What makes a green skill is subject to a lot of debate. As you mention, many skills will be transferrable, or at least will already be relevant to new technologies, such as the gas industry transferring to hydrogen and relevant skills there. Reskilling will be important to ensure that the differences in technologies are taken into account for those transitioning. We also have to ensure that the skills exist in the right locations. Transferrable skills might be needed in different locations to their origin, which has an impact on population shifts.
There are skills that will be unique to certain technologies, like solar panel or wind turbine construction and maintenance or the development of sustainable aviation fuels. There are also skills which are not unique to sustainability industries but are incredibly important to them, especially for the transition. These are likely to be softer skills like leadership to manage change effectively, or systems engineering to work on more and more complex, interdependent systems. We also can’t underestimate the importance of digital skills for sustainability, whether it’s expertise in digital twins to ensure the most efficient use of energy in a building, or harnessing AI for transport needs, minimising traffic jams and maximising mobility as a service, reducing emissions and improving journeys. What is for certain, is that we will need sustainability embedded in engineering education, to ensure we are always taking a sustainable approach to engineering.
