Education and Skills for Inclusive Growth and Green Jobs

Draft Report on India - SUMMARY

26 March 2014

STRICTLY LIMITED CIRCULATION TO PARTICIPANTS AT THE

WORKSHOP IN NEW DELHI ON 3rd

APRIL 2014. NOT TO BE QUOTED

WITHOUT WRITTEN AGREEMENT FROM ADB, MANILA

Prepared By: Rupert Maclean and Saurabh Johri

International consultants

Rupert Maclean (Team Leader)

Belinda Smith (Private Sector Skills Specialist)

Margarita Pavlova (TVET Providers Specialist)

National Consultants (India)

Saurabh Johri (TVET Specialist)

Shruti Dasgupta (Market Research and Survey Specialist)

Maya Sitaram (Gender Specialist)

Contents

1. Overview .................................................................................................................. 1

2. Green jobs, green skills – different shades ............................................................... 5

3. Key findings ............................................................................................................. 8

4. The way forward .................................................................................................... 16

5. Recommendations for greening of TVET programmes ......................................... 21

List of figures

Figure 3.1 Percentage share of industry sectors who felt government

regulatory impact on business in the last one year ......................................8

Figure 3.2 Percentage share of industry sectors developing new skills

based on need to undertake environmental impact assessments ..................9

Figure 3.3 Percentage share of industry sectors facing rising energy and

fuel costs in the last year ..............................................................................9

Figure 3.4 Percentage share of industry sectors caring for suppliers using

energy efficient infrastructure in production .............................................10

Figure 3.5 Percentage share of industry sectors employing new workers in

green jobs ...................................................................................................10

Figure 3.6 Percentage share of employers giving feedback on graduate

skills to TVET institutes for course improvements ...................................11

Figure 3.7 Percentage share of employers on engagement methods with

TVET institutes ..........................................................................................11

Figure 3.8 Average rating (1-5) on importance given to government

policies on sustainability ............................................................................12

Figure 3.9 Percentage share of TVET providers using inclusive data

sources to design skill development programme approach .......................13

Figure 3.10 Percentage share of TVET institutes in green content inclusion

methodology ..............................................................................................13

Figure 3.11 Percentage share of TVET institutes providing recognised

TVET certification to vocational students .................................................14

Figure 3.12 Percentage share of responses on building green skill standards

and assessment criteria ...............................................................................15

Figure 3.13 Teacher training for green skills ................................................................15

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1. Overview

1.1 India – a country with multiple narratives

India has an enormous population of 1.21 billion people, yet it manages to achieve a

representative democracy through federal, state and local governments with differing

political ideologies and policy emphasis. In addition, the variation between different

provinces (known as states) in terms of the degree of poverty, stages of economic and

social development, economic structures, and hierarchy of the caste system is unique

and not comparable to any other country in the developed or developing world. There

are states which are relatively wealthy and can be easily compared with fast emerging

economies of the world and there are regions that are extremely poor and can be

compared to Sub-Saharan Africa and the poorest countries in Asia.

The last 22 years (since 1991) in India have been unique in many ways. As the

country‟s economic policies liberalised, India increasingly became the preferred

investment destination as well as consumption market for the world. The per-capita

income increased exponentially, the GDP growth rate touched 9% in 2008 even when

the rest of the world was struggling with a financial crisis. The rising share of India in

the world GDP has positioned it as one of the emerging Asian Tigers of the

21st Century.

However, the country faces a sharp paradox. According to the World Bank 1 there are

nearly 400 million poor in India. These estimates are based on people living on less

than $1.25 a day in 2010. According to that World Bank report, India alone accounts

for 33% of the world‟s poor - almost equal to the Sub-Saharan Africa, which

encompasses over 40 countries. Even if we consider the official Government of India

figures on this matter, the share of India‟s poor is about 25% (the highest of any

country) - a situation which is without doubt alarming and a major challenge.

According to Census of India (2011)2 figures, 32.8% of households have no electricity,

53.1% have no toilets on the premises, 41.6% have no bathing facility and 17.8% of

households have no radio/television/telephone/bicycle or any other vehicle.

According to the UNDP (2011)3, the country‟s HDI is very low at 0.547 (a rank of

134 out of 187 countries), female literacy is only 65%, the infant mortality rate is 44

per 1000 where at best in India it is below 15 and at worst above 70.

Nearly 54% of the population of India is engaged in agriculture which contributes less

than 17% to the GDP. The growth rate of the agriculture sector continues to stutter

and has not as yet even crossed the targeted 4% in the XIth

Plan Period (2007-2012).

The manufacturing sector on the other hand employs nearly 21% of the labour force

but the contribution to GDP also remains low at about 17-18%. The notion of there

being a “Shining India” is mostly created through the services sector which

contributes over 65% to national GDP but employs only 25% of the labour force.

Many economists regard this situation as unsustainable.

1 http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/

State_of_the_poor_paper_April17.pdf 2 http://www.censusindia.gov.in/

3 http://www.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/india_factsheet_economic_n_hdi.pdf

2

1.2 Purpose of this study

The prominence of Asian economies and corporations, together with globalization

and technological innovation, are leading to long-term worldwide changes in trade,

business and labour markets. There is a rebalancing of power and influence, centred

on the Asia-Pacific region.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Report (2011), Asia 2050: Realizing the Asian

Century indicates that Asia could account for 51% of world Gross Domestic Product

(GDP) by 2050 (compared to 27% in 2010). This represents a six fold increase in per

capita income, equivalent to European levels of today. Seven economies: the People‟s

Republic of China (PRC), India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia

and Thailand are projected to account for 87% of the GDP in Asia. The report further

indicates that by 2030, 100 million green jobs will be available worldwide, about 2%

of the global workforce. Of these, it is anticipated that 50 million green jobs will be in

Asia.

While the countries are evaluating the costs of adopting green growth measures, and

industries are being encouraged to move to green production systems through

incentives or regulatory requirements, training is required in new and redefined skills

to prepare the workforce for a green economy. New green jobs will become available

and job substitution will result from the greening of corporations and the shift from

fossil fuels to renewable sources (UNEP, 2008). Education and training institutions do

not yet have effective response strategies for green jobs. In addition, training course

offerings for green skills need to be developed in sectors that are key drivers of

growth and employment.

Green industries in Asia and the Pacific are currently fragmented. University offerings

lack cross-disciplinary breadth and the faculty to train future workers in technical,

economic, social, and managerial challenges in green industries. Industry and

business have initiated steps to train workers for green processes and products.

However, governments, industries, and educational institutions have not yet

developed coordinated actions to prepare the workforce in middle and higher green

skills. As countries in Asia and the Pacific put in place national policies and strategies

for adapting to a carbon constrained future, the capacities needed have not as yet been

adequately analyzed. Regional entities, such as the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN), are supportive of bringing together business leaders in green

industries. International commitment to clean and green growth requires green

professionals in areas such as assessment, reporting, and certification. Currently they

are primarily from developed countries.

The ADB Education Sector Operations Plan seeks to align ADB support in education

with the needs and priorities of its developing member countries (DMCs) and

strengthen the quality, inclusiveness, and relevance of education. The plan

emphasizes that ADB will support DMCs to diversify and expand higher education

and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to match labour market

needs.

The scope of the ADB commissioned research project “Education and Skills for

Inclusive Growth and Green Jobs” was intended to increase the knowledge and

capacity of the four DMCs being studied (India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam) to

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match education and skills training to jobs, including for green occupations. This

research study seeks to examine how the four DMCs can best put in place timely and

effective policies and strategies for skills development. It also aims to facilitate

dialogue and networking between the public sector, business and sector councils,

industry and occupational associations, and employee associations to assess gaps in

policy and practice for the development of skills and to anticipate future needs.

1.3 Project methodology

One of the unique features of this study was the collection of primary data through

surveys and interviews conducted with TVET institutions and employers in selected

sectors, in addition to personal interviews and focus group discussions with important

stakeholders from government, NGOs and international donor agencies. The evidence

was collected through quantitative surveys with data validated through interviews.

Expert opinion was also sought through workshops/roundtable discussions involving

all the stakeholders in order to authenticate the findings and the subsequent policy

advice.

Key stakeholders were identified and consulted both from the labour skill demand

side (high-growth selected industries, namely, energy, construction, transportation and

tourism/hospitality) and from the supply side (formal government TVET providers

and informal private/Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)) with a special

emphasis on emerging green skills and green jobs. It was important to evaluate the

extent to which training providers respond to the needs of industry and, secondly, to

the needs of green growth. The project was therefore designed across sectoral,

occupational, skills and training levels.

Relevant data were collected from various companies through surveys and interviews.

The survey and interview questionnaires were prepared based in research into green

jobs, sustainable company practices and by focussing on the study objectives and

common issues that needed to be addressed including (but not limited to): a lack of

awareness on the part of many firms in the sector concerning greening issues and their

importance; problems associated with a shortage of skilled labour with green skills.

Interview questions supplemented the survey by addressing questions concerning the

higher costs associated with the greening of processes and the importance of

government policy, legislation and incentives to encourage the greening of production

and services; and, the value of setting industry standards and industry self regulation

to promote the greening of firms.

A total of 59 companies in the four industry sectors responded, these being hospitality

and tourism (18 respondents), construction (15 respondents), transport (9 respondents)

and renewable energy (17 respondents). Additionally, two weeks of interviews were

undertaken by the consultants‟ research team in New Delhi during October 2012.

These involved senior members of 15 enterprises and senior representatives from 10

organizations consisting of industry associations, employers‟ associations

representing a combined membership of 11,527 direct members and over 90,000

indirect members, NGOs, Government and international donor organizations. Topics

considered varied from lean management principles assisting companies to becoming

green, to the importance of attitudinal changes for a successful transition to green

work practices.

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Qualitative questionnaire surveys and interviews were used to elicit informed opinion

and expert knowledge on current practices of TVET providers in terms of approaches

used by institutions to respond to skills needs; to government policies/initiatives that

are relevant to skills development; and to economic restructuring and staff training. A

particular emphasis was placed on approaches used by institutions to include green

skills (skills that are required to reduce the adverse environmental impact of

enterprises and the economic sectors, ultimately to levels that are sustainable) in their

programmes/courses. Representatives from Government, NGOs and donor agencies

were also interviewed.

A total of 90 respondents from the Government institutes (9 from the Ministry of

Human Resource Development (MHRD) - polytechnics); 26 from Ministry of Labour

and Employment (MoLE) - Industrial Training Institutes (it is) and 15 from other

Ministry/State Government Institutes); 27 NGOs and 13 NGOs associated with the

National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) (NSDC partners) responded to the

survey questionnaire. Additionally, the interviews covered a range of skills in the high,

medium and lower skill levels.

The aim of the interviews was to identify successful practices, opportunities,

challenges, and requirements for training providers to develop training programmes

which appropriately address industry needs in skills development, with a specific

focus on meeting the demands of climate change and environmental sustainability

issues that industries are facing at the current time.

Additional information was sourced from job advertisements, company career

information and relevant green industry associations. The resulting information was

also validated against internationally available green or sustainable national

occupation standards (competency or skill standards), documented sustainable

businesses practices and cleaner production processes.

1.4 The outcomes of the project

This study found that the skill profiles of workforces that encourage successful

sustainable growth are more likely to involve the widespread use of generic green

skills. According to industry, generic green skills lead to cost reductions as well as

reducing the individual company‟s carbon footprint. The identification of generic

green skills allows governments and industry to develop strategies for mainstreaming

these skills across the labour market and potentially reducing carbon footprints of

individual enterprises and value chains. Training and education providers should

integrate generic green skills into existing training programmes to improve the

sustainable work practices of TVET graduates.

The findings of this research suggest many TVET providers find it difficult to develop

student skills beyond a narrow range of technical skills affecting the relevance of

training content in meeting the sustainability challenges of industry. This is not a

problem unique to India and has been recognized globally as an issue in the

development of soft skills, or generic skills such as, problem solving, communication,

team building and customer service (Martinez-Fernandez, Powell 2010). The Quality

Council of India (2011) lists communications, leadership, problem solving along with

inculcating values and ethics as skills and attributes requested by employers, but these

are not adequately developed through government training institutes. One of the

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biggest challenges in developing green skills will be for TVET providers to focus on

process skills rather than technical skills as requested by industry specifically in areas,

such as, waste minimization or energy efficiency in production or service delivery

processes, as well as skills like collaboration and innovation.

The study and analytical efforts presented in the report have been designed to inform

readers of the challenges and dilemmas faced by NGOs in green skill development

programmes. This document also attempts to showcase good practices in programme

outreach and management, along with green skill development to cater to a greening

economy.

As a result, the contents of this report can be put to use by skills development NGOs,

NGO partners, corporate and non-corporate donors who fund skills development

programmes and policy makers alike. Constraints faced by NGOs identify critical

areas for policy and governance intervention that need reforms by the decision-

making government stakeholders in skilling India. Good practices in outreach and

programme mechanisms can help the implementing NGOs strengthen more

effectively their skills development programmes at the ground level.

The green practices identified for skill development programmes can also help align

NGO-led vocational education with the larger picture of green skill building and

training for green jobs for a greener and more sustainable economy. The functional

and financial gaps revealed as a result of this study can offer possible areas of

meaningful partnerships with the skilling-based NGOs to the donor partners and other

process partners such as knowledge partners, job placement partners etc. in the form

of PSU, corporate, trust/foundation, industry groups and international multi-lateral

agencies.

Additionally this report identifies various approaches and tools in skills anticipation

and exercises based on similar approaches.

2. Green jobs, green skills – different shades

The Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing region in the world (UN, ESCAP

Report, 2012), and is widely regarded as being the economic engine of the world.

However, the enormity of the informal economy, and transitions from primary

(agriculture/mining) to secondary and tertiary (manufacturing and services) sectors, is

creating enormous and increasing pressure on generating employment and

opportunities to trade. This is not only within countries but also across countries.

While high domestic consumption is driving these economies, the global trade

arrangements, environmental mandates, human development policies and what has

been called a “resource crunch” are having a cascading effect on the performance of

industries and their competitiveness. Many firms are myopic, stressing short-term

profits rather than medium to long-term benefits.

Sectors such as construction, transport, energy and hospitality and tourism are

witnessing radical changes in the way business gets conducted due to regulation,

competition, and demands from consumers, and are highly sensitive to carbon

constraints arising from climate change and reducing non-renewable energy resources.

6

The labour market in India struggles to keep pace with the rapidly changing economic

environment, Indian industry also faces global competition, domestic pressures and

regulatory challenges. The economic squeeze is forcing industry to increase

productivity, cut employment and de-prioritize climate and sustainability concerns.

According to the ADB-HKIEd industry survey reported here, almost 88% of industry

respondents feel that government legislation, regulation and other requirements, have

affected their business. The industry also feels that not only government policies but

also consumer demand for green products and services is forcing them to change their

production and service delivery processes. Nearly 68% believe this to be the case.

Regulation in the form of the Integrated Energy Policy of 2006, and the Energy

Conservation Building Code (May 2007), affect the design of new, large commercial

buildings. In addition the mandatory requirements such as energy audits in large

energy-consuming units, employment of “certified energy managers”, conducting

environment impact assessments, developing environmental management plans and

annual online reporting on energy consumption and energy conservation data, though

progressive, adversely impact on the costs of production in the short-term. Such

pressures have led to a tiered economy where companies operating within a global

marketplace use international good practice approaches to achieve sustainable growth,

while other locally focused companies sometimes operate with little awareness of

sustainability issues. While the impact of these policies seems to be more pronounced

in traditional manufacturing, and in small and medium enterprises, the same policies

and many more are leading to a new wave of industries, jobs and skills reinforcing the

need for “green growth”.

Even though India is one of the lowest greenhouse gas emitters per capita in the world,

with emissions nearly one quarter of the global average, the government has

proactively put together a well-developed policy, legislative, regulatory framework,

and programme for the promotion of energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear

power, fuel switching, energy pricing reform, and is addressing green house gas

(GHG) emissions in the energy sector (Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change,

2012).

Greening does not imply a new sector and does not necessarily mean the creation of

new jobs as such, but it can suggest a restructuring of the employment market in ways

where some new employment opportunities would be created such as manufacturing

of solar panels, and pollution control devices. In addition, some jobs would be

substituted through change, for example, a shift from fossil fuels to renewables or

land-filling/waste incineration to recycling; and certain jobs would be eliminated such

as discontinuation and banning of plastic bag production and use. However many jobs

would be transformed and redefined such as those of plumbers, electricians, metal

workers, and construction workers, as day-to-day-skills sets, work methods, and

profiles are greened (UNEP, 2008)

Green jobs have implications across sectors and are not limited to the familiar

renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. Different shades of green jobs are

manifested in infrastructure development and construction, power, transportation,

travel and tourism agriculture and forestry.

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Interestingly, the interviews and ADB-HKIEd survey of industry representatives

indicate that the term green job is not readily or widely understood. Instead the idea of

green skills was volunteered by some of interviewees and appears to be more readily

accepted and understood.

Overall, company representatives did not identify any specific changes in the

technical skills required of their workforce to work more sustainably. However there

was evidence that some jobs now need more hybrid skills than before. When asked

directly about new skills required by their workers to support the company to become

sustainable or to maintain sustainability targets, interviewees mainly identified non-

technical skills along with new technical knowledge.

Interestingly, the project also found that the interchangeable use of terms such as

sustainable development, green, eco, and environmental caused confusion. This was

the case with the term “green jobs” in the context where sustainable employers

considered all jobs to be green. Many of the identified skills were not new, but were

skills that already exist and whose availability needed to be increased or applied in

new situations.

Climate change policies and regulations are giving rise to the demand for skilled

professionals to be able to handle new industries, new jobs, and new skills to achieve

compliance with global and national standards and regulations. Almost 65% to 70%

of respondents to the ADB-HKIEd industry survey believe that new legislation has

led to a demand for new skills in their businesses. Nearly 55% believe it has led to job

role changes, nearly 48% feel that it has impacted on promoting change in processes,

and nearly 64% believe it has led to changes in people requirements, technology,

infrastructure, work environment and materials.

Across all industry sectors, employers emphasize generic green skills for all their

workers irrespective whether a job or an industry is green or not. An example cited

was that of a company visiting a solar panel manufacturing company in another

country, where there was no attempt to minimise the impact of pollution on the local

Way forward – breaking the stereotypes and navigating the labyrinth

Definition of green jobs

Jobs that reduce the environmental impact of enterprises and economic sectors, ultimately to levels

which are sustainable are termed as green jobs. This comprises work in agriculture, industry,

services and administration that contributes to preserving or restoring the quality of the

environment while also meeting requirements of decent work – adequate wages, safe conditions,

workers‟ rights, social dialogue and social protection.

Source: ILO/UNEP/IOE/ITUC, 2008

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3. Key findings

The ADB-HKIEd research study “Education and Skills for Inclusive Growth and

Green Jobs” attempts to explore important questions such as the most effective ways

in which governments, businesses, NGOs, private sector and members of civil society

can operate in a coordinated way, and pull in the same direction, when it comes to the

greening of the economy and green jobs. It also seeks to identify ways to get small

and medium enterprises to change their existing practices to attract and be involved in

the greening of their production and distribution processes. Are there “carrots”

(financial and other incentives) and “sticks” (regulation and economic instruments) to

get businesses to change their business behaviour? What are the best and most

effective ways to translate policies into practices, especially with regard to the

unorganised sector and informal employment, and how can TVET providers

throughout the country update their programmes to be more relevant to meeting

modern economic needs including developing green skills for green jobs?

In order to respond to these types of questions, the study took a unique approach to

capturing voices from industry, TVET institutions and important stakeholders within

the government and dovetailed these with the emerging problems, existing policies

and practices to explore answers to the above questions.

Regulation

Close to 50% of companies felt that being strongly regulated through government

interventions, energy sector (65%), transport (56%), hospitality (50%) and

construction (40%), was both a deterrent as well as an opportunity to instil

environmentally sustainable practices. While CSR is also a driver towards such

practices, there was not much enthusiasm evident in CSR in the ADB-HKIEd survey

(Figure 3.8 ).

Figure 3.1 Percentage share of industry sectors who felt government

regulatory impact on business in the last one year

Environmental impact on skills development

The impact of Government does not seem to translate into companies‟ priorities

towards developing new skills. For example, the same respondents did not feel the

importance of developing or accessing new skills, against the government mandate of

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Greatly To Some Extent

Can't say Not Much Not at all

Construction

Transport/Logistics

Hospitality

Energy

9

conducting environmental impact assessments. One of the reasons for this may be that

they may outsource the same to third party agencies or let existing staff manage

compliance (Figure 3.9).

Figure 3.2 Percentage share of industry sectors developing new skills based

on need to undertake environmental impact assessments

Rising costs

As discussed earlier, rising costs and profits in the short-run overshadow the efforts

put in place towards sustainability. Almost all industry sectors have expressed a deep

concern over rising energy costs affecting their business profits and 75-80% of

respondents confirmed this in the survey. The high initial investment and the cost of

continuous maintenance of energy-efficient infrastructure usually act as a deterrent to

adopting green technologies and practices (Figure 3.3).

Figure 3.3 Percentage share of industry sectors facing rising energy and fuel

costs in the last year

Interest in sustainability of the supply chain

The respondents were keener to demand the same in the value chain or supply chain

and gave high importance to suppliers following sustainable practices to meet

international standards. However, nearly 30-40% were neutral, suggesting less interest

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Greatly To some extent Can't Say Not much Not at all

Construction

Transport/Logistics

Hospitality

Energy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Greatly To Some Extent

Can't say Not Much Not at all

Construction

Transport/Logistics

Hospitality

Energy

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in the practices of the suppliers as long as product or service standards are met (Figure

3.11).

Figure 3.4 Percentage share of industry sectors caring for suppliers using

energy efficient infrastructure in production

New green jobs

As discussed earlier, the understanding with respect to green jobs is limited while the

industry is more able to relate to green skills in all jobs. Even though the energy and

construction sectors report requirement of new workers in green jobs, this

understanding is based more on the sector itself being considered as green, for

example, renewable, and railways. Moreover, there is a greater emphasis on the

requirements of hybrid skills (generic plus green) which top-up on existing skills sets

(Figure 3.12).

Figure 3.5 Percentage share of industry sectors employing new workers in

green jobs

Engagement between industry and training providers (1)

The low levels of engagement between industry and TVET institutions continues to

be a deterrent in improving courses and developing industry relevant curricula (since

much of it gets dictated by government) leading to poor employability of graduates

from the TVET institutions (Figure 3.13).

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Very Important Important Neutral Not so important Not important

Construction

Transport/Logistics

Hospitality

Energy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Yes No Can't Say

Construction

Transport/Logistics

Hospitality

Energy

11

Figure 3.6 Percentage share of employers giving feedback on graduate skills

to TVET institutes for course improvements

Engagement between industry and training providers (2)

Only 18% of respondents on average provide course feedback to the TVET institutes

and less than 3% are a part of TVET providers‟ accreditation mandate. Industries are

yet to provide a sound base for providing regular on-site industry experience to TVET

teachers/instructors. Only 26% on average involve keeping TVET institutes up to date

on current practices. The much required collaboration amongst various industry

partners on greening businesses also remains insufficient. Synergy with local

communities has also emerged as being quite weak in creating green community

models and expanding CSR initiatives into green capacity building, as made evident

through limited CSR activities in sustainability and climate change (Figure 3.7).

Engagement between industry and training providers (3)

Figure 3.7 Percentage share of employers on engagement methods with

TVET institutes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Yes, frequently Yes, occasionally Can't say Not at all

Construction

Transport/Logistics

Hospitality

Energy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Provide workplace for on-the–job training

Member or Chair of accreditation

panels

Engaged in TVET courses

preparation

Allow on-site visits for students

Provide TVET Teachers with

industry experience

Construction

Transport/Logistics

Hospitality

Energy

12

Government policies on sustainability

In the ADB-HKIEd survey, (Figure 3.8) all TVET institutions (whether government

or private) show greater inclination towards economic and skill development policies

than environmental or green job policies. One of the reasons for this preference is that

not enough emphasis or awareness is developed yet with the TVET institutions. Their

focus largely remains centred around what are growing industry sectors, popular

trades and employment opportunities.

Figure 3.8 Average rating (1-5) on importance given to government policies

on sustainability

Understanding and awareness

Research and related literature also indicates that “understanding and awareness”

concerning the issues of environment and green jobs is critical to the development of

green skills. The Cedefop (2010) and the Pro Enviro (2008) reports give considerable

importance to strategies in awareness building and communication. The HM

Government (2011) report, Skills for a Green Economy, reports that in order to

develop green skills, distinctive green economy awareness and understanding is

required. Awareness raising is listed as a green management skill and a policy and

planning skill in the UK Pro Enviro 2008, highlighting the holistic value of awareness

raising.

Targeted awareness building can occur through targeted channels. For example, in the

ADB-HKIEd survey, (Figure 3.9) 70% of government (MHRD) TVET institutions

follow government‟s directions and advice, while private providers largely rely on

institutional research. Communication strategies to TVET institutions about greening

the economy therefore have to be through these channels and intelligently embedded

in government orders and published research.

1

2

3

4

5

Importance of Economic

Development Policies

Importance of Environmental

Policies

Importance of Skill

Development Policies

Importance of Green Jobs

Policies

MHRD - Polytechnic

MoLE - ITI

NGO

NSDC Partner

Other Ministry/ State Govt. Institutes

13

Figure 3.9 Percentage share of TVET providers using inclusive data sources

to design skill development programme approach

Green content in TVET programmes

Green topics are largely excluded from the skill development curriculum. Only 50%

of TVET providers have shades of green content in their general curriculum. However,

almost 80% of ITI respondents in the ADB-HKIEd survey (Figure 3.10) mentioned

that green content is included in the general subjects. It would be interesting to

investigate separately the type of green content available in those subjects and

whether it matches with international benchmarks. Close to 60% of non-government

institutes in the survey accepted missing green content partnerships in their

development programmes, even though green content knowledge banks like AEEE

are available.

Figure 3.10 Percentage share of TVET institutes in green content inclusion

methodology

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Institu

tion

al research (in

clud

ing

feedb

ack surveys)

Pu

blish

ed statistical d

ata

Go

vernm

ent d

irection

s/advice

Labo

ur m

arket analysis

Skills ob

servatories/skills co

un

cils

Job

ann

ou

ncem

ents an

alysis

Links w

ith o

ther TV

ET institu

tion

s

Oth

er:

MHRD - Polytechnic

MoLE - ITI

NGO

NSDC Partner

Other Ministry/ State Govt. Institutes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

In this institution, ‘Green’

content is mainly learnt in ‘general’ Subjects

In this institution, ‘Green’

content is mainly learnt in specialised Technical Subjects

Green content is mainly learnt through industry exposure visits

during the courses of the institution

Polytechnic

ITI

NGO

NSDC Partner

State Colleges

14

Accreditation and certification (1)

In addition to the course/ curriculum, the certification and standards for green skills is

also complicated. Large numbers of non-government and private institutes seem to

have created their own internal certification criteria which may not be necessarily

recognized by authorized bodies such as AICTE/UGC/NCVT/NBA. Less than 20% of

non-government institute respondents provide recognized certification to their

students as per the ADB-HKIEd survey (Figure 3.11).

Figure 3.11 Percentage share of TVET institutes providing recognised TVET

certification to vocational students

Accreditation and certification (2)

A lack of accreditation and certification on green standards was reported in the survey,

however some of the respondents (more in Government than in the private sector)

suggested that they have developed green skills standards and certification which

appears counter-intuitive as there is hardly any national level TVET policy which

guides green standards and certification (Figure 3.12). More investigation may be

needed to understand the basis of such reporting from government institutions. There

is also a possibility that the question in the survey was not understood fully and they

may have used the understanding of the environment components of the courses to

say that they have green standards and certification.

0102030405060708090

100

MHRD - Polytechnic

MoLE - ITI

NGO

NSDC Partner

Other Ministry/ State Govt. Institutes

15

Figure 3.12 Percentage share of responses on building green skill standards

and assessment criteria

Teacher and trainer skills

The argument for the non-existence of standards gets further strengthened when the

capacity of these institutions are assessed. Nearly all institutions in the survey (Figure

3.13) indicated that their teachers are not trained enough to provide green skills

training to students, this being marginally more in private institutions than in

government institutions.

Figure 3.13 Teacher training for green skills

If there were well-defined standards and certification systems for green skills, it

would automatically create the need and demand for green skills in teachers and

faculty, which does not currently seem to be the case.

0102030405060708090

Additional skills and competencies have been

added into existing courses to meet green skills requirements

Comprehensive ‘green’

skills standards have been developed in my institution

A comprehensive certification system for ‘green’

standards has been developed in my institution

Polytechnic

ITI

NGO

NSDC Partner

State Colleges

16

4. The way forward

While individuals or groups of people may have an understanding about the

importance of green economy, green jobs and green skills, the institutions do not

appear to have such understandings. Institutions are mostly governed by mandates and

prescribed norms and although they do change over a period of time, the rate of

change is much slower.

The economic categorization between primary sector (agriculture), secondary

(manufacturing) and tertiary sectors (services) are quite sharp from the point of view

of green practices. While the agriculture sector has connotations of “green” when it

comes to sustainable practices such as water conservation, use of fertilizers and

cropping patterns, the services sector is centred more around conserving energy. The

industry sector receives the maximum attention when it comes to sustainable

processes such as pollution control, recycling, waste management, procurement, and

energy audits. While the demands for green skills in traditional industry mostly arise

out of compliance with regulations, demands in the new industries such as renewable

energy production arise out of the resource crunch and global sustainability

arrangements. Therefore even with the industry sector, there are different “shades of

green” which need to considered, when developing strategies.

Short-term goals often overshadow long-term outcomes. This is not only the case in

industry but for governments as well. While industry attempts to maximize profits,

governments try to achieve short-term political agendas. Whilst climate change and

sustainability concerns get reflected in vision documents, the subject gets de-

prioritized in the short-run. Incentives need to play a big-role in such situations.

“Skilled labour saves money” is an important value even in short-run economic

squeeze situations. While large corporation realize this, the concept is not widely

known and accepted in small, medium and informal markets. This is primarily

because the large corporations have the band-width for higher pay and an ability to

overcome capacity constraints through internal training while smaller operators

undervalue a skilled workforce as they have prioritize covering basic costs.

The TVET landscape in India needs to be understood by decoupling government and

private institutions. While the government institutions function to perform a social

obligation, private institutions exist to earn a profit, hence need to respond to market

gaps and industry requirements. Any change in TVET either has to be triggered

through government orders and decrees for government institutions and industry

requirements in the case of private institutions. Even though there is often a high

degree of enthusiasm in the government TVET system towards discussing emerging

issues that need should not be confused with sensitivity towards those issues. As

discussed earlier, at an individual level there may be agreement with changing norms

NGO quote on teaching capacity

“The most important challenge is having the right faculty and their training. The need is huge and

we must create a battery of especially skilled teachers who can take up this massive challenge of

providing skill training to Indian masses.”

(Source: An NGO skill provider response)

17

but at an institutional level there are limited mechanisms in place to encourage or

bring about that change.

The reality of the labyrinth is such that there are no easy ways out. One of the

strongest messages emerging from this study is that there is a need to bridge

stereotypes, such as those around government and industry linkages. Strict regulations

do not necessarily result in compliance. Similarly, a wider perspective of green skills

is needed than just green jobs. Within green skills, a differentiation between higher

order green technical skills and lower order generic green skills is very important. It

must be remembered that jobs are no longer linear in nature but are modular.

In order to move forward the agenda for green growth and green skills, detailed

investigations and feasibility assessments are required at functional levels in different

industry sectors, and with regard to curriculum and content level in TVET institutions

and programme and practice level in government departments of different ministries.

For example, an understanding of green content by some is understood as soft skills

related to hygiene and work ethics; for some it is the introduction of a new curriculum

such as solar panel installation; for others, it has a broader interpretation that includes

a loss of bio-diversity, water security; and social aspects such as better employment

opportunities and decent work. Similarly, a functional level analysis in the solar sector

reveals skills gaps in installing BIPV in buildings, handling concentrated solar

collectors, module assembly, and grid integration of solar power projects.

Role of Government bodies (indicative)

• providing green regulatory framework and enabling environment for green skill

development and policies for a green economy;

• devising financial mechanisms, reward and promotional framework to catalyze green

skill building through voluntary mechanisms;

• capacity building on green jobs/skills of TVET institutions (Government +

private/NGOs);

• setting up of monitoring, evaluation and information dissemination mechanism to

support green skill training initiatives; and

• setting up of green qualification framework and quality assurance mechanism.

Action Point 1: Developing an information ecosystem around green jobs and green

skills

• organize and study impact assessments on climate change by different industries;

• translate environmental standards/legislation by government into operational and

measurable goals by industries;

• existing job roles have to be enriched with green responsibilities, including review of

work systems and subsequent updating on green parameters including recycling,

re-using and reducing carbon intake; and

• help industries to identify new green business lines and push innovative green

products and solutions

18

The next big steps from government, the private sector and NGOs, supported by

multilaterals and international experience, would need to be in the form of making the

TVET system more responsive to emerging needs. These could be in the form of

autonomy, leadership development, revisiting apprenticeship system and allowing

proactive engagement of employers in training programmes offered both by

government and private TVET institutions. For example, in Vietnam and Indonesia,

just 30% flexibility in changing the curriculum provides the institutions with enough

space to adjust courses and programmes to meet industry needs. The capacity of

leadership in TVET institutions needs to be developed to be creative and resourceful

to network and forge partnerships is crucial to foster newer arrangements between

TVET institutions collectively with the industry and private sector.

India needs a structured awareness and communications programme not only on green

jobs or green skills but a programme which also builds capacity on ways to dovetail

emerging climate change issues with changing business processes or industry

demands and TVET education. Effective communication has to reach out to all

stakeholders including consumers, elected representatives from the village to national

levels and to both blue collar and white collar professionals. Online, off-line,

traditional media, new media, all have to be used in the awareness building strategy.

Action Point 3: Promoting the Green Jobs & Skills agenda through Sector Skill

Councils (SSCs)

• SSCs must be encouraged to initiate pilots and look at the qualitative forecasting-

type information that they could get from members without moving directly to a

real-time data system;

• active involvement by employers in particular is essential for ensuring that all labour

market participants (including trade unions) understand the changing nature of jobs;

• SSCs to undertake activities in green skills forecasting, standards and accreditation,

programmes, testing and green skills evaluation; and

• information on TVET institutions, green courses and training should be

amalgamated in the LMIS to assist the employers and the job

seekers/students/employees etc.

Action point 2: building green skills through TVET institutions

• the implementation of climate change commitments is leading to new skill

requirements. Some areas require altogether new skills, a large number of existing

occupations require additional skills and competencies to move toward a low-carbon

world;

• develop new training curricula and launch green entrepreneurship promotion

campaigns; and

• plan for comprehensive green skill standards and certification systems with the

participation of skill development.

19

National consensus is required towards rationalization of initiatives and efforts. An

SSC alone cannot achieve its objectives unless there is agreement between all industry

partners and TVET institutions (government and private). Quality assurance could

never be achieved with more than one agency setting standards on the same subjects.

Coordinated implementation cannot happen unless geographical and sectoral

jurisdiction is articulated. Only the national government, with mutual agreement

between apex departments and political allies, can initiate such an exercise.

Role of industry/ industry associations

• identifying green competencies and setting up competency standards through

participation in sector skill councils;

• participating in skill demand analysis and green curriculum development for TVET

institutions, training of trainers, monitoring and evaluation;

• promoting skill up-gradation and lifelong learning among local community members

by engaging with NGOs and running special green skill development institutes for

skill development of workers;

• participating in examination and certification for NGO programmes and training

programmes of TVET institutions including green affiliation and accreditation;

• sharing of work place experience, machinery and equipment and facilitating

employment of disadvantaged students trained in green skills through NGO skilling

initiatives;

• supporting sustainable skill development initiatives through physical, financial and

human resources both public and private/NGO working for disadvantaged groups in

remote areas; and

• raising awareness about the benefit of training, skill development plans and activities

among the local community at various industry locations.

20

India has been proactively pursuing the environmental concerns and global

declarations around climate change and putting mechanisms to ensure that growth

does not occur at the cost of environmental degradation.

The labour market across industry sectors also is demanding jobs that are more

environmentally sustainable and decent as there is growing evidence that skills

shortages may be impeding the transition to green growth in sectors such as energy-

efficient construction and retrofitting, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and

environmental services. In China and India, rural electrification programmes are

suffering because of a lack of skilled workers. Reasons for these shortages include a

scarcity of scientists and engineers, the poor reputation and limited attractiveness of

certain sectors such as waste management, and a limited number of teachers and

trainers in environmental services.

The challenges are compounded especially in a labour market that has more than 90%

of the labour force in the informal sector and very low levels of education. Today,

India has just a 2% trained workforce as compared to Germany (75%), UK (68%),

and South Korea (96%). There are approximately 15 million new entrants into the

workforce in India every year; however the net enrolment in vocational education is

only 3.5 million per year, as compared to 11 million in China and 11.3 million in

USA.

Also, skill development and training are currently isolated from changes in the global

economic and climate change scenario. Skill development sadly takes a linear

approach of learning where some generic content is followed by specific components

and later some advanced content. What is required is a non-linear approach because

jobs today are not categorized around levels of complexity, but are getting more and

Action agenda for TVET institutions (Government and private/NGOs)

• raising awareness about skill development plans and activities among the public with

special thrust on disadvantaged groups like women, differently-abled, minorities and

SC/ST;

• facilitating better employability status of students from disadvantaged areas and

groups;

• ensuring programme designs are targeted differently to different women‟s social

groups, different social classes and urban and rural women; increasing enrolment and

retention in TVET institutions, by innovative techniques such as requests through

elected representatives, incentive schemes etc.;

• assisting in development of green competency standards among other occupational

standards closely aligning them with field realities;

• assisting in green course design, examination and certification;

• promoting lifelong learning among the public;

• promoting dignity of labour among the public and breaking biases e.g. aiding

migration for better jobs and quality of life; and

• women are generally good trainers. Emphasis needs to be given to encourage women

trainers to mobilize and sensitize local communities in energy conservation, better use

of resources and also promote employment to other women.

21

more modular in nature. Multidimensional skills are needed that include

understanding of raw-materials or resources, ability to transform them into final

products, ensure sensitivity towards the environment during the whole process.

Fortunately, there is no lack of knowledge around the subject. Knowledge from other

countries, partnerships with international agencies are actively available to bring in

new perspectives, new models, flexible funding, high quality research, best and

innovative practices and the potential to develop individual and institutional capacities

to deliver large scale programmes.

The policy makers and practitioners in skill education and training therefore have

increasing challenges to implement norms and standards, through appropriate

regulations and legislations, to incubate innovative initiatives, create a favourable

policy environment and incentives, and mobilize viability gap funding and subsidies

to access geographically remote and marginalized communities.

5. Recommendations for greening of TVET programmes

Two models of moving forward with green skills development are proposed. They

take into account the fact that the inefficient government bureaucracy is placed third

among the most problematic factors for doing business in India48

; that curriculum

development in formal TVET is very centralized and coordinated by the AICTE (for

NITs and polytechnics) and the Directorate General of Employment and Training (for

ITIs and other VTPs) at the national level and by the Boards of Technical Education

and Directorates of Technical Education at the state level.

Model 1. A decentralized private model led by PPP/private training providers

and industry (with government funding and policy direction).

Certain risks associated with this model include: incomplete coverage, variable

quality, and a variety of interpretations about green skills. This model does not totally

depend on public funding and can adjust rapidly to economic changes to reflect skills

demand Best practice can be identified through a trial and error approach and then

disseminated.

Such institutions as the following could be involved:

Training provided through institutions associated with the National Skills

Development Corporation (e.g., Centum WorkSkills India; BASIX Academy for

Building Lifelong Employability; Empower; IL&FS Skills Development Corporation)

The NSDC was established by the government of India as part of the National Skill

Development Mission (NSDM) to carry out the skilling of 150 million Indian people

by 2022. This is a PPP initiative of the Indian government that is aimed at the

development of low skills (at entry level) with a target of 75% of employment

following the completion of training courses. The content of training is closely guided

by industry demands, and is usually based on very targeted labour market research,

48 World Economic Forum (2012).The Global Competitiveness Report 2012 – 2013. Geneva,

Switzerland: World Economic Forum. Accessed from http://reports.weforum.org/global-

competitiveness-report-2012-2013/

22

aimed at forecasting skills demands. The research is conducted prior to the

development of courses. Currently a majority of courses include a module on soft

skills that addresses hygiene and work ethics. Many of the training provider

representatives stated they could include a short module on general awareness of

green issues but that they need to increase their own capacity in this area in terms of

understanding the issues and developing the ability to explain them in a

straightforward manner. Some have already started training for green skills (e.g.

BASIX Academy for Building Lifelong Employability has designed modules to

address green skills through different courses).

Don Bosco network

This is a significant network of private TVET providers in India that includes around

82 training institutes (BDTIs), 26 short-term training centres (DBSTs) and 37 network

partners. The government recognises them and consults with them on issues related to

skills development. A similar approach could be used within this network. Capacity

development of principals and management staff (it is important to include master

trainers) is required, as well as a general unit on greening issues to increase students‟

awareness. Specific content could be included in the programs if there is a demand

from industry. For example, training for the printing industry already includes waste

management and recycling. Around two hours per week are dedicated to soft skills

development that could be also used for green-related activities to develop students‟

knowledge and attitudes.

National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)

Incubation training is aimed at developing entrepreneurship and manufacturing skills,

as well as helping students purchase of manufacturing equipment (through bank

loans). There are almost no green technologies that students can choose for their

projects however, they can be included in these centres. Incubation training provides a

three-month training program. Currently NSIC has a network of incubation centres

based on PPP in India. Each program includes „soft skills‟, such as quality standards,

hygiene, impact on environment, and consumer requirements.

Model 2. A formal public model led by the government through explicit green

skills programs

This approach formulates clear policy objectives and provides targeted funds aimed at

green skills implementation. Risks associated with this model include: time required

to develop and implement change and as it is driven by bureaucracy, it might neglect

elements of industry requirements. This model requires a long-term strategy for

planning and implementation, however, some small steps could be undertaken within

the existing system relatively quickly (and they are identified below). Hardly any

institution, under the MHRD or ML&E, are greening their courses. There is enormous

scope to design curriculum for green industry sectors and to green current syllabi to

anticipate the greening of all sectors. The National Missions have been gradually

creating opportunities for employment in green jobs including solar technologies, as

well as formulating demands for skills. ITI and polytechnics provide a variety of short

courses that could use green MES modules (the number of green MES modules

should be increased) to provide targeted training.

23

Indian Training Institutes (ITIs)

These are public institutions with a prescribed, non-flexible curriculum. For some

qualifications (e.g., electrician) curriculum updates occurred in 1997. However, these

institutions have the opportunity to add between two and four hours per week to the

prescribed syllabus with which to address issues that are considered important by

industry or by the institution. This limited flexibility could still be related to greening.

There is a need for the capacity building of teachers and management staff and the

provision of examples of activities related to greening of economies. “Adapt an ITI”

government initiative works well when industry is committed, and in some cases this

commitment could influence the greening of curriculum. ITIs also have the ability to

propose the introduction of new courses to the Directorates of Technical Education at

the state level.

Polytechnics

One subject on environmental science and energy that deals with air and water

pollution and solid waste management could be included in all training at

polytechnics. Heads of the branches need to be trained. One hour of value-based,

student-centred activities (as stated in the program) could be utilised more effectively

for the raising of environmental awareness.

SDIS

The Skill Development Initiative Scheme based on Modular Employable Skills is the

minimum skills set required to gain employment. These are demand driven short-term

courses. Modules in sustainable agriculture and forestry, renewable energy, energy

efficiency, and water management could be introduced in addition to some existing

green modules.

Considering that India is at the factor-driven stage of economic growth, its

competitiveness derives from low-cost production and manufacturing related to the

production of low-value-added goods and services. Therefore, the introduction of

green skills at the low- and middle-skills levels is extremely important to support the

country‟s economic development. Policy and regulation could play a major role in

green restructuring, as well as influencing industries and TVET development.

In the presence of an inefficient government bureaucracy, strategies for introducing

greening in TVET could be approached from both the government and private

provider/industry perspectives. Private and PPP training is more flexible in

responding to economic needs. In the areas where industry green restructuring is

under way, these VTPs would be able to deliver the required training, as they have

considerable flexibility in curriculum development. Capacity building is required for

management and trainers.

At the same time the procedures required for curriculum renewal for polytechnics and

ITIs could commence. It is desirable to develop curriculum and approaches that are

more flexible (e.g., allow each institution to change 20-30% of its curriculum).

Working with the Central Staff Training and Research Institute at Kolkata would

facilitate curriculum development for VTPs under the Directorate General of

Employment and Training, as well as in-service training for staff.

24

Therefore two different models of green skills delivery are proposed that will develop

linkages and introduce green skills at the low and middle levels. Bearing in mind the

possible drawbacks of both models, it is suggested that the two models be

implemented together to facilitate change. There is a need for mainstream support for

green skills development, considering that the development of high-level specific

green skills requires the longest lead-in time. In the final analysis, there is a need to

take urgent measures to ensure that green growth is not restrained.

Across the models

A number of issues identified during this study should be addressed across the two

models.

Institutional structure

A similar three-tier institutional structure can be utilised across the two models.

Specific responsibilities, in terms of green skills identification and implementation,

should be clarified for each level across government agencies, vocational sector

councils and individual TVET providers.

Teacher/instructor training

TVET staff serve critical roles in developing students‟ sensitivity towards the

sustainable development and greening of work practices. Many research studies have

established the links between teachers‟ understandings and learners‟ concepts,

interpretations and attitudes. Therefore, the inclusion of green modules in initial and

in-service training programs is essential for preparing staff for different TVET

providers.

Use of building blocks for developing new approaches toward greening TVET

There is a need to ensure a coherent approach towards greening TVET institutions. A

number of building blocks should be used to achieve this. Figure 26 illustrates the

areas that should be addressed within this process. Many reports and studies (e.g.

UNESCO, 2006, UNESCO, 2010a, UNECE, 2009) paid attention to pedagogical

approaches required for education that is relevant to sustainable development. At the

country level, national guidelines for ESD specify the types of teaching approaches to

promote awareness and the inclusion of ESD principles in learning (e.g., Malaysia in

UNESCO, 2011).

25

Figure 5.1 Building blocks for greening TVET

Attitude change

Teaching and learning Green

campus

Content Pedagogy

Generic green

skills (soft skills and

processes)

Specific green

skills+ links

with industry

Learner-oriented+

links with

community

Source: The author.

High skills - Scientific fields that can influence innovation in green technologies the

most should be strategically developed

At the level of high skills, both models will work as green technology development

accelerates. The OECD study (2011) demonstrated that between 1999 and 2008 the

number of patented inventions in green technologies increased more rapidly than total

patents (e.g., patents in renewable energy increased by 24%, electric and hybrid

vehicles by 20%, energy efficiency in building and lightning by 11%. During the

same period, total patents increased by 6%). Therefore, the development of high-level

skills in India will strengthen green innovation. The government needs to develop

strategies to support scientific fields that can influence innovation in green

technologies. The OECD study (2010) found that chemistry (14.2%)49

, material

science (17.4%), engineering (10.6%), and physics (10.5%) were even more

important than research on energy (4.9%) and environment (7.5%) (as measured by

patenting). These areas for high skills development should be taken into account when

governments provide their support toward green innovation.

Summary of recommendations

There is a strong policy commitment towards green growth in India, visible through

green missions, however, the implications of these missions within a skills

development context have not been coherently addressed. Demand for green skills is

mainly influenced by government regulations and incentive schemes. HRD and L&E

providers are not active in anticipating skills demand and are discouraged by the

centrally governed TVET system.

This study makes three recommendations that need to inform a set of actions to

achieve the successful greening of TVET.

4949 All patents constitute 100%.

26

Recommendation I. To bridge the gap between TVET outcomes and jobs

requirements, so when greening of economy speeds up, TVET will be ready to

respond through well-established mechanisms.

Systematic reform

In countries where the TVET system was responsive to the changing needs of the

labour market, changing skill needs in existing occupations led to the creation of

initial or continuous training responses, however, this mechanism does not exist in

India. In the long run, changes in training systems towards greening need to be

channelled through existing system-based, established mechanisms. The Indian

system does not have a strong tradition of updating TVET curricula in response to

labour market demands, so currently there are no established pathways to include

green skills in the education and training programs of the two major players, MHRD

and ML&E. There is a need to define appropriate measures to formulate a skills

response by improving the effectiveness of overall training and its links with industry.

The government plays an important role in TVET developments in India. Current

developments are going through an expanding traditional TVET system, and they are

also establishing new structures such as NSDC. The majority of providers follow

government initiatives, however, VTP under NSDC can also set their own agendas if

there is a demand for new skills. They have better opportunities to respond to the

green skills agenda, although these opportunities are mainly at the low-skills level.

The government needs to continue its direct involvement in training provision to

increase its internal quality as well as its external relevance. It should continue to

provide incentives for private providers to deliver high-quality training programs.

Autonomy of TVET institutions

TVET providers should have more autonomy, including flexibility in curriculum

development (as examples from Vietnam and Indonesia show, 30% flexibility in

curriculum development provides enough space to adjust courses and programs

quickly to meet industry needs), and flexibility in the use funds gained through

weekend short courses.

Empowerment of TVET principals

The attitudes of TVET providers‟ principals are crucial for the development of

institutions. Currently government TVET providers feel powerless to introduce

change. Many principals believe that they only implement the programs developed by

the central authorities, so they are not expected to be proactive. They also believe it is

not their role to anticipate skill demands.

Curriculum development

Graduates of TVET programs need two sets of skills: occupation-specific and generic,

soft skills. At the entry level to the labour market, a set of very practical occupational

skills make students immediately employable and a set of generic, soft skills help

graduates to learn new skills and provide flexibility in moving between occupations

and organisations. Development of TVET curriculum should recognise that:

27

low/entry level training should be based on skills profile; at the middle and

high levels training should relate to industry occupational standards; and

soft skills should be included at all levels, but they will be different at different

levels.

A number of measures to monitor the quality of vocational programs are also required:

qualifications frameworks (together with other measures to unify TVET system and

improve transitions); assessment of TVET qualifications to ensure consistency in

standards (the mix of skills and the level of skills). The newly established Sector Skill

Councils will play an important role in curriculum development.

Workplace learning

Workplace learning is comprised of a diverse set of practices, ranging from brief

periods allowing the learner to observe a workplace during visits to structured

internships and long-term apprenticeships leading to qualifications. Workplace

learning, as a component of training programs, is important for the development of

skills for operating modern equipment and soft skills through communication,

negotiations, and teamwork. However, quality control of workplace learning is

essential to ensure that students are not used as cheap labour or that they utilise only

very narrow, firm-specific skills.

Despite all the advantages of workplace training, training needs to take place at other

training locations, for a number of reasons:

vocational theory is often learned more effectively away from the workplace;

some practical skills can be more effectively learnt off the job;

o when equipment is expensive or dangerous, simulated work environments

may be more cost-effective;

o off-the-job training can operate at a slower pace and provide students with

time to develop skills;

o economies of scale may mean that it is best to teach some basic practical

skills collectively in training workshops;

local employers may not always be able to provide all the required training,

so off-the-job training can fill potential gaps in the skills provided (OECD,

2010, p.112).

Engagement and empowerment of employers

Adequate incentives for employers to offer training are required. To improve the

quality of TVET, key stakeholders need to be engaged, and in particular employers,

so they can explain the skills required and negotiate the provision of these skills. The

content of vocational programs needs to meet the requirements of employers, students

and the wider economy. Currently TVET does not use industry occupational standards

for course development (although they might consult with industry and sometimes

receive feedback from industry). There is a need to train workplace instructors in

pedagogy.

28

Recommendation II. In anticipating economy greening and in meeting social demand

for addressing environmental and social issues, TVET need to be proactive in

awareness raising and developing generic green skills within two categories (soft

skills and common processes).

Developing approaches towards the introduction of green skills in TVET now will

reduce any time lag when a stronger demand from industry occurs.

Green skills

Green growth depends on greening all jobs. In developing approaches towards the

inclusion of green skills in the TVET curriculum, several issues should be addressed:

inclusion of two sets of generic green skills. The first includes‘enriched’

generic soft skills that are required for green development (e.g. environmental

awareness and communication skills).The second are process-based generic

green skills (e.g. monitoring and managing waste, energy, water, material use,

and impact minimisation and assessment);

greening of study programs should include both generic modules (to

understand the principles and main ideas) and specific, occupation-related

courses that are aimed towards technical skills development in particular areas;

development of teaching materials for generic modules could be based on

existing materials produced by some research institutes (e.g. the Centre for

Science and Environment);

two learning models can be considered: the diffusion model that suggests the

inclusion of issues relevant to greening from the perspectives of different

green industries into a study process to enhance the inter-disciplinearity of

learning, and the infusion model that provides training in greening processes

specific to the occupation;

adjust green skills development strategies towards different levels of skills

development. Country observations demonstrate that changes in existing

occupations need to happen at all skill levels. The main challenge for India is

to introduce green skills at the middle-skills level, as currently there are no

mechanisms in place to achieve that; and

a forward-looking approach is required as it takes time to develop skills

(particularly at the higher levels).

These skills, learned through the context of green growth, will help to operationalize

the ideals of sustainable development.

Databases and measuring of green skills

There is a need to develop a uniform statistical definition of green jobs to enable the

measuring of skills required for them. An effective Labour Market Information

system (that is currently under development with the assistance of the World Bank) is

29

an essential component for increasing the effectiveness of skills development

planning, however, additional means for detecting new needs associated with the

implementation of Green Missions and the transition to a low-carbon, greener

economy should be developed. Currently, ad hoc studies conducted by NSDC and

individual institutions, that are one-off initiatives, provide limited information

relevant to a particular province or community. Information provided at the sector-

specific level is required.

It is important to acknowledge that it is not easy to measure skills. They can be

assessed through observations of their application. As a consequence, the

development of green skills descriptors in a systematic manner across industries and

occupations is an extremely time consuming process. Therefore, in this study,

descriptions of green skills rely on proxies such as occupations, levels and types.

Mechanism for green skills introduction

Two models – government led and private providers/industry led:

Two models proposed in this paper can be used to mainstream green skills in TVET.

One can deliver immediate results; the other proposes a long-term approach.

Use existing initiatives to introduce green skills:

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Program (started in 2006) could be used

to provide green training.

MES could increase a number of green modules (some modules are already there:

Agriculture (e.g., bio-fertiliser); and renewable energy (e.g., basics of solar electricity,

solar hot water tank technician, solar cooker and solar lighting system, small power

generator by using water). All MES modules are available on the website

www.dget.gov.in/mes

Support of VTPs’ initiatives:

Develop supportive mechanisms to stimulate VTPs in greening their institutions via

their own initiatives (including curriculum, campus and pedagogy, see Figure 3).

Support initiatives by some IITs and TERI to focus on green skills at the high level

that could lead to innovation.

Support consortia:

Government should fund consortia of existing practitioners to assist with the

implementation of green skills best practice. International experience shows that

consortia are usually comprised of employers and industry organisations, training

providers and regulatory organisations. Funding is allocated to those consortia that

demonstrate best practice in sustainability skills. These practices would then be

implemented in sector-specific training.

Awareness and capacity raising among TVET stakeholders

There is a need to increase general awareness related to greening. Change agents, at

all levels, are required: people across society at all levels of skills should be involved

30

in the communication/education processes relevant to green growth and green skills

development. All participants of this study acknowledge the need for continued

professional development of TVET staff. Considering that every job can become

greener, environmental aspects have to be included in all training, not just training for

newly emerging occupations. Training at the ministerial level, as well as at the level

of states/ provinces, is required for stakeholders who are involved in skills

development policy formulation and implementation strategies.

Development of on-line training modules for teachers‟ professional development, and

for understanding of the generic green modules, should be prioritised. Completion of

these modules should be requested from each existing TVET staff. Examples specific

to different sectors should be included.

Recommendation III. Support measures for greening the economy through the

development of green industries and developing green practices in all industries (to

formulate the demand).

Identification of measures for greening the economy was not a focus of this study,

however, it is important to make a number of observations in relation to

entrepreneurship. Accelerating entrepreneurship is crucial for large-scale employment

generation. According to GoI (2012) large Indian businesses (both public and private)

have not generated significant employment in the past few decades and are unlikely to

do so in the near future, due to increasing automation, digitisation, and productivity

gains. Alongside the measures taken by the government through the eight Missions,

entrepreneurship-led economic growth has the potential to significantly contribute to

issues relevant to clean energy, waste management, and green agriculture. However,

to stimulate entrepreneurial growth conditions, such as a catalytic government and

regulatory environment, adequate capital flows (both debt and equity), support from

businesses and society, as well as the availability of appropriate talent and mentoring

(GoI, 2012) are required. Government can consider supporting small- and medium-

sized enterprises to participate in knowledge networks and skills development that

will lead to innovation or to adaptation of green innovation. Support could be targeted

at those SME‟s that are least likely to be able to afford investment in skills

development.

As MSMEs are a major source of employment in India, any initiatives are challenged

by the scale of intervention, in addition to the quality and relevance of training.

Greening of training provision for low- and medium-skilled occupations are more

likely to take place on the job (occupational change is, and will be, related to the

introduction of new technologies and environmental protection policies) and will have

a very practical focus (compared to high-skills level delivered through higher

education). For the informal economy, jobs should become greener to facilitate the

development of green skills.

0

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