The Student Activity Unit (UKM) Student Voice (Suma) of the Universitas Indonesia (UI) presented the results of mini-research carried out together with the CERAH Indonesia Foundation. The results of mini-research illustrating students’ interest in green jobs showed that 98% of young people believe that green jobs provide interesting career opportunities, said Suma UI Editor-in-Chief, Dian Amalia Ariani.
According to her, young people’s interest in green jobs cannot be separated from concerns about the impact of the climate crisis and increasingly severe environmental degradation. When looking for work, they not only consider income, but also want their work to have a positive impact on the environment. Unfortunately, there are still many obstacles faced in accessing green skills. “Information about green jobs is currently still lacking or even inaccessible,” said Dian.
In the discussion entitled “Green Jobs in the Eyes of Young People: Career Prospects and Challenges” in the Floating Room of the UI Central Library (Saturday, 11/11) Suma UI also presented representatives from the government and environmental practitioners. The representatives were Acting Deputy for Population and Employment Affairs of the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia/Bappenas, Maliki S.T., M.SIE, Ph.D.; Akuo Energy Senior Project Development Manager, Dallih Warviyan; and Policy and Advocacy Manager for Coaksi Indonesia, Azis Kurniawan.
On that occasion, Maliki emphasized that green jobs are no longer an option, but a necessity. He highlighted the various benefits resulting from green jobs, such as economic benefits, reduced emissions, and increased employment. According to him, the industry’s need for green workers is not yet balanced, which is why this is an opportunity for young people to play an important role in bridging this gap.
“Bappenas is currently preparing a road map for human resource development towards green jobs. In the face of the environmental and climate crisis, the transition to green jobs is expected to become an integral part of everyday life and create a significant positive impact. There are concerns that the income in green jobs is not promising, but for the next 10-15 years, because everything will be green, it will be more competitive,” said Maliki.
Dallih also conveyed the bright prospects of green jobs. According to him, green jobs have bright prospects for the various new jobs that have emerged as a result of the climate crisis. There are many green jobs that are not widely known to the public, such as sustainability manager, wind turbine engineer, solar energy specialist, and environmental health and designer. However, he noted that the increase in green jobs is not commensurate with the increase in green skills.
“The need for green jobs arises from new industries, as well as conventional industries. However, the increase in green jobs by 8% in 5 years (2016–2021) was not accompanied by green skills which only increased by 6%. Therefore, the demand is there yet the supply is not sufficient,” said Dallih.
Seeing these challenges, Azis explained the importance of synergy between educational institutions and the government to promote green jobs to the community. This is because there are still many misconceptions among students and the public regarding green jobs. He said, “Students who are close to environmental issues still have many misconceptions, especially if we survey the general public, there are definitely even more. Therefore, awareness-raising programs are needed through campaigns, as well as strengthening efforts through statutory regulations.”
Mini-research dissemination and public discussion about green jobs is one of a series of Journalism Clinic events held by Suma UI. Apart from these activities, a Photojournalism Exhibition entitled “Lost Behind Popular News: Paving the Way for Impactful Environmental Journalism” took place on 11th–15th of November 2023.
