Jonathan Boakes, MD of Infinum UK, says governments and educators need to work together to ensure workers have sufficient green and technical skills.
In recent years, groundbreaking technologies like AI, IoT and machine learning have been revolutionising industries worldwide and addressing crucial societal needs, particularly in healthcare and finance.
One of today’s biggest challenges is sustainability, fighting climate change and making our planet greener. We’re already seeing technology and innovation stepping up to help, but there’s a huge problem: we don’t have enough of the right skills to utilise these technologies which will slow down the green revolution.
This poses a significant question, what’s the value of innovative technologies and the promise of a sustainable future if we lack the workforce to drive this change?
Sustainable tech in action
To understand what’s at stake, and the skills needed for the future, it’s important to understand the current growth of sustainable tech and how it is being used in practice. The internet of things (IoT) is a huge driving force here.
Simply put, IoT connects everyday objects to the internet, enabling communication between devices and users. This holds tremendous potential for environmental sustainability.
For example, one of the fastest-growing sectors of the IoT market is connected healthcare devices able to monitor vitals such as heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. These can reduce the need for hospital visits by providing more frequent and detailed health data.
Similarly, operating much like human wearable devices, wearable IoT sensors for plants are gaining traction. These sensors aid in waste reduction, improve food production and detect early signs of plant diseases, contributing to a greener world.
In other sectors, we’ve worked with Signify to introduce an IoT smart lighting solution for commercial buildings. Using wireless technology and automatic controls, the system adjusts office lighting based on occupancy, cutting energy costs significantly. These examples barely scratch the surface of how IoT can contribute to sustainability; it’s just the start.
Investing in green talent
But, if we’re taking IoT as an example, building a successful product in this space requires skills in programming, hardware, data, cybersecurity, AI and much more. This knowledge is currently lacking in many workforces; the World Economic Forum reports there is a global digital skills shortage that could mean 85m jobs are unfilled by 2030.
So, how do we overcome this challenge? The solution lies in investment and training. To meet today’s global sustainability challenges, the corporate world needs more than a few chief sustainability officers – it needs an army. This means recruiting product designers, supply managers, economists, scientists, architects and many others with the knowledge to recognise unsustainable practices and find ways to improve sustainability.
Most sustainability and green jobs require creative problem-solving and technical skills. Some of those skills can be learned on the job, but investing in your current team and training them up is going to be critical here.
Grassroots academies and upskilling programmes are a great way to develop knowledge from your existing team. For example, we have Infinum Academy that provides free courses from project management to data and AI and quality assurance. Businesses should think about setting up similar academies of their own focused on green and technical skills; this could be boot camps covering anything from AI to renewable energy depending on the sector.
Businesses also need to remember that they aren’t on their own. If they want to commit to sustainability but don’t have the skills available, turn to outside help, consultants or universities. Being curious and sticking your head above the parapet and asking what support is out there to prepare for a green revolution is already a step forward. But, while businesses can introduce their own initiatives, it’s going to take more than that.
Why a green revolution will take a village
Governments must invest heavily in developing green and technical skills. Public awareness of these skills and available training options is low due to inconsistent definitions. It is time for governments to step up, promote opportunities for both the next generation and existing talent to contribute to a greener future and provide the necessary training and networking opportunities to make it happen.
The reality is we’re likely to run out of people before we run out of money for the green transition. Those who decide to upskill themselves in green skills through universities or short courses stand to be in for a lucrative career, but upskilling alone won’t help, we need governments, universities and businesses to work together to allow the green revolution to become a reality.
By Jonathan Boakes.
Jonathan Boakes is managing director for Infinum UK. The New York-headquartered company provides tech consulting services. Boakes has more than 20 years of experience working in digital sectors and collaborating with SMEs and government stakeholders.
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