The Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) – Heinz Koller, has predicted that if fully prioritized, the current drives by world leaders for a more environment-friendly business and other human activities could create 18 million jobs worldwide.
The labour expert made this forecast at the Informal meeting of employment and social affairs ministers (EPSCO) chaired by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU of which discussions revolved around strategies to prevent a mismatch between skills and jobs during times of transition.
According to the ILO, only half of the global workforce is employed in jobs that align with their level of education, indicating that the remaining workers are either over-educated or under-educated.
The labour organization also noted that workers in high-income countries have a higher likelihood of finding jobs that match their education level compared to those in low-income countries.
Koller said: “The matching rate between education level and jobs is higher for wage earners than for the self-employed, as well as in countries with lower pay inequality.”
Noting that currently the EU is facing relatively high skills and labour shortages, the labour expert explained that in Europe and Central Asia, the ILO anticipated a reduction in the labour force by approximately 2.4 million workers between 2022 and 2024, partly due to demographic trends.
According to him, the labour organization anticipates that unemployment and skills mismatches are expected to slightly increase, and by 2024, the region’s participation rate is projected to be among the lowest globally, at 58%.
Noting that skills mismatches hurt workers, enterprises, and countries, Koller pointed out that to address the challenge, there was the need for a comprehensive and strategic approach to achieve a just transition that creates opportunities.
He charged national governments to review their skills policies and anticipate the skills required for future green jobs as the ILO estimated that the transition to a green economy has the potential to generate 18 million jobs worldwide.
In addition, he advocated effective policy coordination, social dialogue, partnership, and sound national sectoral policies as crucial in the drive towards skills building and job creation.
Koller also maintained that mainstreaming the just transition through technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and lifelong learning systems remained important as it is necessary to provide initial education targeting specific jobs and sectors for young people, as well as ongoing training for adult workers and job seekers, with a focus on the needs of vulnerable groups.
The labour expert rounded off his presentation by highlighting several initiatives, including the EU Social Pillar Action Plan, the proposed EU net-zero industry acts with provisions on skills, and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, which receives support from the EU.
Koller also urged active support for the ILO Director General’s initiative to establish a Global Coalition for Social Justice, which aims to ensure a sustainable future.
A green economy is an economy that aims to reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities while pursuing sustainable development without compromising the environment by focusing on low-carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive.
