1
Study of Technical and Vocational
Education and Training (TVET)-
Based Labour Demand and Supply for
Green Jobs
First Printing 2023
Copyright Department of Skills Development
Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording or any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in
writing from Department of Skills Development (DSD).
Published in Malaysia by
Department of Skills Development (DSD)
Ministry of Human Resources
Level 7-8, Block D4, Complex D
Federal Government Administrative Center
62530 Putrajaya Malaysia
http://www.dsd.gov.my
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No. Tel: 03 – 8959 5159
Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Study of Technical and Vocational
Education and Training (TVET)-
Based Labour Demand and Supply
for Green Jobs
ISBN 978-967-2393-38-2
Table of
CONTENTS
Abstract iv
Abstrak v
Acknowledgements vi
List of Tables ix
List of Figures Xi
List of Abbreviations xiii
List of Appendices xviiii
01 Introduction 2
02 3
1.1 Project Background 5
1.2 Problem Statement 6
1.3 Project Objectives
1.4 Project Scope 8
11
Literature Review 11
13
2.1 Green Job Definition 16
2.2 Green Jobs in Various Sectors 17
23
2.2.1 Energy Sector 28
2.2.2 Building Sector 33
2.2.3 Transportation Sector 35
2.3 Green Jobs Occupational Framework
2.4 Review of Green Job Demand
2.5 Green Policies at Global and National Levels
2.5.1 The United States of America
2.5.2 The EU
i
03 2.5.3 China 37
04 2.5.4 Japan 38
2.5.5 Singapore 39
2.5.6 Thailand 40
2.5.7 Indonesia 41
2.5.8 The Philippines 42
2.5.9 Malaysia 43
2.6 Review Green Jobs Potential in Developing 48
Countries- A Practitioner’s Guide 53
2.7 Research Gap
56
Methodology 57
59
3.1 Overall Workflow
3.2 Desktop Study 59
60
3.2.1 Analyse Green-Related Courses or 60
Programmes Relevant to the Current Industry 64
Demand 66
3.2.2 Evaluate Existing TI-Offered Green-Related 67
Courses and Programmes (TI Readiness) 68
3.3 Survey 68
3.3.1 Review Green Jobs Survey from Other
Countries 72
3.3.2 Questionnaire Design 73
3.3.3 Sample Size 75
3.3.4 Survey Distribution 77
3.3.5 Survey Analysis 82
3.4 Focus Group Discussion 86
Findings and Discussion
4.1 Definition of Green Jobs
4.2 Demographic Profile
4.3 Estimating Existing Green Jobs
4.3.1 Green Jobs by Company Type
4.3.2 Current Green Jobs by Type of Company
4.4 Estimating Green Jobs Demand in Malaysia
ii
05 4.5 Related Programmes or Courses 90
93
4.5.1 Courses by Certified Training Providers 97
4.5.2 Programmes Offered by Institutions of Higher 101
Education 105
4.5.3 Courses Offered by Accredited Centres 111
4.6 Readiness of Training Institutions in Offering Green 118
Jobs-Related Training 122
4.7 Marketability of MSC Holders in Green Jobs 125
132
4.8 Community Participation in Green Jobs 134
4.8.1 Drivers and Challenges of Green Jobs from the
Survey 138
4.8.2 Drivers and Challenges in Green Job from 141
FGD
4.8.3 Raising Awareness 145
4.8.4 Raising Awareness through Sustainable 147
Development Agenda in Education and Community
Findings and Discussion
06 5.1 Conclusions
5.2 Recommendations
Contributions
References
Appendix
Executive Summary
iii
ABSTRACT
In the past two decades, green jobs have drawn much attention due to various
sectors’ interest towards net zero and carbon neutrality initiatives. In this context,
the present study painted an in-depth scenario of TVET-based labour demand in
green jobs, the readiness of Training Institutions to offer green-related
courses/programmes, green courses/programmes relevant to industrial demand
and the marketability of Malaysian Skills Certification (MSC) holders to formulate
plans and strategies to increase awareness and community participation in the
energy, transportation, and building sectors. Desktop study, survey and focus group
discussions were conducted to achieve the objectives of this project. Concerning
the first objective, which was to identify green job demand, the findings of this study
show that the industries that require green talent come from the production and
services industries. For the second objective, available courses/programmes
offered by training institutions were mapped with the demand from industries. It was
found that most courses/programmes aligned with the industrial demand; however,
some NOSS need to be developed to cater for future demand. Next, concerning
objective three, findings showed that training institutions were ready to offer green
courses/programmes that could equip workers with knowledge and skills related to
green jobs; however, the courses/programmes were discovered to be insufficient to
meet the demand for green-skilled workers in the future. Findings for the fourth
objective show a huge potential market for MSC holders in green jobs. Despite that,
industries need to be informed of the centres’ readiness and the programmes’
availability. Finally, for the fifth objective, nine factors were found to increase
community participation in green jobs, and the top three factors were government
incentives and financial support, energy and resource conservation, and competitive
advantage. In conclusion, this study’s findings show that various industries required
green jobs, and the working skills that the industries required were in alignment with
the available courses/programmes. Despite that, some improvements have to be
made to ensure that the existing institutions can fulfil that demand and that more
people are aware of green jobs and the benefits they can bring.
iv
ABSTRAK
Dalam dua dekad yang lalu, pekerjaan hijau telah menarik banyak perhatian kerana
minat pelbagai sektor terhadap inisiatif sifar bersih dan neutraliti karbon. Dalam konteks
ini, kajian ini menggambarkan senario terperinci permintaan buruh berasaskan TVET
dalam pekerjaan hijau, kesediaan institusi latihan untuk menawarkan kursus/program
berkaitan hijau, kursus/program hijau yang berkaitan dengan permintaan industri dan
kebolehpasaran pemegang Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) untuk merangka
rancangan dan strategi bagi meningkatkan kesedaran dan penyertaan komuniti dalam
sektor tenaga, pengangkutan dan bangunan. Kajian desktop, tinjauan dan
perbincangan kumpulan fokus telah dijalankan untuk mencapai objektif projek ini.
Berkenaan objektif pertama iaitu mengenal pasti permintaan pekerjaan hijau, dapatan
kajian ini menunjukkan industri yang memerlukan bakat hijau adalah daripada industry
pengeluaran dan perkhidmatan. Bagi objektif kedua, maklumat kursus/program yang
ditawarkan oleh institusi latihan dipetakan bersama dengan maklumat permintaan
daripada industri. Didapati bahawa kebanyakan kursus/program sejajar dengan
permintaan industri; walau bagaimanapun, beberapa NOSS perlu dibangunkan untuk
memenuhi permintaan masa hadapan. Seterusnya, mengenai objektif ketiga, dapatan
menunjukkan bahawa institusi latihan bersedia untuk menawarkan kursus/program
hijau yang boleh melengkapkan pekerja dengan pengetahuan dan kemahiran berkaitan
pekerjaan hijau. Namun, kursus/program berkaitan hijau didapati tidak mencukupi
untuk memenuhi permintaan pekerjaan berkemahiran hijau pada masa hadapan.
Penemuan untuk objektif keempat menunjukkan potensi pasaran yang besar untuk
pemegang SKM dalam pekerjaan hijau. Walaupun begitu, industri perlu dimaklumkan
tentang kesediaan institusi latihan dan ketersediaan program. Akhir sekali, untuk
objektif kelima, sembilan faktor didapati meningkatkan penyertaan masyarakat dalam
pekerjaan hijau, dan tiga faktor teratas ialah insentif kerajaan dan sokongan kewangan,
pemuliharaan tenaga dan sumber, dan kelebihan daya saing. Kesimpulannya, dapatan
kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa pelbagai industri memerlukan pekerjaan hijau, dan
kemahiran bekerja yang diperlukan oleh industri adalah sejajar dengan kursus/program
yang sedia ada. Walaupun begitu, beberapa penambahbaikan perlu dilakukan untuk
memastikan institusi Latihan sedia ada dapat memenuhi permintaan industri dan lebih
ramai orang menyedari pekerjaan hijau dan faedahnya.
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, Department of Skill Development (DSD) and Malaysian Green
Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) would like to express their
heartiest appreciation to the Ministry of Human Resources for their support
throughout the study. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the government
and non-government agencies for their participation in this study. A sincere thank
you as well to the experts from the energy, transportation, and building sectors for
providing us with invaluable insights. It is also a delight to express our appreciation
for the research, steering, and technical committees, as well as the research team
and individuals who have contributed time and effort to making this report.
Research Committee
A) Department of Skill Development
Mrs. Faizah binti Harun Mr. Mohamad Faisal bin Abdullah
Director, Principal Assistant Director, Head of
Strategic Partnership & Industrial Industry Lead Body Unit, Strategic
Relations, JPK Partnership & Industrial Relations, JPK
Ts. Dr. Nurul Amin bin Badrul Mr. Shahrizwan Effendi bin Hashmi
Principal Assistant Director, Head of Senior Assistant Director, Strategic
Research and Innovation Unit, Partnership & Industrial Relations, JPK
Center for Instructor and Advanced Skill
Training, JPK
B) Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) –
Industry Lead Body
Ts. Shamsul Bahar bin Mohd Nor Mr. Saiful Adib bin Abdul Munaff
Group Chief Executive Officer Senior Director (Operation)
Mrs. Noorul Husna binti Husain
Project Leader
vi
C) Research Team
Prof. Ir. Dr. Haslenda binti Hashim Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zarina binti Ab Muis
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Ho Wai Shin Ts. Dr. Nor Alafiza binti Yunus
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Dr. Muhammad Afiq bin Zubir Dr. Muhammad Zulhilmi bin Ahmad
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Dr. Cassendra Phun Chien Bong Mr. Muhammad Fakhrul Islam bin
Zahran
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Mr. Muhammad Hasnan bin
Mohameed Soid Ms. Arfah Diyanah binti
Nizamuddin
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Ms. Lim Li Yee
Mrs. Chin Hui Yuan
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Mr. Chee Wan Choy Mr. Lim Lek Keng
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Ms. Adeline Tan Zhi Li
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
vii
Industry Panel Mr. Mohamed Hafiz bin Md Isa
Dr. Rohaya binti Md Zin Director and Principal Consultant
(DRTS Group Sdn Bhd)
Senior Consultant Industrial Centre of
Innovation in Renewable Energy
(SIRIM Berhad)
Mr. Ahmad Zafuan bin Mohamed Mr. Mas Arman bin Sugindi
Kassim
Principal, Mechanical Section,
Founder, Trainer and Consultant Engineering Department (PETRONAS)
(Innogy PLT)
viii
List of
Tables
Table 2.1: Green job definitions 8
Table 2.2: 18
Mapping between MSIC sections and the nine green
Table 2.3: sectors 24
Table 2.4: Fast-growing green jobs in the United States of America 25
Table 2.5: (Kiersz et al., 2022). 28
Table 2.6: Green job demand in the EU (Bert Colijn, 2014) 48
Table 2.7: Green jobs-related policies and the respective targets from 50
different countries and regions
Table 2.8: 51
Methodology adopted and input data considered for
Table 3.1: assessing green jobs potential in Mexico 62
Table 3.2: Methodology adopted for green jobs measuring using an 63
input-output table
Table 3.3: 64
Overall methodology for green job characterisation and
Table 3.4: estimation 66
Table 3.5: 70
Table 4.1: A brief illustration of the main section and respective key 77
Table 4.2: questions under the Green Jobs Survey 78
Table 4.3: 80
Table 4.4: List of popular green skills in 2021 (extracted from LinkedIn 81
Economic Graph, 2022)
Table 4.5: 83
Mapping of the defined objectives onto the survey
Table 4.6: questions 84
Population of SMEs and large firms and its sample size
Summary of FGD 1 and FGD 2
Categories of producers
List of categories for companies that provided services
List of categories for companies that used green products
List of categories for companies that applied green
practices
Rating1 of the company offered green jobs by sector and
size of business
Average1 green jobs per company by sector and size of
business
ix
Table 4.7: Estimated current number of green jobs by sector and size 84
of business
Table 4.8: 87
Estimated number of green jobs created in 5 years (2023-
Table 4.9: 2027) by sector 88
Table 4.10: Estimated cumulative number of green jobs for Malaysia in 90
Table 4.11: five years (2023-2027) 93
Table 4.12: Areas of competence by sectors 95
Table 4.13: Number of courses according to green-related areas and 96
Table 4.14: sectors 98
Table 4.15: 100
Number of courses according to sustainability
Table 4.16: management-related areas 101
Table 4.17: Number of technology-based courses 102
Table 4.18: Green-related areas of programmes offered by IHEs 106
Table 4.19: Number of programmes for each green-related area of 107
competence according to sectors
Table 4.20: 108
Table 4.21: Number of NOSS/NCS with and without ACs according to 115
Table 4.22: areas of competence 126
Table 4.23: 128
Table 5.1: Mapping of NOSS/NCS by green-related areas of 143
competence
Green-related Courses/Programmes offered by training
institutions
Estimation Numbers of Students/Trainees/Participants for
Green Jobs-Related Training by Tis in five years (2023-
2027)
Green-related NOSS with and without training providers
Number of MSC holders
Points raised during FGDs regarding green job drivers
Points raised during FGDs regarding green job challenges
List of suggested awareness programmes
x
List of
Figures
Figure 2.1: Area of employment that green jobs occupy (dashed 10
Figure 2.2: area) (Modified from ILO, 2016) 13
Figure 2.3: 46
Figure 2.4: Historical and projection of the percentage of green jobs 47
Figure 3.1: according to the renewable energy sector (UNEP, 2008)
Figure 3.2:
Figure 3.3: Plot of green job enablers and green job market demand
Figure 3.4: (Asia Business Council, 2008)
Figure 4.1:
Figure 4.2: Green-related policies in Malaysia according to sectors
Figure 4.3:
Figure 4.4: Workflow of the project 56
Figure 4.5:
Figure 4.6: Flowchart for identifying green-related courses or 58
Figure 4.7: programmes and assessing the readiness of TI 65
Figure 4.8:
Figure 4.9: The flowchart of the survey methodology
Figure 4.10:
Figure 4.11: Steps to conduct a focus group, retrieved from Focus 69
Groups (2017) 73
Respondents’ profile by state
Respondents’ distribution by sector 74
Respondents’ distribution by the size of the business 74
Jobs’ breakdown by the size of the company 75
Percentage of respondents’ distribution by type and size 76
of company 78
Respondents’ distribution for company that are producer
Respondents’ distribution for the type of company that 79
provided services 81
82
Respondents’ distribution for company that used green 83
product
Respondents’ distribution for company that applied green
practices
Percentage of workers by type of company
The percentage of companies that plan to offer green jobs 86
in the future
xi
Figure 4.12: Trend of the increment of green jobs for each sector in the 87
Figure 4.13: next five years (baseline 2023) 90
Figure 4.14: 92
Figure 4.15: Areas of competence for current and future green jobs by 112
Figure 4.16: sector
Figure 4.17:
Top ten a) current and b) future areas of competence
Figure 4.18: most needed by industries
Figure 4.19:
Figure 4.20: Percentage of workers with MSC by company size
Figure 4.21:
Figure 4.22: Methods used by employers to prepare their employees 113
Figure 4.23: for green jobs 114
Figure 4.24:
Percentages of employers’ agreement on a) sending 115
employees to attend training related to green jobs, b)
competency requirement for green jobs.
Interest of companies in hiring MSC holders
Reasons that hindered the recruitment of MSC holders 116
Factors driving companies to create green job 119
opportunities 121
123
Government-regulated policies or initiatives critical to 125
green job deployment
Factors constraining companies from hiring employees for
green jobs
Barriers to implementing green practices.
Factors that increase the awareness of green jobs 133
xii
AC List of
AiI
ASEAN Abbreviations
BEV
BLS Accredited Centre
CCUS Academy in Industry
CEA Association of Southeast Asia Nations
CETREE Battery Electric Vehicle
Bureau of Labour Statistics
CHP Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage
CNG Certified Energy Auditor
CSR Centre for Education, Training and Research in Renewable
DKM Energy and Energy Efficiency
DLKM Combined Heat and Power
Compressed Natural Gas
DOSM Corporate Social Responsibility
DSD Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia (Malaysian Skills Diploma)
Diploma Lanjutan Kemahiran Malaysia (Malaysian Advanced
DySAM Skills Diploma)
EAC Department of Statistics Malaysia
EEV Department of Skills Development (Jabatan Pembangunan
EHS Kemahiran)
EIA Dynamic Social Accounting Matrix
EMS Engineering Accreditation Council
EMTC Energy-Efficient Vehicle
EPU Environment, Health and Safety
EREP Environmental Impact Assessment
ESG Environmental Management System
EU Energy Manager Training Course
Economic Planning Unit
European Resource Efficiency Platform
Environmental, Social and Governance
European Union
xiii
EV Electric Vehicle
FGD Focus Group Discussion
FGV Felda Global Ventures
FiBL Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture)
FiT Feed-in-Tariff
FMM Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GDSA GIAC Defensible Security Architecture
GHCI Global Human Capital Index
GHG Greenhouse Gas
GITA Green Investment Tax Allowance
GITE Green Income Tax Exemption
GTFS Green Technology Financing Scheme
GTMP Green Technology Master Plan
GGS Green Goods and Services
HR Human Resource
HRD Corp Human Resource Development Corporation
HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
IGES Institute for Globall Environmental Strategies
IHE Institutions of Higher Education
ILB Industry Lead Body
ILMIA Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis
ILO International Labor Organization
ILSAS Institut Latihan Sultan Ahmad Shah
INSTEP Institut Teknologi Petroleum PETRONAS
IO Input-Output
IOA Input-Output Analysis
IOT Input-Output Table
IPTA Institut Pengajian Tinggi Awam
IPTS Institut Pengajian Tinggi Swasta
ISCO International Classification of Occupations
ISO International Organization for Standardization
xiv
ITAFoS Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security
ITM Industry Transformation Map
LEDS Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategy
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LFGP Landfill Gas Plant
LNG Liquefied Natural Gas
KASA Kementerian Alam Sekitar dan Air (Environment and Water
Ministry)
KeTSA Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli
KeTTHA Kementerian Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air (Ministry of
Energy, Green Technology and Water)
KSM Kementerian Sumber Manusia
LCNA Low Carbon Nation Aspiration
MAESCO Malaysia Association of Energy Service Companies
MARii Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute
MASCO Malaysia Standard Classification of Occupations
MGTC Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change
Corporation
MIDA Malaysian Investment Development Authority
MP Malaysia Plan
MSC Malaysian Skills Certification
MSIC Malaysia Standard Industrial Classification
MSMEs Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
MWA Malaysian Water Association
MySPIKE Malaysian Skills Integration Management System
NAICS North American Industry Classification System
NAP National Automotive Policy
NCS National Competency Standard
NDC Nationally Determined Contribution
NEP National Energy Policy
NETR National Energy Transition Roadmap
NOSS National Occupational Skills Standards
NRECC Natural Resources, Environmental and Climate Change
xv
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Advisor
PAM Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia
PERKESO Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial
PESTLE Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and
Environmental
PPT Pengiktirafan Pencapaian Terdahulu (Recognition of Prior
Achievements)
PV Photovoltaic
R&D Research and Development
R&D&C Research, Development and Commercialisation
RE Renewable Energy
RPJMN Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional
(National Medium Term Development Plan)
RSPO Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
SAJ Syarikat Air Johor
SAM Social Accounting Matrix
SDG Sustainable Development Goal
SEDA Sustainable Energy Development Authority
SKM Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (Malaysia Skills Certificate)
SLDN Sistem Latihan Dual Nasional
SME Small and Medium-sized Enterprise
SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
SSB Sustainable Singapore Blueprint
ST Suruhanjaya Tenaga
TEP Technical Energy Enrichment Programme
TI Training Institution
TIV Total Industry Volume
TNB Tenaga Nasional Berhad
TP Training Provider
TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training
UKM Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
UN United Nations
xvi
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organisation
US United State
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
UPSI Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris
UPM Universiti Putra Malaysia
UTM Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
UTP Universiti Teknologi Petronas
WEF World Economic Forum
WorldGBC World Green Building Council
xvii
List of
Appendices
APPENDIX A: LIST OF FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION ATTENDEES 156
APPENDIX B: 158
APPENDIX C: LIST OF RESPONDENTS FOR THE GREEN JOBS 167
APPENDIX D: SURVEY 170
APPENDIX E: 174
APPENDIX F: SAMPLE CALCULATION 184
APPENDIX G: 189
APPENDIX H: LIST OF GREEN JOB-RELATED NOSS OFFERED BY 196
APPENDIX I: ACs 201
APPENDIX J: 205
APPENDIX K: LIST OF GREEN JOB-RELATED PROGRAMMES 208
APPENDIX L: OFFERED BY IHEs 256
APPENDIX M: 314
APPENDIX N: LIST OF GREEN JOB-RELATED COURSES OFFERED 322
APPENDIX O: BY TPs 354
BREAKDOWN OF NOSS BASED COURSES
ACCORDING TO AREA OF COMPETENCE
BREAKDOWN OF ENERGY SECTOR COURSES
OFFERED BY TPs
BREAKDOWN OF BUILDING SECTOR COURSES
OFFERED BY TPs
BREAKDOWN OF TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
COURSES OFFERED BY TPs
BREAKDOWN OF GREEN JOB-RELATED
PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY IHEs
MAPPING OF IHE PROGRAMMES WITH AREAS OF
COMPETENCE
MAPPING OF NOSS WITH AREAS OF COMPETENCE
MAPPING OF SHORT COURSES WITH AREAS OF
COMPETENCE
QUESTIONNAIRE
xviii
1
Introduction
1.1
Project Background
The Green Technology Master Plan 2017-2030 (GTMP), launched on 12th October
2017 as a result of the 11th Malaysia Plan, outlines green growth as one of the
contributors to the Malaysian economy. The GTMP outlines a strategic framework
for the country’s green technology development, and it will be able to create
economic opportunities with low carbon consumption and efficient resource
management. Six (6) major contributing sectors are identified in the GTMP: energy,
manufacturing, transportation, waste, water, and building. By 2030, the green
technology field is expected to contribute around RM27 billion in GDP (Green
Technology Master Plan 2017-2030, 2017) and potentially create an estimated
104,060 green jobs, which can address the country’s unemployment problem.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), a green job is a “decent job
that contributes to preserve or restore the environment, be it in traditional sectors
such as manufacturing and construction, or in new, emerging green sectors such as
renewable energy and energy efficiency”. Green jobs (Iberdrola, 2020) can also be
defined as “positions in agriculture, manufacturing, R&D, administrative, and service
activities aimed at substantially preserving or restoring environmental quality”
“ Positions in agriculture, manufacturing,
R&D, administrative, and service activities
”aimed at substantially preserving or
restoring environmental quality
2
In line with the country’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDG) agenda,
seven (7) focuses also target initiatives related to sustainable development, green
jobs and environmental conservation. Among the SDGs that touch on this matter is
SDG 8: “Promoting sustainable and inclusive economic development, full and
productive employment, and decent employment for all.” Subsequently, this initiative
is very much in line with the Economic Growth targets in the KASA Roadmap 2020-
2030, which expects 222,000 green jobs to be created by 2030 (Environmental
Sustainability in Malaysia 2020-2030, 2020) under the country’s sustainable
development initiative. The combination of sustainable economic growth and skilled
and semi-skilled green jobs can benefit the economy, society and the environment.
1.2
Problem Statement
The green economy aims for sustainable development without degrading the
environment. Over the last decade, a frequent claim has been that the traditional
economic models need to be reformed in order to address issues such as climate
change, biodiversity losses, and water scarcity while at the same time addressing
critical social and economic challenges. The green economy transition, addressing
climate and environmental challenges, requires green technology knowledge and
green job skills that can be adopted to mitigate the negative environmental impact.
The skills required for emerging jobs and those required for existing jobs need to be
aligned. Without an appropriately trained workforce, the transition will be impossible.
It is crucial not only in moving towards a green economy transition but also in the
transition to skills of clean technology application, adaptation and coordination. The
level of demand for skilled manpower in the green technology field is a critical factor
in developing/studying the demand and supply of manpower based on green jobs.
There is no element of enforcement in the green technology field, making the field
3
less of a career choice for the communities in Malaysia. Therefore, this study needs
to be implemented to gain an in-depth scenario of the TVET-based labour demand
in green jobs for formulating plans and strategies to increase awareness and
community participation in the green industry.
Based on the conducted review, the following issues were identified
1 By 2030, the green technology field is expected to contribute around
RM27 billion in GDP (Green Technology Master Plan 2017-2030,
2017) and potentially create an estimated 104,060 green jobs.
Nevertheless, the demand for green jobs based on industrial need
required more in-depth analysis.
Currently, many training institutions that offer green 2
courses/programmes are well equipped to produce skill workers
with knowledge related to green jobs. However, alignment between
existing green courses/programmes with the industrial demand has
yet to be addressed.
3 Green job demand has been performed by previous studies.
Nevertheless, the level of readiness of accredited centres (ACs) to
offer skills training in the field of green jobs to fulfil forecast green job
demand based on industrial need is currently lacking.
Little is known about the marketability of MSC holders from the 4
industrial perspective, even though it has been found that there is
alignment between the offered green courses/programmes and
industrial needs. In addition, some courses have not been
promoted to the industries.
4
Currently, the readiness of accredited training centres to offer green
courses/programmes which are relevant to industrial demand and employability of
Malaysian Skills Certification for formulating plans and strategies to increase
awareness and community participation in the green industry has lacked and
required a strategic approach to increase community awareness.
1.3
Project Objectives
There are five (5) objective for this project, namely:
Identify the demand for manpower in the
1 field of green jobs;
Identify green jobs-related programmes/
2 courses that are relevant to current industry
demands;
Identify the level of readiness of
3 accredited centres (ACs) to offer skills
training in the field of green jobs;
4 Identify the marketability of MSC holders
in the field of green jobs; and
5 Identify factors to increase community
participation in green jobs.
5
1.4
Project Scope
The scopes of this project are as follows:
Field of Study: Geography/Location of Study:
This study focused on Malaysia’s field of
This study covered sampling
green jobs for three green sectors namely throughout Malaysia.
energy, building and transportation.
Demand Analysis
This study involved respondents from government departments/ companies/
organisations in the green jobs field to identify the marketability of MSC holders,
demand for manpower, factors to increase community participation, level of
readiness of training centres, and relevant green job-related programmes.
Ll Ll
Ll Ll
Ll
Ll
6
2
Literature
Review
This section reviews green job definitions, sectors classified under green jobs,
national and global green job demands, the methodology to estimate green job
demand and green-related policies in different countries.
2.1
Green Job Definition
Green activities are significant policy measures taken by policymakers in nations
and regions worldwide that may be implemented in practically all economic sectors
to aid in sustainable development, greening the economy, and reducing
unemployment (Rutkowska-Podołowska et al., 2016). Currently, the green job
concept is typically applied in policy literature as any job that would improve the
quality of the environment (Martinez-Fernandez et al., 2010); however, minor
differences can be seen when a closer look is taken. The definitions vary regarding
the jobs and the kinds of work to improve the environment, as seen in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1: Green job definitions
Organisation Definition
International Labour “Decent jobs that contribute to preserve or restore the
Organization (ILO) environment, be they in traditional sectors such as
manufacturing and construction, or in new, emerging
green sectors such as renewable energy and energy
efficiency”
U.S. Bureau of Labour Green jobs are either:
Statistics
8
Organisation Definition
(a) “Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide
services that benefit the environment or conserve
natural resources”
(b) “Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their
establishment’s production processes more
environmentally friendly or use fewer natural
resources”
High Speed Training “Green jobs are those roles that have a direct, positive
company impact on the planet. This includes jobs with
environmentally-conscious credentials, such as those in
energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles,
conservation, sustainability, waste reduction and
adaptation to, or reduction in, climate change. It also
covers jobs in the circular economy – roles that contribute
towards reusing, reducing, recycling and repairing our
resources through more sustainable and less
consumption-heavy practices.”
United Nations “Positions in agriculture, manufacturing, R&D,
Environment
Programme (UNEP) administrative, and service activities aimed at substantially
preserving or restoring environmental quality.”
Organisation for “Jobs that contribute to protecting the environment and
Economic Co- reducing the harmful effects human activity has on it
Operation and (mitigation), or to helping to better cope with current
Development (OECD) climate change conditions (adaptation).”
The US White House “Green jobs involve some tasks associated with improving
Task Force on the the environment, including reducing carbon emissions and
Middle Class creating and/or using energy more efficiently; they provide
a sustainable family wage, health and retirement benefits,
and decent working conditions; and they should be
available to diverse workers from across the spectrum of
race, gender and ethnicity.”
Brunei “Employment involved in the preservation and restoration
of environmental quality including in sectors such as
9
Organisation Definition
The Philippines
Vietnam agriculture, manufacturing, services, as well as research
and development activities.”
“Employment that contributes to preserving or restoring
the quality of the environment, as well as being jobs that
are decent, productive, respect the rights of workers,
deliver fair income, provide security in the workplace and
social protection for families and promote social dialogue.”
“Green employment is a decent and satisfactory job,
created in different sectors of the economy to help
preserve or restore the environment and bring about
sustainable development.”
In simpler words, the kinds of work that green jobs provide can improve energy and
raw material efficiency, limit greenhouse gas emissions, minimise waste and
pollution, protect and restore ecosystems, and support adaptation to the effects of
climate change, which can be represented by the following Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1: Area of employment that green jobs occupy (dashed area) (Modified
from ILO, 2016)
10
Currently, there is no specific definition for green jobs in Malaysia. Thus, there is a
need to propose a definition of green jobs in Malaysia that aligns with the global
definitions. Understanding what green jobs are and how they differ from non-green
jobs is essential to inform educational policies created to help adopt sustainable
technologies and practices faster. Based on their analysis, Consoli et al. (2016)
differentiated green and non-green jobs in terms of skill content and human capital.
They found that green jobs utilise higher cognitive and interpersonal abilities than
non-green jobs. The green jobs also show higher levels of the standard dimension
of human capital, for example, formal education and work experience. Green jobs
can be classified into various sectors, which is elaborated in Section 2.2.
2.2
Green Job in Various Sector
“Green jobs” is a growing concept, as is evident from the growth of some jobs. Some
green jobs grow considerably fast (Kiersz et al., 2022), such as green building,
agriculture, transportation, green manufacturing, and more. This section only
focuses on green jobs in the energy, building, and transportation sectors.
2.2.1 Energy Sector
Based on the National Energy Policy, 2022-2040 (DTN), the energy sector
contributed approximately 28% of GDP and employed 25% of the total workforce in
Malaysia. In addition, it is a key source of national income, with petroleum-related
products contributing 31% of fiscal income, and energy exports constituting 13% of
11
total export value. However, fossil fuels continue to contribute the largest share of
Malaysia’s energy supply and have a significant influence in shaping the country’s
energy landscape. As of 2020, four energy sources dominated the national total
primary energy supply (TPES) mix. Natural gas constituted the largest portion at
42.4%, followed by crude oil and petroleum products at 27.3% and coal at 26.4%.
Renewables, comprising hydropower, solar and bioenergy, constituted just a mere
3.9%.
The National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), sets the goal to accelerate
energy transition and change the way energy is generated to improve climate
resilience. NETR has developed the Responsible Transition (RT) Pathway 2050 to
shift Malaysia’s energy systems from fossil fuel-based to greener and low-carbon
systems. The Total Primary Energy Source (TPES) modelling indicated that our
energy demand will increase marginally at 0.2% annually from 95 Mtoe in 2023 to
102 Mtoe in 2050. The RT Pathway 2050 has also shown promising decarbonisation
results as evidenced by the phasing out of coal and the reduction of fossil-fuel
reliance from 96% in 2023 to 77% in 2050. Natural gas is set to be not only a
transitional fuel, but also the primary contributor of TPES at 57 Mtoe (56%) followed
by renewables that include solar, hydro and bioenergy, which collectively contribute
23% of TPES in 2050 from a mere 4% in 2023. NETR aims to power our future by
unlocking potential in new growth areas and delivering progress and prosperity to
Malaysian households and businesses. The successful implementation of NETR will
uplift GDP value from RM25 billion in 2023 to RM220 billion and generate 310,000
jobs in 2050
Malaysia has been recognised as the best country in Southeast Asia in the Energy
Transition Index 2023 by the World Economic Forum. This is further supported by
Malaysia’s various advantages such as a strategic location, diverse RE sources and
a high level of skills to become a regional leader in energy transition.
At the international level, renewable energy provided more than 500,000 new
employments worldwide in 2017, up 5.3 per cent from 2016, bringing the total
number of people employed in the industry to more than 10 million. Out of the many
employment opportunities, solar photovoltaics is the biggest (Ferroukhi et al., 2020),
12
and the best-paying green occupations in the world are those in the renewable
energy sector that demand advanced degrees, such as senior engineers in
thermosolar facilities (Iberdrola, 2020). Figure 2.2 shows the projection of green jobs
in the energy sector in 2030 compared to 2006.
Modern Biomass Winds Biofuels
1, 174, 000 (50%) 2, 100, 000 (10%) 12, 000, 000 (59%)
Solar Thermal
624, 000 (27%)
Solar PV
170, 000 (7%)
Wind Hydropower Solar PV
300, 000 (13%) 39, 000 (2%) 6, 300, 000 (31%)
Geothermal Green Jobs in Renewable energy, 2030
25, 000 (1%)
Green Jobs in Renewable energy, 2006
Figure 2.2: Historical and projection of the percentage of green jobs according to
the renewable energy sector (UNEP, 2008)
2.2.2 Building Sector
Construction refers to the processes involved in constructing buildings,
infrastructure, industrial facilities, and related operations from conception to
completion. Construction typically begins with planning, finance, and design and
continues until the asset is finished and ready for use; it also includes repairs and
maintenance, any expansion, extension, or improvement work, and the asset’s final
deconstruction, dismantling, or decommissioning.
The industry is known for polluting the atmosphere and the earth’s surface. Every
year, it produces roughly 600 million tonnes of debris-related trash (Long, 2021). It
also emits greenhouse gases throughout the construction process and during the
13
lifetime of inefficiently designed structures. Cracks and spaces in poorly built and
constructed buildings can allow conditioned air to escape, squandering resources.
The materials employed by builders influence the environmental friendliness of a
construction. One example is concrete, which most building enterprises use. The
production of the material accounts for almost 7% of global greenhouse gas
emissions. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reduces the climate’s long-term
viability, causing deteriorating effects.
Over the last decade, many nations have enacted climate change prevention
legislation that focuses on pollution due to buildings (Long, 2021). Many of the
Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global
warming to far below 2°C might be achieved with the help of the building and
construction sector (Green building – a driver for Decent Jobs & Economic Growth).
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has highlighted how critical green
buildings are for achieving the SDGs and how they may contribute directly to nine
of the 17 objectives: SDG 3 focuses on guaranteeing healthy lives and encouraging
well-being, SDG 7 focuses on ensuring cheap, dependable, and sustainable energy,
SDG 13 focuses on combating climate change, and SDG 14 focuses on supporting
decent jobs and inclusive economic growth (SDG 8).
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is particularly interested in how the
green building and construction sector may contribute to SDG 8 on decent
employment and inclusive growth, and the fact that multiple sites of confluence exist
is quite promising. The use of local value chains in construction, the potential role of
small and medium-sized enterprises throughout the life cycle of a building, and the
use of locally developed and manufactured green technologies and building
materials, for example, can all help to create jobs and promote economic growth.
In order to establish a contemporary and sustainable economy, Europe created the
Green Deal in 2019. The agreement aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The technique was recently modified in Europe
to help pandemic relief initiatives. The Green Deal gave €750 billion in recovery
funding, promoting environmentally friendly technical developments and business
growth. Europe intends to use the funds to improve the energy efficiency of
14
buildings. Expanding regional building projects necessitates the involvement of
various firms and individuals, increasing job possibilities.
Experts have said the deal’s investment will sustain 2.3 million employment (Long,
2021). They found roughly 374 projects aligned with sustainable ideals, resulting in
a 464 million tonne reduction in emissions. The Green Deal has the potential to
boost job security while also improving environmental protection.
Aside from the Green Deal, President Biden has devised the Build Back Better
initiative to boost job creation and infrastructure sustainability in the United States.
He has devised a USD 2 trillion rescue plan to assist environmentally friendly jobs
and measures to reduce emissions. The programme focuses on six industries, one
of which is construction. Biden intends to hire more sustainable construction
specialists to improve building energy efficiency. Increasing the efficiency of
buildings lowers greenhouse gas emissions. By creating millions of union jobs for
builders, the president aims to strengthen job stability.
Southeast Asia has also joined the sustainable bandwagon by enacting measures
to reduce pollution. The region intends to include eco-consciousness in all roles to
improve environmental preservation. Officials hope to reduce pollution by improving
regional sustainability. Professionals have predicted that 14 million new jobs will be
created by 2030 due to the programmes (ILO, 2021a). Individuals in the construction
business can recover from pandemic-related financial stress by increasing job
security.
From on-site developers to material suppliers, the construction sector can support a
wide range of jobs (Long, 2021), and some of the jobs are expected to grow by 2024:
construction and building inspector (projected growth: 8%) and building custodian
(5.8%) (Sawit, 2017).
Manufacturing environmentally friendly materials also generates green jobs in the
business (Long, 2021). Funding from various areas’ policies may boost sustainable
material production while lowering emissions and increasing job possibilities. Green
15
concrete reduces and repurposes carbon, saving the environment and reducing a
building company’s impact.
Specialists may fill maintenance and development roles for electric machinery, and
companies should provide chances for green technology and machinery training.
2.2.3 Transportation Sector
Transportation is crucial to the global economy. While efforts are being made to limit
the impact of automobiles, public transportation systems emit fewer pollutants than
private transportation and provide more green employment. Only around 250,000
employees in fuel-efficient, low-pollution, and low-emissions automobile
manufacturing can be deemed green, compared to nearly 5 million railroad jobs
alone in China, India, and the European Union (EU), and millions more in public
transportation worldwide. This sector is responsible for more than 30% of CO2
emissions in the EU, 72% of which come from road transport. Many countries have
already adopted measures to reduce transport emissions drastically. The EU will cut
these by 60% compared to 1990 levels for 2050, creating job opportunities in the
electric vehicles sector, public transport and electrified railway goods haulage
(Iberdrola, 2020).
Statistics on employment in urban public transportation are inconclusive, and
developments differ significantly by location and region. According to statistics, 1.3
million EU and United States workers alone work in public transportation. Public
transportation is a growing industry in a low-carbon society, particularly in
developing-world megacities. Bus rapid transit systems are installed in many cities
worldwide, offering low-cost and dependable public transportation. Green job
possibilities abound in modifying diesel buses to minimise air pollution and replacing
them with cleaner compressed natural gas or hybrid-electric buses.
16
This section has previewed the green jobs according to the sectors. The following
section reviews the green job occupational framework in Malaysia.
2.3
Green Job Occupational Framework
Malaysia Standard Industrial Classification (MSIC) is a classification for all economic
activities in Malaysia. The primary purpose of the MSIC is to provide a standard
framework for collecting and compiling industry statistics from different sources, thus
facilitating data comparisons (DOSM, 2000). There are a total of 21 ‘Sections’
classified under MSIC. Table 2.2 presents the mapping between the 21 ‘Sections’
and the nine green sectors, which have been produced by the Ministry of Natural
Resources, Environmental and Climate Change (NRECC). The nine green sectors
include six sectors identified under the Green Technology Master Plan: energy,
manufacturing, transport, building, waste and water and three other relevant sectors:
agriculture, health and finance.:
Energy Sector Category D Electricity, Gas Stream & Air Conditioning Supply
Building Sector
Transportation Sector Category F Construction
Category I Accommodation & Food Service Activities
Category L Real Estate Activities
Category H Transportation & Storage
Under all these sectors, numerous occupations can be identified. Based on the
mapping in Table 2.2, most of the MSIC categories can map to at least one green
sector. As this study only focuses on three green sectors, which are the Energy,
17
Building and Transportation Sectors, only the MSIC categories that are mapped with
these three green sectors are discussed. Following are the MSIC categories that are
able to map to the three green sectors and the detailed description of each category.
Table 2.2: Mapping between MSIC sections and the nine green sectors
Green Sector
Energy
Manufacturing
Building &
Urban Planning
Transport
Waste &
Environment
Water
Agriculture &
Fisheries
Health & Social
Finance
N/A
MSIC Section
Agriculture,
A Forestry &
Fishing
B Mining &
Quarrying
C Manufacturing
Electricity, Gas,
D Steam & Air
Conditioning
Supply
Water Supply,
Sewerage,
E Waste
Management &
Remediation
Activities
F Construction
Wholesale &
Retail Trade,
G Repair of Motor
Vehicle &
Motorcycles
H Transportation &
Storage
Accommodation
I & Food Service
Activities
J Information &
Communication
Financial &
K Insurance/
Takaful Activities
L Real Estate
Activities
Professional
M Scientist &
Technical
Activities
Administrative &
N Support Service
Activities
Other
O Community,
Social &
18
Green Sector Energy
Manufacturing
Building &
Urban Planning
Transport
Waste &
Environment
Water
Agriculture &
Fisheries
Health & Social
Finance
N/A
MSIC Section
Personal
Activities
P Education
Human Health &
Q Social Work
Activities
Arts,
R Entertainment &
Recreation
S Other Service
Activities
Activities of
T Households as
Employers
Activities of
U Extraterritorial
Organisations &
Bodies
Category D includes the activity of providing electric power, natural gas, steam, hot
water and the like through a permanent infrastructure (network) of lines, mains and
pipes; also included is the distribution of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and the like
in industrial parks or residential buildings. This category therefore includes the
operation of electric and gas utilities, which generate, control and distribute electric
power or gas. Also included is the provision of steam and air-conditioning supply.
Category F includes general construction and specialized construction activities for
buildings and civil engineering works. It includes new work, repair, additions and
alterations, the erection of prefabricated buildings or structures on the site and also
construction of a temporary nature; Also included is the repair of buildings and
engineering works. The renting of construction equipment with the operator is
classified with the specific construction activity carried out with this equipment. This
category also includes the development of building projects for buildings or civil
engineering works by bringing together financial, technical and physical means to
realize the construction projects for later sale. If these activities are carried out not for
later sale of the construction projects, but for their operation (e.g. renting of space in
19
these buildings, manufacturing activities in these plants), the unit would not be
classified here, but according to its operational activity, i.e. real estate, manufacturing,
etc.
Category H includes the provision of passenger or freight transport, whether
scheduled or not, by rail, pipeline, road, water or air and associated activities such as
terminal and parking facilities, cargo handling, storage, etc. Included in this category
is the renting of transport equipment with driver or operator. Also included are postal
and courier activities. This category excludes the maintenance and repair of motor
vehicles and other transportation equipment, the construction, maintenance and
repair of roads, railroads, harbours, airfields, as well as the renting of transport
equipment without a driver or operator.
Category I includes the provision of short-stay accommodation for visitors and other
travellers and the provision of complete meals and drinks fit for immediate
consumption. The amount and type of supplementary services provided within this
section can vary widely. This category excludes the provision of long-term
accommodation as primary residences, which is classified in Real estate activities
(category L). Also excluded is the preparation of food or drinks that are either not fit
for immediate consumption or that are sold through independent distribution channels,
i.e. through wholesale or retail trade activities. The preparation of these foods is
classified as Manufacturing (Category C).
Category L includes acting as lessors, agents and/or brokers in one or more of the
following: selling or buying real estate, renting real estate, providing other real estate
services such as appraising real estate or acting as real estate escrow agents. Also
included is the building of structures, combined with maintaining ownership or leasing
of such structures. This category also includes real estate property managers.
The Malaysia Standard Classification of Occupations (MASCO) is a national
benchmark for the classification of occupations in the employment structure of the
country. For ease of comparison between countries, the occupations in Malaysia have
been classified into ten main groups per the International Classification of Occupations
(ISCO), a hierarchical classification system that groups occupations into different
20
categories based on the type of work performed and the level of skill required. Below
are the ten main groups classified by MASCO:
Malaysia Standard Classification of Occupations
(MASCO)
Major Group 1 Major Group 2
Managers Professionals
Major Group 3 Major Group 4
Technicians and Associate
Professionals Clerical Support Workers
Major Group 5 Major Group 6
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry,
Service and Sales Workers Livestock and Fishery Workers
Major Group 7 Major Group 8
Craft and Related Trades Plant and Machine Operators
Workers and Assemblers
Major Group 9 Major Group 10
Elementary Occupations Armed Forces
NOSS is a document that outlines the competency required of an employee working
in Malaysia at a certain level of employment to achieve specific skills. NOSS is
developed by subject matter experts and industry practitioners and skilled workers
based on occupational needs and career structure in that particular occupational area.
NOSS can be used in both the working and training world. In the training area, NOSS
is used as a guideline in preparing knowledge and skilled development, as a training
needs analysis, and also could be used as assessment materials. Meanwhile, in the
working environment, NOSS is used as a guide for upskilling for certain occupational
areas. It is one of the modules under MySPIKE (Sistem Pengurusan Integrasi
Kemahiran Malaysia/Malaysian Skills Integration Management System), a centralised
database developed to improve the delivery and management of the Malaysian Skills
Certification System. The Malaysian Skill Certification (MSC) system is one of the
21
major functions of the Department of Skills Development (DSD). Currently, MSC offers
five (5) levels of skill certification:
Malaysian
Advanced Skills
Diploma
Malaysian Skills (DLKM)
Diploma
Malaysian Skills (DKM)
Certificate
(SKM)
Malaysian Skills
Certificate
(SKM)
Malaysian Skills
Certificate
(SKM)
Level Level Level
123
Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) is an agency
of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC)
mandated to drive the country in the scope of Green Growth, Climate Change
Mitigation and Green Lifestyle. It was initially rebranded from Pusat Tenaga Malaysia
(PTM) to Malaysian Green Technology Corporation in 2010. Recently, it was
rebranded again to Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation
(MGTC) in 2019. The purposes of MGTC are to implement initiatives and programs
that provide specific details in achieving the long-term impact of the Nationally
Determined Contribution (NDC) to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions
by 45% based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to the intensity of
emissions in 2005 by 2030, increasing the rate GDP from green technology of RM100
billion and the generation of 230,000 green jobs.
In this section, it can be summarised that the nine green sectors can be mapped with
the MSIC categories, which would be used as a reference when estimating the green
jobs currently available in these sectors. The skills required by an employee can be
22
determined from NOSS and used as a guide for upskilling for certain occupational
areas. A more comprehensive review of the courses offered by MSC and NOSS was
conducted and is discussed in Chapter 4. The syllabus review aims to identify the
green attributes embedded in the current courses offered by DSD, i.e., MSC and
NOSS. The review’s outcome will be used to address skill mismatches between talent
development from MSC and NOSS and green skills required by the industries. This
information is important to ensure that the skills development is tailored to the green
job demand in Malaysia, which is reviewed in the next section.
2.4
Review Green Job Demand
This section reviews the green jobs demand by sectors, namely energy, building and
transportation, in different countries. Table 2.3 lists the projection of fast-growing
green jobs in the United States of America (Kiersz et al., 2022), and Table 2.4 lists the
demand for green jobs by occupation in the EU (Bert Colijn, 2014). Figure 2.3 plots
the green job enablers (combined labour availability and job policies score) against
green job market demand (combined job postings and market potential score) in
selected Asia countries (Asia Business Council, 2008). Green job enablers refer to
green labour availability gauging the number of environmental programmes offered by
top universities and the number of science and engineering graduates and managers
in private and public enterprises with potentially transferable skills. The data in Tables
2.3 and 2.4 only considered the sectors of interest in this study, namely energy,
building and transportation.
23
Table 2.3: Fast-growing green jobs in the United States of America (Kiersz et al.,
2022).
Job Projected employment increase Sector
(2020-2030)
Electricians 9.1%
General and operations 9.4%
manager
Service unit operators 22.9%
Solar photovoltaic installers 52.1%
Wind turbine service 68.2%
technicians 9.9%
21.0%
Freight forwarders 29.5%
Transit and intercity bus
drivers
Logisticians
Construction managers 11.5%
10.8%
Training and development 9.7%
specialists 11.4%
Arbitrators, mediators, and
conciliators
Public relations specialists
The above table summarises different green jobs projected to multiply and pay well
(with median annual pay above the national median of $46,760). According to the
summary, the energy sector is estimated to have the fastest growth rate between
2020 and 2030, with wind turbine service technician estimated to be the fastest-
growing job in the country, which is estimated to grow by 68.2% between 2020 and
2030. Solar photovoltaic installers are estimated to be the second fastest-growing
job, with a projected employment growth of 52.1%. Under the transportation sector,
24
the fastest-growing green job is logistician, which has a 29.5% estimated growth,
followed by transit and intercity bus drivers, which has an estimated growth of 21%.
Table 2.4: Green job demand in the EU (Bert Colijn, 2014)
Job Hiring Demand Sector
(% of Total Green Jobs)
Architecture and
Engineering 15.86%
Construction and Extraction 12.07%
Building and Grounds 11.73%
Cleaning and Maintenance 6.71%
10.74%
Transportation and Material 2.90%
Moving
Installation, Maintenance,
and Repair Occupations
Education, Training, and
Library Occupations
Management 2.38%
Table 2.4 lists the green job demand in the EU in 2014. The building sector is
identified as having the highest demand by occupation; more than 10% of the job
demand in this sector has been identified as green. In contrast, two other sectors
are lagging. During the Just Transition Platform meeting organised by the European
Commission in 2021, the ILO underlined that climate action presents an enormous
opportunity for the economies. The transition to a low-carbon economy brings net
job gains and significant structural changes in labour markets, especially for
renewable energies, building efficiency and green transport sectors, which could
create 20.5 million additional jobs by 2030 (ILO, 2021b).
25
Figure 2.3: Plot of green job enablers and green job market demand (Asia
Business Council, 2008)
The development of green jobs is tied to the available supply of talent with direct
training in environmental disciplines and the available green job positions in the
country. In Figure 2.3, Japan leads in the Asian region with its globally ranked
universities that offer intensive environment-related undergraduate and graduate
programmes, followed by China, Korea and India. Besides, Japan and Korea also
have the most proactive green job policies, one of the significant drivers in promoting
green jobs. China has the highest green market potential as China is the frontrunner
in most of the indicators: solar energy for electricity production, number of
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-registered green buildings,
available land for sustainable agriculture, as well as policies promoting green jobs.
In the case of Malaysia, although there are enough green job enablers, the market
demand is still at a very low level. With the increasing awareness of climate change,
26
Malaysia has developed various policies that promote a green or sustainable
environment and some projects that promote the green job demand in Malaysia.
A Green Jobs Malaysia Project was run in collaboration between ILO, the Ministry
of Human Resources, the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water
(KeTTHA) and the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRDF) from May
2012 – June 2015 under the Green Jobs Programme for Asia and the Pacific by ILO
(ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 2014). The project was targeted to
raise the capacity of the government and social partners in Malaysia to understand
more about the prevalence of green jobs across the economy and identify entry
points for further green job creation. To better understand the impacts on the labour
market of climate-smart policies and the potential for gender-responsive green jobs
demand, the project also targeted to identify the supply-side gaps.
The project was designed with 4 Phases:
Phase Phase Phase Phase
1 2 3 4
Data gathering, Construction of a Capacity development Pilot green skills
scoping and mapping Green Dynamic programme (including standards awareness
Social Accounting raising and promotion
of green jobs (in Matrix (DySAM) policy simulation
consistency with a exercises and related programme.
Social Accounting
study)
Matrix (SAM))
Based on the study in the year 2014, the estimated total number of green jobs from
various sectors in Malaysia was around 250,000. Policies play an essential role in
driving green job demand. Thus, the next section focuses on the review of green-
related policies in Malaysia and other countries from Asia, the EU and the United
States of America.
27
2.5
Green Policies at Global and National
Levels
This section reviews green-related policies in different countries. The review covers
selected countries and regions, such as the United States of America, the EU, Asia
and South East Asia. Table 2.5 summarises the green-related policies of the selected
countries and regions. The details of the reviewed policies are discussed in Section
2.5.1 - Section 2.5.8. Malaysia’s green-related policies are discussed in Section 2.5.9,
with more policies included and classified according to the sectors of interest.
Table 2.5: Green jobs-related policies and the respective targets from different
countries and regions
Country/Region Policy & target
USA 1. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
• To reduce net GHG emissions by 50-52% by 2030
2. Long-term strategy
• Achieve net zero emissions no later than 2050
3. Green Jobs Act of 2007
• Establish energy efficiency and renewable energy worker
training programmes that target certain persons and sectors of
the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries
• Establish national research programmes to collect and analyse
labour market data to track workforce trends resulting from
energy-related initiatives under this Act
28
Country/Region Policy & target
EU
1. European Climate Law
China • Achieve at least 55% net GHG emission reduction compared
Japan to the 1990 levels by 2030
• Achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050
2. Green Employment Initiative Communication, EU Circular
Economy Action Plan, Green Action Plan for Small and Medium-
sized Enterprises (SMEs)
• A framework that integrates the labour market and skill policies
to enable the region’s transition to a green, low-carbon and
resource-efficient country
3. EU Green Deal
• Investing in sustainable technologies at all scales through the
economy
• Supporting industry to innovate to carbon neutrality
• Supporting cleaner, cheaper means of public and private
transport
• Decarbonising the energy sector
• Ensuring energy efficiency in the built environment
• Working with international partners to improve global
environmental standards
• €100 billion Just Transition Mechanism to assist the most
affected workers and regions in alleviating the negative socio-
economic impacts of transition
1. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)
• Achieve carbon neutrality before 2060
2. China’s 14th five-year plan (2021-2025)
• Demonstrates the transition of the nation’s growth model
towards green development that promotes high-quality
economic growth and high-standard environmental protection
1. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)
• Reduce emissions by 46% below 2013 by 2030 and towards a
50% reduction
2. New Basic Energy Plan in 2021
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