Green growth toolkit

Hey,

Welcome to Green Jobs Rising!

Did you know the share of green talent in the workforce has increased by more than 38% since 2015, according to the LinkedIn Global Green Skills Report 2022?

To keep these numbers moving in the right direction, upskilling needs to be part of what we do. Employers and recruiters are increasingly looking for proactive people who take initiative, keep learning, and go beyond what is required.

Today, we are sharing two lists of learning opportunities, free and paid. 

The paid programmes are especially useful for mid-career professionals, but they are not exclusive. Early career professionals can benefit from them too.

Here we go, starting with the free programmes:

• Nature-Based Solutions
  This course explains how nature based solutions can improve urban resilience, livelihoods and quality of life, while tackling climate risks at the same time. You will learn why many NBCs projects struggle with policy, governance and finance, and how to plan initiatives that are more likely to be funded and implemented.

• Circular Economy
  This course introduces practical ways cities can shift from a take-make-waste model to circular strategies that cut costs, reduce waste and support local green jobs. You will gain ideas you can apply to programmes, policies or projects that improve resource efficiency and economic productivity.

• Smart Home: A beginner’s guide to making your home more sustainable
  This course shows how to manage water and energy use at home to reduce environmental impact and save money. It is based on the City of Cape Town Smart Living guidance and is useful for building everyday sustainability habits you can measure and improve. 

Paid programmes:

• GELA: Green Economy Leadership Academy
  A professional training platform for practitioners, entrepreneurs and decision-makers working on Africa’s green economy and just transition. You benefit from live, facilitated learning focused on real delivery challenges such as finance, institutions, implementation and project outcomes, using Africa-grounded case insights.

• Introduction to Green Buildings
  This course explains how the built environment affects climate change and what makes a building genuinely green, including site choices, energy and water efficiency, materials and healthy indoor spaces. You will also learn how green building rating tools work and see how standards apply through a Johannesburg case study.

• Green Energy Transition and Renewable Technologies Training Course
  A practical overview of the energy transition and the main renewable technologies, aimed at building confidence in how clean energy systems work and what is needed to deploy them. Useful for professionals who want a clear grounding to support projects, planning or investment discussions in the sector.

• Climate and Carbon Management Training
  Designed to build leadership-level understanding of green growth and circular economy concepts, with a focus on preparing manufacturing and industry for future climate and carbon expectations. Helpful if you need to support organisational strategy, compliance and low carbon transition planning.

• Electrical Grid Infrastructure: Grid Design and Security
  This module covers core power system design and security assessment, including short-circuit studies, protection design, transient stability and blackout prevention. It is useful for engineers and energy professionals who want stronger technical competence in grid reliability and risk reduction.

• Battery Technician Programme
  This certification develops hands-on skills for selecting, testing, operating, maintaining and replacing battery cells and packs across different applications. You will learn battery management systems, charging, maintenance and recycling, with strong emphasis on safe handling for people and the environment.

Pro tip: You may not realize it yet, but what you’re passionate about can open doors to a green job. Check out the post below for more insights.