Students aged 30 or younger and people with a low income can receive a subsidy for a “green talent” training program from Tuesday next week, the Ministry of Environment said yesterday.
The ministry’s National Environmental Research Academy partnered with 28 universities nationwide to establish the Alliance for Net Zero Green-Collar Talent Education for a 48-hour training program.
The course fee is NT$12,000. To encourage participation, people aged 30 or younger would be given a 50 percent discount, while people with a low income could enroll for free.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
Data from the ministry showed that the number of companies recruiting green-collar talent increased from 1,115 in 2017 to nearly 3,593 last year.
The number of green-collar job opportunities also rose over the same period, more than tripling to exceed 22,000 people per month, second only to labor demand in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector of 29,000 per month, the data showed.
Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) yesterday said the demand for green-collar talent is growing faster than demand for AI or semiconductor talent.
It would continue to increase, as all listed companies would be required to compile sustainability reports from this year and carbon footprint verification would be extended to more companies next year, he said.
The training program was designed after programs abroad, as in the UK, where a “skills passport” project was launched to help oil and gas workers land clean energy jobs, and develop a net zero economy, Peng said.
The UK’s net zero program has resulted in at least 16 green sectors, including renewables, diversion of biodegradable waste from landfills, and low carbon consultancy and offsetting services, he said, adding that such industries remain uncultivated in Taiwan.
The ministry would initiate interagency cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Council of Indigenous Peoples to enhance the program, Peng said.
With the NT$10 billion (US$302.14 million) Green Growth Fund set up in May, the green economy is expected to gain momentum and attract more investments, he added.
The academy would give teaching materials to four regional education centers in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan, and administer national examinations and grant certificates, Peng said.
The program would include courses on climate change and greenhouse gas management, greenhouse gas inventories, voluntary emission reduction and reduction credit, and products’ carbon footprint, he said.
Although green-collar talent mainly comes from universities’ environmental engineering departments, the program also encourages people who are not in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields to apply for the program, Peng said, adding that trainees could receive education at regional universities near their home for convenience.
The ministry would allocate a budget for the subsidies, and income from carbon fees next year could also be used to subsidize the program, he said.
However, participants could only receive the subsidy if they pass the examination and did not take leave for more than a quarter of the course time, Peng added.
The subsidies would benefit 2,500 people this year, with 725 spots each available in the northern, central and southern regions, and 325 spots in the eastern region, he said, adding that the goal is to be able to subsidize the training of 3,500 people per year.
Asked whether US President Donald Trump’s energy policy would affect demand for green-collar talent, Peng said that demand remains strong in the US, where investment in climate technologies has been large and is second only to China.
“Although the US federal government might be slowing down or adjusting their approach, and the overall growth of demand might slacken, there seems no sign of decreased demand for green collar talent globally,” he said.
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