At the Green Skills Forum held in Paris on Monday, Cedefop presented findings from an 8-country study (forthcoming publication) and warned of an incipient skills shortage.
For many companies in the environment field, the current crisis means easier access to qualified workers. But without long-term educational investment - particularly in science, mathematics and technology - employers may soon experience a shortage of people with the right skills. The potential repercussions for the European economy are serious.
A forthcoming Cedefop study, presented on Monday at the Green Skills Forum, Skills for a low-carbon economy: what next? suggests policy measures that will help avoid this outcome. The study covers all educational levels – from nanotechnologists to recycling collectors – in eight EU countries (Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the UK) representing at various stages of developing a sustainable economy.