This one practical guide on skills anticipation, developed in collaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC, focuses on skills intelligence and vocational education and training (VET) for the green transition. It highlights the value of reliable skills intelligence and smart management in supporting the green transition and shows how VET can contribute in practice. The handbook explains how skill anticipation and management drive greening efforts and how they can apprenticeships, upskilling, retraining, validation and microcertificates contribute to a greener future. It presents examples of good practice from Europe and beyond that illustrate how to translate green ambitions for VET and skills into policy implementation.

The document deals with anticipating trends in skills and jobs to accelerate the green transition. Climate change requires an ambitious EU response, aiming to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 through the European Green Deal (EGD). The EGD translates the Union's ambitions into targets and actions that will fundamentally change the way products and services are designed, produced and sold. The handbook highlights various skills prediction methods, which can be used to take into account the impacts of the green transition, such as skills predictions, foresight, surveys and the use of big data and artificial intelligenceThe importance is emphasized. agreements on definitions key concepts such as "green" jobs and skills.

The document identifies challenges in the "greening" of skills anticipation, with the most urgent being difficulties in defining and measuring “green” skills and jobsOther challenges include identifying sector needs, the lack of an agreed skills taxonomy, and a lack of resources and expertise.

The manual is dedicated to using extensive data from online job advertisements (OJA) for anticipating "green" skills. It presents different approaches such as from top to bottom using occupational classifications such as O*NET and ESCO, and bottom up using data-driven search for “green” skills in OJA. It shows how this data can be used to identify trends in green skills and jobs at different levels.

A key aspect of a successful green transformation is intelligent skill managementThe document presents Cedefop's skills management framework, which highlights the importance of organization, resources, stakeholders and use of informationIt is emphasized that involvement of socio-economic partners and cooperation of stakeholders are key to greening VET and developing skills strategies. Good practice examples of stakeholder collaboration in developing VET programmes are presented.

The document discusses in detail greening apprenticeshipsIt presents different approaches, from modular to comprehensive, and emphasizes the importance of involvement of employers, schools and other stakeholders to updating curricula and providing on-the-job training. Examples of greening apprenticeship initiatives from different European countries are presented.

The next chapter focuses on improving the qualifications of adults in the green transformationIt presents Cedefop's analytical framework for developing upskilling pathways for low-skilled adults. It highlights the importance of lifelong learning, partnerships and workplace supportThe document provides examples from regional green transition strategies that include adult skills development components.

The document analyzes the potential of microcertificates in green transformationMicrocertificates allow fast and flexible increase and change of qualifications and can directly respond to labour market needs. The handbook explains how microcertificates can contribute to greening through supporting the transition of workers to greener occupations and sectorsExamples of microcertificate initiatives from different countries and EU projects are provided.

The manual also addresses validation of previous education and experience for a just green transition. Validation can facilitate access to "green" qualifications and jobs by allowing people to demonstrate their existing skills. The document describes how it can be used skill overlap between different professions to guide validation processes and facilitate the transition of workers. Examples of national validation initiatives are provided.

Finally, the document briefly outlines the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping VET for the green transformation. Examples of the use of AI in teacher education and training and in the development of new teaching methods are presented.

Overall, the document provides a comprehensive overview of how skills anticipation and vocational education and training to contribute to a successful and just green transition. Stresses the importance cooperation, innovative methods and policy measures to address the changing needs of the labor market in the context of the transition to a green economy. Spring

Glossary of key terms

• Skills anticipation: Strategic assessment of current and future skills needs in the labour market using systematic methods to identify skills gaps and deficiencies.
• European Green Deal (EGD): A comprehensive growth strategy for the European Union, aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 through a transition to a sustainable economy.
• Smart skills governance: Governance structures and processes that connect different levels of government and stakeholders to effectively respond to changing skills needs.
• Just Transition: The principle of ensuring that the transition to a green economy is fair and that no one is left behind, taking into account the social and economic consequences for workers, communities and regions.
• Microcredentials: Short, targeted forms of education that confirm the acquisition of specific knowledge, skills or competencies.
• Vocational Education and Training (VET): Education and training that equips individuals with the skills and knowledge needed for specific occupations or groups of occupations.
• Greening: The process of adapting the economy, society and education to environmental sustainability and the transition to green technologies and practices.
• Reskilling: Acquiring new skills that allow workers to change occupation or sector.
• Upskilling: Improving existing skills or acquiring additional skills within a current occupation or sector.
• Validation of prior learning: The process of recognizing knowledge, skills and competences that an individual has acquired outside the formal education system (e.g. through non-formal learning or experience).
• Green skills: Knowledge, skills and competences necessary for the development and support of an environmentally sustainable economy and society.