Centering Workforce
The Toolkit
The Centering Youth in Green Workforce Development Action Toolkit uses primary and secondary research methods to identify education, training, and workforce opportunities, supportive factors, as well as structural and sociocultural barriers that influence young people’s ability to join green workforces where they live.
The Toolkit includes a review of opportunities and gaps in the agricultural, nature based solutions, and entrepreneurial sectors, as well as an additional report on the clean energy sector. Case studies from specific country contexts share examples of youth innovation and the range of opportunities for young people in a just green transition. A rapid global scan of youth led climate initiatives also provides insights into the types of skills, strategies, and structures that support young climate leaders today.
See below for the range of resources available in this toolkit! All resources were developed by Unbounded Associates with support from Chemonics International.
Youth in Green Development
Why this work?
By 2050, youth populations in at least 47 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, Northern Africa, and Western Asia are expected to grow by 62%, adding over 150 million young people globally.
Meanwhile, governments and the private sector are investing billions in sustainable economic practices, potentially generating millions of green jobs, from agriculture to ecosystem services, clean energy, and green entrepreneurship where youth are already innovating and creating new roles.
However, with over 71 million young people currently unemployed, failing to integrate youth—especially young people from marginalized groups such as youth on the move—into the green economy could exacerbate existing paradigms of youth unemployment, exclusion, and poverty. To ensure a just green transition, international development organizations must assess how well youth around the world are being prepared for and connected to green job opportunities, and be part of the solution in filling gaps where learning-to-earning pathways are currently missing.
Action Guide: Centering Youth in Green Workforce Development
This Action Guide offers practical guidance for international development organizations (IDOs) to address the diverse needs of young people as their countries transition to greener economies. It is based on literature reviews, consultations with youth from various regions, and insights from Chemonics-implemented projects across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Designed to inform IDO programs, the guide emphasizes a youth-centered approach to workforce development, highlighting how IDOs can support young people in building sustainable livelihoods amid economic and social changes driven by climate change.
See below for additional resources complementing the Action Guide.
Clean Energy Annex
The Clean Energy Annex examines opportunities and challenges for engaging youth in the clean energy sector to support just green transitions worldwide. It reviews literature on job projections and employment barriers while incorporating insights from interviews with young renewable energy professionals from South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Designed to complement the Centering Youth in Green Workforce Development Action Guide, this annex offers recommendations for fostering supportive environments that enhance youth participation in the clean energy workforce.
See below for two case studies about youth engagement in the clean energy sector.
