New challenges, new needs
Through the Fly Net Zero 2050 pledge and various other commitments, our industry has set ambitious goals to ensure that flying is sustainable and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from all airline operations by 2050. This transition to a greener aviation will require new skills, both in the shape of new emerging occupations and changes in needs for existing occupations. These new, ‘green skills’ have been defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) as “the skills needed by the workforce, in all sectors and at all levels, in order to help the adaptation of products, services and processes to the transformations due to climate change and to environmental requirements and regulations”.
Recognising the need for these new skills and investing in developing them now is essential to the success of our Net Zero ambitions. They will indeed be required to develop new sustainable technologies, apply new practices in operations and logistics, understand and implement new green policies, anticipate risks linked to climate change, and manage resources etc.
What green skills will be required?
To better understand what specific green skills will be required across the industry, it is important to understand the impact our activities have on the environment at the local, regional and global scale and how we can mitigate risks. Conversely, we also need to evaluate the effects that environmental and social context might have on our activities in the short and long term.
The types of green skills that might be called for are:
- Digital skills: invest in ML, AI, Big Data capabilities to support decision-making activities.
- New Technical skills: investing in R&D, developing alternative fuel expertise, building green aerospace engineering capabilities etc.
- Resource Management skills: looking at new types of resources, introducing circular economy practices etc.
- Communication skills: managing internal and external stakeholders’ expectations through authentic and transparent communication.
- Cognitive skills such as creative thinking, analytical thinking, design thinking, critical thinking, etc. which reflect the increasing importance of complex problem-solving and need for adaptability.
It is no coincidence if according the WEF 2023 Future of Jobs report “the fastest-growing roles relative to their size today are driven by technology, digitalization and sustainability”.
Upskilling the aviation industry
Building up green skills will require new training programmes and new qualification frameworks. Some existing roles and responsibilities are likely to evolve while new ones will be created.
It is important for companies to assess their future needs in green skills now and start building relevant training, upskilling and hiring strategies.
Some initiatives aimed at developing green skills in aviation have already been launched, like IATA’s Integrated Sustainability Program (ISP), including their Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) which aim at guiding stakeholders in improving performance, demonstrating accountability, and achieving meaningful impact aligned with industry best practices.
But the success of aviation’s green transition will also require a close collaboration between policy makers, industry stakeholders and educational institutions. Initiatives such as Wisa at the University of Waterloo, Canada, pave the way for such partnerships.
The Path Forward
As our industry adapts to climate change and the new challenges it brings, our workforce will also need to adapt and build up appropriate skills, no matter which part of aviation we operate in.
“Even jobs in sectors not directly affected by the green transition will need to incorporate relevant transversal skills such as environmental awareness and sustainability.” – OECD, 2023.
At Branchspace we have made ‘People and Planet’ one of our core strategic values and are always looking for like-minded people to join the team and help build our vision for a more sustainable aviation.
If you are interested in joining us on this journey, please get in touch: https://www.branchspace.com/careers
Sources:
OECD (2023), Assessing and Anticipating Skills for the Green Transition: Unlocking Talent for a Sustainable Future, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/28fa0bb5-en.
https://logistics.org.uk/campaigns
https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainable-aeronautics/about-wisa
https://www.iata.org/en/services/certification/environment-sustainability/environmental-assessment/
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf
