The Ernst & Young (EY) organization and Microsoft have released a free online program, the Green Skills Passport, which allows learners aged 16 and over to develop skills for sustainability jobs and the growing green economy.
The new program includes a 10-hour virtual course in which participants may learn about key topics including sustainability, entrepreneurship, and employment skills for various green jobs. The Green Skills Passport is also meant to provide non-governmental organizations with an avenue for empowering underserved communities with employable skills.
EY and Microsoft have already implemented successful Green Skills Passport pilot programs in the United States, India, and Bangladesh, where more than 1,400 course completions and certificates have been awarded. Out of all of the participants, 61% plan to apply for green jobs, and 43% plan to enroll in a university degree for sustainability or take more sustainability-related classes, according to the program.
The International Labor Organization forecasts that 24 million new green jobs will be created by 2030, and a goal of the Green Skills Passport is to help learners find their place in this growing market.
The new learning platform follows establishment of the EY-Microsoft partnership in 2022, initially created to increase social equity in the digital economy. The partnership has already implemented a number of programs toward this goal, all of which may also contribute to skills development in the green economy.
Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact is a Microsoft program in which the company worked with EY to run a series of workshops on ESG strategy, investment, and financial planning. Further, EY’s Future Skills Workshops offer young and underserved groups information on topics such as environmental sustainability and emerging technologies. In working with Trust for the Americas, the workshops have been dispersed across Latin America, where workshops may be completed in a classroom or virtually. Finally, the EY STEM App offers support for girls interested in STEM skills, many of which are needed for a later career in the green job market.
The Green Skills Passport should help meet the rising interest from younger generations in jobs that may help address the climate crisis. The program also follows Biden’s establishment of the Climate Corps, a workforce training and service initiative aimed at starting young people on a pathway toward environmental conservation and the clean energy economy.
“We’re proud to continue growing our collaboration with EY to offer these unique programs that bridge the gap between education and employability," said Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and president of national transformation partnerships at Microsoft. "Through these programs, we are taking steps toward social equity and empowering leaders of the future.”
