As Europe pushes forward with its green transition, companies across sectors are navigating a rapidly evolving labour market. Cedefop recently engaged with four firms at the forefront of sustainable transformation—in retail, food production, waste management and motor engineering. Through case study interviews, these companies revealed how they are redefining their workforce needs to meet the demands of a cleaner economy and a greener society.
A shift in skill demand
The green transition extends far beyond cleaner production and reduced emissions—it is driving profound changes in jobs and employment structures. New roles are emerging while existing ones evolve with greener, more digital profiles. Technical occupations are undergoing the most noticeable shifts. In the motor engineering sector, for instance, the transition from diesel to electric and hybrid engines is pushing the demand for:
- high-voltage specialists
- hydrogen engineers
- battery system designers
Mechanical roles are becoming data-centric, with service technicians now working primarily with software and analytics rather than traditional hardware.
Similarly, the food production sector has seen sustainable agriculture and circular production practices create demand for environmental engineers, digital-savvy agronomists, and energy managers. These roles require sector-specific expertise and cross-disciplinary competencies in data analysis, regulatory compliance and emerging technology — an evolution echoed in Cedefop’s skills foresight study in agri-food and work on waste management.
New occupations, new expectations
The green shift is also giving rise to hybrid roles that bridge sustainability and corporate functions. At the sporting goods retailer:
- finance professionals need to master carbon accounting and green KPIs
- product designers embed circularity and repairability
- legal professionals analyse climate-related legislation
Strategic positions like Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Value Officer are becoming more common, reflecting a deeper transformation in corporate governance, closely tied to the greening trends Cedefop identified in occupations.
Transversal skills and digital fluency
While technical upskilling is essential, transversal skills remain crucial. People interviewed in all four companies repeatedly emphasised:
- the value of problem-solving
- adaptability
- creativity and critical thinking
These soft skills, combined with growing expectations around digital fluency, are shaping new job profiles. The green and digital transitions are tightly linked: from QR-code based supply chain transparency in food processing to AI-enabled water monitoring in crop growing and battery diagnostics in motor engineering. The linkages between green and digital are also apparent from Cedefop’s work on teachers and trainers in a changing world and greening apprenticeships.
From green evidence to skills action: what’s next for VET?
The key insights from corporate representatives in Cedefop's interviews serve as a wake-up call for VET systems to adapt—quickly and decisively. Many skill shifts are structural, but not yet reflected in programmes and curricula. To ensure a just and inclusive green transition, VET and lifelong learning policies must embrace systems thinking and adaptability to:
- anticipate fast-changing skills needs
- support upskilling and reskilling at all levels
- enable flexible and modular learning and qualification opportunities
The green revolution in VET and skills development represents a vital driver of progress towards the European Green Deal and the Clean Industrial Deal, the Pact for Skills and the evolving vision for a Union of Skills.
As we move forward in this Skills in Transition series, we will explore how the green and digital transitions intersect. In upcoming articles, we will show why understanding this convergence is key to designing effective training and employment strategies and shaping a more connected, future-ready approach to skills development.