Skills for green jobs in North Macedonia
The developments of energy trends in the past decade, along with the ambitious global plans to transit to a low-carbon economy, have influenced Macedonian policy makers to focus on long-term plans and efforts to prepare policy frameworks and initiatives that will facilitate the transition process towards a green economy.
The country’s national climate plan is aligned with the EU strategies that emphasise five dimensions:
- decarbonisation,
- energy efficiency,
- energy security,
- the internal energy market, and
- research, innovation and competitiveness.
Among those dimensions, energy efficiency and renewable energy are two of the most important contributors to the goals set in the national climate plan. Energy efficiency is considered the first step towards the clean energy transition. It provides some of the quickest and most effective options for lowering energy consumption and consequently decreasing CO2 emissions within a reasonable time.
In 2019, the Macedonian government adopted the Strategy for Energy Development of the Republic of North Macedonia until 2040, which addresses six strategic goals, within five pillars, of which energy efficiency falls under the first pillar. As outlined in the strategic goals (see Table below), the most optimistic scenario predicts that the country reduces its energy consumption by 20.8% in 2030 and by 27.5% in 2040.
| Energy efficiency | Strategic goals for | 2030 | Strategic goals for | 2040 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference | Modest transition | Green transition | Reference | Modest transition | Green transition | |
| Final energy consumption | -10.3% | -16.6% | -20.8% | -14.2% | -21.7% | -27.5% |
Source: Strategy for Energy Development of the Republic of North Macedonia until 2040
Government actions for green jobs
North Macedonia’s green economy initiatives are centrally driven, with the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MEPP) being the main coordinator of the various governmental working groups on the topic.
The definition of green jobs was provided by a working group [1] The working group was formed in 2018. The members are the representatives of the Centre for Vocational Education and Training, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, civil society organisations (initiated by Go Green) and academia. initiated by the CSO sector in 2018, which defines the term as ‘decent jobs that contribute to social equality and the preservation, renewal, and improvement of the environment’.
The demand for green jobs is expected to rise moderately in the next decade. Investments in energy-efficient and renewable energy systems are the main vectors that are expected to drive this demand. Following the projections of the country’s Long-term Climate Strategy, the transition to low carbon economy is expected to create about 10,000 green jobs by 2035 (MEPP, 2019). The second biennial report on climate change of 2018 estimates that, by 2035, nearly 4,000 new jobs will have been created in the construction sector. Most of these are related to energy efficiency (MEPP, 2018).
Green skills response
The mostly state-funded VET system covers 14 vocational divisions and 93 profiles. Recent research on green skills and their potential in secondary education reveals that green skills are represented in 33 out of 93 profiles. Most of these are four-year educational profiles (Nedanovski and Daniloska, 2022).
Several higher educational institutions offer postgraduate degrees [2] The master’s degree in renewable energy and energy efficiency, environment and sustainable development is offered by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies (FEIT). related to renewable energy and energy efficiency, the environment and sustainable development. Degrees are mainly offered at the faculties of engineering and construction, while the importance of the emergence of the green jobs is somewhat underestimated across faculties that offer courses in socio-economic areas.
Starting from 2022, Operational Plans for Active Labour Market Policies have commenced to financially support training for green jobs. In 2024, for example, the Operational Plan envisages training of about 158 workers with an allocated budget of nearly EUR 700,000 (ESA, 2024).
European Union support for the green jobs
The EU is the main international supporter in the area of green jobs development. Various education and upskilling projects were implemented in the past decade. The most significant of these was the TRAINEE project, which helps to upgrade qualifications of technicians, building managers and engineers. As a result of this project, a database of more than 1,200 certified workers was created, of which nearly 550 worked in the field of energy efficiency. More than 57 companies were also involved in this nationwide project.
Evidence and data
While there is a lot of evidence about the construction or reconstruction of numerous infrastructural objects that use renewable energy or energy-efficient systems, there is a lack of understanding of how employers equip their workforce with adequate skills and competences.
In this respect, the country lacks a systematic approach to track, document and monitor investment developments in the sector, as well as matching the businesses with educational institutions offering competences or skills related to green jobs.
Also, while national strategic documents anticipate the need for green jobs, the nature of these jobs and the skills needed for them are neither specified nor analysed. Currently, there are neither a system or activities in the country to anticipate the skill and labour demands of the green economy.
Recommendations
Dedicating financial means for the incorporation of green skills and competences in formal and informal educational system is essential for developing a workforce that is capable to perform the necessary technical and engineering tasks, such as setting up new infrastructure, maintaining existing structures, as well as using new technologies and tools.
Networks are crucial for the promotion of green skills among vocational schools. These already existed in the pre-pandemic period, when various stakeholders such as government institutions, employers, CSOs and universities held regular meetings. However, none of these appears to be active any longer in 2024 and relaunching them should be considered.
A decentralised approach to partnership can actually promote policy coordination and coherence locally. Direct dialogue between national institutions, local self-government units and local stakeholders can be translated into action faster when activities take place locally.
References
ESA (2024), Operational plan for active labour market policies, Skopje.
MEPP (2018), Second biennial report on climate changes in the Republic of North Macedonia, Skopje.
MEPP (2019), Long-term climate strategy, Skopje.
Nedanovski and Daniloska (2022), Research on green skills and their potential in secondary education in North Macedonia, Eco Logic.