Every development comes at a cost. The rising levels of pollution have raised concerns all over the world. The impact of global warming is now pretty evident. From the melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, to drowning towns and cities all point towards the need for a sustainable solution moving forward.
That’s when the green sector comes into the picture. Almost 20% of India’s workforce is engaged in the green sector. Undoubtedly, the sector has been instrumental in the development of the agriculture sector, which even today in most parts of the country, is dependent upon monsoons.
Given its impact on human life and the economy, renewable energy and companies with green products should be encouraged.
Working towards such a noble cause provides people with a sense of purpose, but what about survival?
Green job salaries are way less than what the service sector offers. If an individual has an option to choose between software engineering roles in the service sector and green energy engineering roles, he/she is more likely to opt for the former. Hence, green businesses suffer.
How can they attract better talent? By paying more.
Most of the companies in India are small and cannot take advantage of economies of scale.
For instance, a company takes up a project to generate 100 MW of electricity and earns revenue worth 500 crores. Now, if the company takes up a project to generate 10,000 MW, the revenue will be 50,000 crores. Observe that the revenue goes up 100 times while the workforce does not. The number of people managing the control room will increase, maybe from 3 to 10, but not to 300. Most of the jobs, such as marketing, handling the plants, and others, will not require an increase of ten-fold. While the revenue rises by 100 times, the workforce only increases by 3 to 5 times, hence, people will be paid more. This is bound to happen sooner or later.
How should individuals prepare for Green Jobs?
The problem that the industry faces is a lack of job-ready professionals. How can individuals work to become ready for a job?
1.) Internships: Since no specific prominent courses are available for the green sector, youngsters could do internships while studying to gain on-the-job experience. This should be feasible with the Government’s new policy that makes on-the-job training mandatory.
2.) Work for conventional power companies for 1-2 years and then move to the renewable sector. Thermal and power companies are more organized and provide better learning and development opportunities.
3.) Look for alternative certificate courses in renewable energy during your graduation. Gain domain-specific knowledge of renewable energy.
While individuals work to be job-ready, how can educational institutes and green businesses enable them?
Institutions can launch courses on green engineering and make students ready for green jobs.
Businesses should educate youngsters about the prospects and lifetime earnings in the green sector, which could be way more than the service sector where the work life of a programmer could be limited in the wake of #Agentic #AI.
Conclusion
The green sector has a prominent future in India, not just for environmental sustainability but also for economic growth and employment. Though the sector faces challenges in attracting top talent due to salary disparities, the long-term benefits – both financially and professionally – make it a great choice. As India moves towards its climate goals and net-zero commitments, green jobs will only get more lucrative and prominent. For professionals, upskilling and getting hands-on experience can open doors to impactful careers, while institutions and businesses can play a big role in preparing the workforce for a greener tomorrow.