Green training is a concept that is fast catching up in the professional world today.
Green training is a concept that is fast catching up in the professional world today.
With renewable energy and protection of the environment high on the priority list of many sectors, green-collared jobs are becoming prevalent. Here, green training steps in to train professionals to operate successfully in the green jobs and fervently help industries to function in an eco-friendly manner. Green-collared jobs have especially become an attractive option for the currently unemployed individuals, who are enthusiastically seeking to establish a career in this blooming field.
Srinivas Rao, director - human resources, ibis and Novotel Bengaluru Techpark, enlightens us on green training and green-collared jobs, "Green Collar Jobs are the jobs related to environmental concerns.
Examples include jobs that draft policies related to zero waste, energy and water conservation, residential solar energy, etc. A knowledgeable and trained work force must be present in order to reach the goal of energy independence. Green training programmes are essential to such a green economy.
Some of the best training programmes on green training are renewable energy training, LEED certification, eco tourism, wind programmes, energy auditors, etc. There is a growing movement to incorporate social responsibility within the green industries. A sustainable green economy simultaneously values the importance of natural resources and inclusive, equitable, and healthy opportunities for all communities."
Green training programmes also provide a ray of hope for the currently unemployed so as to lead them into the green sector. Vishal Chibber, director HR, Kelly Services India, elaborates, "Green training can be promoted via education and programmes to help both employed and unemployed workers obtain environmental engineering jobs, alternative energy jobs, environmental internships, etc. Companies should feature to prioritise access and inclusion in these training programmes for low-income workers, unemployed youths and other underprivileged sectors of the workforce in order to promote employment for the unemployed. Also, some of the green collared sectors have presence of their products or operations in the remote areas of the country; like for renewable energy, there are wind turbines in hilly areas wherein the unemployment is high and training on the installation, operation and maintenance of the machinery would help generate employment of the unemployed youth in these regions."
Anita Ahuja, founder, Conserve India, tells us the importance of green training in the global world as well as in India, "With problems like global warming and waste management threatening the entire world, green-collared jobs have risen in importance. India, being a growing economy, has avenues in this sector yet unexplored but possessing great potential. It is the fraternity of workers trained by extensive green training programmes that can step in and help us curb environmental problems. It is these people who can analyse the concepts of sustainability and social corporate responsibility and can put these into real practice."
Hence, green training can go a long way in saving the environment as well as providing great career opportunities, especially to the youth of today. It is a sector that is slowing catching up in India but is a promising one because of its numerous benefits and importance at the very global level.
- Palak Bhatia
