Green Jobs: Training and Employment Opportunities in the Green Industry in India

Are you looking to carve out a successful career for yourself in the green industry? This is the right time to take advantage of the growing green industry in India. There is an endless list of occupations in this industry popularly called green jobs.

Did you know that India saw an eightfold rise in solar and wind energy sectors in FY22 compared to FY21? India added 52,700 new workers to project development roles in this sector, as per a recent article published by The Print, which focused on the study “India’s Expanding Clean Energy Workforce,” published by the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), the Natural Resources Defense Council India (NRDC India), and the Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ).

Marching towards its 2030 ambitions to achieve 40% of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources to build a sustainable economy, India showcased the potential to employ one million people in the green industry. The green industry is booming, and this has resulted in the creation of thousands of green jobs to support the major growth of the industry, thereby demanding huge numbers of highly skilled workers. The skilling programs must catch up with the new requirements arising from the green industry to enhance the workforce in this industry.

What are Green jobs?

Green jobs include jobs in traditional and emerging sectors that preserve and restore the environment. Green jobs help in improving energy and raw materials efficacy, minimising waste and pollution, and protecting and restoring ecosystems. A few examples of green jobs are spread across water conservation, solar power, wind energy, recycling, sustainable forestry, etc.

But to incentivize more green job creation in the country, we need to focus on enhancing the skills required to enter this industry. For this, one must be trained, skilled, reskilled and upskilled to find suitable work in the green industry.

Below are some of the organisations and institutes that provide skill training to skilled manpower in the green industry – 

SwitchON Foundation

The Environment Conservation Society (SwitchON Foundation) is a non-profit organization. Since 2008, the SwitchON Foundation has led many innovative projects and incubated a number of highly successful ventures and initiatives in the areas of Renewable Energy Access, Agriculture and Livelihoods, Skilling and Education and Environment and Climate Change. Over the last 15 years, the SwitchON Foundation has positively impacted the lives of over one lakh people in these regions and reached out to over 5000 villages in India’s eastern, western, and north-eastern regions. SwitchON Foundation also conducts several skill development training programs to impart skill training to youth to gather skills in the green sector in areas like renewable energy, solar trade and more.

Non-conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NEDCAP)

The Government of Andhra Pradesh supported the establishment of the Non-conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NEDCAP) in 1986. Energy conservation in rural areas, the import and adoption of viable technology and machinery in the areas of non-conventional energy sources, ensuring post-installation service, imparting training, and promoting research and development in the field of non-conventional energy sources are all areas of focus of NEDCAP.

Suryamitra skill development program – NISE

National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) has been designated as the nodal agency for the “Suryamitra Skill Development Program (SSDP)” implementation under the MNRE’s skill development programs. In order to prepare youth for employment in the expanding areas of installation, operation, and maintenance of solar energy power projects both in India and overseas, the SSDP strives to enhance their skills.

Gujarat Institute of Solar Energy (GISE)

Gujarat Institute of Solar Energy (GISE), an institution that has been involved in the training of the solar energy industry since 2010, has created all the necessary facilities for high-quality training in renewable energy technologies.

GISE offers technical training programs focused mostly on solar energy technologies and helps companies seeking to hire new employees as well as people looking to establish themselves as entrepreneurs.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an independent, multifunctional institution with expertise in research, policy, consulting, and implementation. For more than four decades, they had pioneered conversations and actions in areas like change in the energy, environment, climate change, and sustainability spaces. They emphasise encouraging resource efficiency, expanding access to and adoption of sustainable inputs and practises, and limiting the impact on the environment and climate.

Also read: Become a Solar Technician – Skilling India’s workforce for the growing solar energy sector https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/become-a-solar-technician-skilling-workforce-solar-energy-sector/

Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development (MGIRED)

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, and the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Dept., Government of Karnataka, helped establish the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development (MGIRED), which is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, in the year 2000. The institution was established to raise awareness and develop capacity-building programs in rural energy and sustainable rural development that would serve the needs of Karnataka and the surrounding southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Note: The above information is based on information gathered based on research from the Sector Council for Green Jobs website. For more information, please visit – https://sscgj.in/