Supporting skills building and employment opportunities in the climate change labour market

With over US$2 billion currently invested in climate change projects in the Pacific region, and donors scaling up their activity, there is a large and growing climate change jobs market. But we know that most of the skills employed to deliver all those projects on the ground come from outside. Even when Pacific Islanders come back with university qualifications in climate change, they sometimes find it very difficult to get a job in a related field.

The Climate Partnership Support Unit is conducting a Pacific-wide climate change skills audit, to find out what the barriers are to Pacific Islanders accessing jobs in climate change, what is the current and future demand for climate change skills, how well education institutions are preparing Pacific Island students to meet that demand and how can Australia’s education programs in the Pacific be better geared to help build the required skills and link Pacific Islanders to the jobs.