skills which are important and necessary for the safeguard of our Mother Earth and which will add towards sustainable development. Similarly, green jobs are decent jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment, be those in traditional sectors such as manufacturing and construction, or in new, emerging green sectors such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. Green jobs are must for mitigating climate change and preserve our nature. Green jobs are central to sustainable development and respond to the global challenges of environmental protection, economic development and social inclusion. In today’s column, we are publishing about short-term skill training courses which are offered by different institutions all over India. Interested students may visit the website of ministry of environment forest and climate change for further details. Educational qualification varies from course to course and courses are offered in different locations and may not be available in all regions or states. Few courses are : Certificate course on Para-taxonomy [including Peoples Bio-diversity Register (PBRs)]; Certificate Course on Pollution Monitoring (Air &Water/Soil Pollution); Certificate Course on Waste Management (Solid Waste, Biomedical Waste, Plastic Waste, E-Waste, Construction & Demolition Waste); Certificate Course in Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Green GDP; Certificate Course on Forest Fire Management; Certificate Course on Water Budgeting & Auditing; Certificate Course in River Dolphin Conservation; Certificate Course in Community based conservation of Mangroves Ecosystem; Certificate Course on Plantation Techniques and utilization of Renewable Energy in Arid Zone; Certificate Course on Bird Identification and basic ornithology; Certificate Course on Bird Migration and Migration Study Techniques; Certificate Course on Laboratory technicians/ Technical Assistants for energy efficiency, star labelling and other electrical testing for environmental criteria; Certificate Course on Laboratory Assistant for Eco-friendly Food Testing Laboratory; Certificate Course on Plant Tissue Culture Techniques and its Applications; Certificate Course on Emission inventory; Certificate Course on Wildlife Management using Geospatial Techniques. Skill Council for Green Jobs is one of the most recently launched initiatives of the Government of India aligned with the National Skill Development Mission. It is promoted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Confederation of Indian Industry. The creation of the SCGJ was approved in the 10th meeting of National Skill Qualifications Committee held on September 28, 2015. Green skills would lead to green jobs and aspirants from different streams may try and choose courses related to their interest so that they can make their career related to same and contribute towards our environment in a positive way. (Ranjan K Baruah is a career mentor, skill trainer, motivational speaker and can be reached at 8473943734 or [email protected] for any career related queries)