Looking at the job market through green-tinted glasses
Inspiration for the tool
Participants of the Innovation Factory in Poland
Rationale: Why is this needed?
We aim to raise students’ awareness that considering ecology and sustainable development is crucial when making educational and career decisions, especially in the context of current climate challenges.
Objectives
By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:
- describe multiple green jobs and industries,
- give examples on how to make various professions and industries more environmentally friendly,
- reflect on how climate change is shaping the future job market.
Resources needed
- Selected, cut-out or online resources for students to use during the lesson
- Equipment: computer, projector, loudspeaker
Activities
1. Warm-up discussion: introducing the topic
The facilitator starts by discussing:
- How does climate change impact the world?
- What changes are happening due to climate change?
- How might climate change affect students personally, their surroundings, and their region?
- Where do students get their information about climate change?
- How will climate change affect the job market? What skills will be in demand?
- What do the terms “green career” and “green workplace” mean?
- Why is this topic relevant in school? Why is it important for the future workforce?
In order to prepare for the lesson, facilitators can read beforehand an introduction to the green labour market provided here.
Students can get inspiration and basic knowledge from one or two resources recommended by the facilitator that can be found in the green guidance padlet (e.g. video, article, news headlines, data visualizations)
2. Exercise: Getting to know green industries
The facilitator cuts out small cards with the names of green industries (e.g.: sustainable energy, sustainable construction, eco-tourism, environmental law, sustainable agriculture, waste management, clean transportation, water management, environmental protection) and distributes them to students, who are divided into small groups. The groups can also draw industries at random.
Each group presents to the class:
- What does this industry do?
- Who works in it? What professions are represented?
- What skills are required in this sector? What is the educational path to work in it?
- How do the activities of this sector contribute to protecting the planet?
3. Exercise: what industries will emerge in the future?
The facilitator discusses with students:
- Do you think that in the context of climate change, new professions/industries/fields of study will emerge in the future that do not exist today?
- What might these industries/professions be?
Students can work in groups, as in the previous activity, and present their ideas to the class.
The facilitator can provide several examples:
- Energy storage designer,
- Integrated roofing system designer,
- Complex materials recycling specialist,
- Zero waste designer,
- Wildcat,
- Insect breeder,
- Air quality controller,
- Cyber city analyst,
- Soil reclaimer,
- Personal transport equipment designer,
- Autonomous building designer.
4. Exercise: the job market through green glasses
The facilitator points out that the industries developed by the students in the first exercise are typically green, but in fact, you can be “green” in every industry/profession.
The facilitator encourages students to put on (metaphorical or real) green-tinted glasses. The class (as a whole or in groups) randomly draws various profession names from a list of various career paths prepared earlier by the facilitator.
Students discuss how a representative of the chosen profession can help the environment and/or minimize their negative impact on the environment (e.g. a sales representative traveling in an electric car, a farmer using natural fertilizers, a hotel owner where rooms are cleaned on request, not daily, etc.).
Reflections/Consolidation of learning
- How do you think climate change will affect your career?
- Do you feel that taking into account the needs of the natural environment is important in your career choices?
- How does the topic of green and sustainable professions/industries relate to your educational and career choices?
- Can you imagine how your career path could develop to meet the needs of sustainable development or adapt to climate change?