Learners’ needs are at the core of Further Education and Training for the green transition
SOLAS, the Further Education and Training (FET) Authority, remains committed to supporting Ireland’s goal of halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and has published the Green Skills 2030 Implementation Plan.
The plan is a roadmap to progress the strategic and sector-specific recommendations outlined in Green Skills 2030, Ireland’s first National Further Education and Training Strategy. The Implementation Plan includes actionable and measurable targets developed through collaboration with KPMG, Education and Training Boards Ireland, the 16 Education and Training Boards, industry partners, and government departments.
The completion of the plan is a critical step in ensuring that the FET sector continues to evolve to meet the skills needs of all learners, so they are empowered and can adapt to workplace demands across different sectors of the green economy, including:
- accounting and business
- agriculture, forestry, biodiversity and the environment
- construction and the built environment
- engineering, energy, and manufacturing
- transport and logistics
- tourism and hospitality
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is recognised as fundamental to equipping learners with the skills to drive climate action and shape a just, inclusive, and resilient future. The plan aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasises collaboration among SOLAS, ETBs (Education and Training Boards), government, higher education, and industry.
The roadmap contains 24 strategic actions and 71 sectoral actions. Strategic actions focused on:
- raising awareness of green skills programmes offered by FET
- increasing awareness of career opportunities resulting from the green transition
- integrating green and transversal skills across all FET programme offerings
- supporting businesses through upskilling and reskilling opportunities for employees and the promotion of sustainable business practices
- supporting the expansion of FET green skills programme design and delivery
The sectoral actions for the seven identified key economic sectors include:
- provision and development of FET programmes
- opportunities relating to the development of FET specialist skills centres
- development and enhancement of pathways between further and higher education
SOLAS is committed to working in partnership with the ETBs and key stakeholders to ensure that the Green Skills 2030 Strategy is successfully implemented, so learners can adapt to the green economy and gain the skills needed to be empowered to address climate change.
You can find more information about FET Green Skills at: https://www.solas.ie/programmes/green-skills/
