Skilled Careers

Energy transition has taken center stage in the Indian power sector, with a major focus on sustainability. To ensure sustainability, utilities are embracing new technologies, digital solutions, innovations, and more. Delivering and operating these solutions requires a significant amount of skilled manpower, which is currently lacking in the sector. I frequently meet industry experts, organizational heads, and CXOs of system integrators to discuss this issue. The common challenge I have identified is the availability of a skilled workforce capable of delivering such solutions. In my view, the government should appoint an agency as a nodal body to run skill development programs in the sector at the Diploma and ITI levels. Drawing inspiration from the UK's apprenticeship program, where Utilita Energy and Cheshire College South and West have launched a new-style smart metering apprenticeship, we can develop a similar initiative in India. In the UK program, apprentices receive classroom-based learning at the 11,000-student college and gain hands-on experience within the on-site ‘Sustainable House.’ This facility allows students to work in a real-life setting without being in a real home. Sponsored by Utilita, the Sustainable House is equipped with the latest sustainable technologies, such as ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic solar panels. The academy can upskill thousands of engineers from any organization each year to address the green skills gap. In India, we have very limited training centers for power sector apprenticeships, and they are often inadequately equipped with new technologies or digital interventions. We need to move quickly in this area, and every discom should take ownership of developing one or two advanced training centers to nurture a future-ready workforce.

India’s Economy Has a Missing Engine: Women Especially women from lower-income backgrounds. A McKinsey study estimated that India could add $770 billion to GDP by 2025 by simply advancing gender parity in work. But instead, female labor force participation fell from 32% (2005) to ~20% (2020). https://lnkd.in/dvys4E6f Despite progress in some areas, female labor force participation in India is among the lowest in the world, even lower than some Sub-Saharan African countries. Why Are So Many Poor Women Underemployed or Not Properly Utilized? 1. Social and Cultural Barriers • Deep-rooted patriarchy restricts women’s mobility, especially in rural or conservative areas. • Girls are often seen as temporary earners, their “real role” is expected to be at home. 2. Safety and Mobility • Public transport is unsafe or unavailable, making it harder for women to travel to work. • Fear of harassment, especially in cities or during night shifts, keeps families from letting women work. 3. Unpaid Labor at Home • Women spend hours daily doing unpaid work: cooking, cleaning, child care, elder care. • This invisible labor is neither recognized nor redistributed. • Poor women, in particular, bear the double burden of poverty and gendered expectation. 4. Lack of Suitable Jobs - There is no structured pathway from informal to formal employment. 5. Policy & Structural Failure • Skill development programs often don’t reach women or are too generic and disconnected from market realities. • No large-scale, nationwide push for rural women entrepreneurship, decentralized production, or employment guarantees for women. • Schemes exist, but access is broken due to middlemen, corruption, or lack of information. Poor women: • Walk miles for water • Raise children with limited resources • Cook without clean fuel • Manage micro-budgets like CFOs of households Yet the system never sees them as ‘employable’ or ‘productive’. What Can Change This? 1. Localized employment: Bring dignified work to villages (e.g., food processing, crafts, decentralised manufacturing). 2. Safe, affordable transport: So women can commute without fear. 3. Women-led cooperatives and micro-enterprises: Let women own their work, not just participate. 4. Recognition of unpaid work: Design policies around time poverty, not just joblessness. 5. Mindset shift: From “allowing” women to work to realizing they hold the key to national growth. We talk of “demographic dividend” but leave half the population on the sidelines. A country that sidelines its women isn’t just unjust, it is chronically underperforming.

🌍 As we enter the second week of #COP29, and with today focused on human development, there’s an urgent challenge we can't afford to overlook: building the green skills needed to reach our climate targets. Every climate goal is at risk without a workforce equipped to turn commitments into action. In my latest op-ed for Reuters Thomson Reuters Foundation, I explore why a commitment to green skills must be a priority at #COP29. ❇️ The data speaks for itself — demand for green talent is far outpacing supply. Nearly 1 in 4 jobs in utilities and 1 in 5 in construction now require green skills, but only 1 in 8 professionals currently have the expertise to fill these roles. 🧩 This becomes even more pronounced for women and younger workers, who will carry the consequences of our action on climate. Women are half as likely as men to possess green skills, and just 1 in 20 Gen Z workers currently has green skills. 🌐 Governments can play a critical role in tackling this skills gap. By prioritising green talent in their climate commitments, they can ensure a diverse, skilled workforce is ready to drive the green transition. Read the full piece to see why this matters and what’s at stake: #GreenerTogether #GreenSkills #Sustainability #FutureOfWork #SkillsFirst #ClimateAction

Today marks 12 months since I committed to going full-time on econome. A few reflections on my key takeaways from 2024. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐲?   Businesses often see climate action as a cost—reports, compliance, or new divisions—rather than an opportunity. By reframing climate strategies as revenue drivers, we unlock greater engagement. PwC reports that 69% of investors globally would increase investment in companies effectively managing sustainability linked to growth and performance. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠 Climate issues go beyond carbon footprints; methane is 86 times more potent than CO2 over 20 years, contributing to a third of global warming. Biodiversity loss has led to a 68% drop in wildlife populations since 1970. Companies must embrace more complex climate and nature accounting systems, to remain relevant in the long-term. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 Green talent supply lags behind demand, with LinkedIn reporting 5.6% growth in 2023-24 but a projected shortfall of 18.7% by 2030 and 101.5% by 2050. Closing the gap will require both public and private investment in reskilling. While expertise is essential for some roles, reskilling is critical to keep pace with the rate of change. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 Industries lack visibility into climate-related skills gaps, highlighting the need for workforce planning in transition strategies. High-emission industries must lead in this area to identify transferable skills to deploy low-emission technologies and develop emerging solutions. The ILO predicts the green economy could create 24 million green jobs globally by 2030 with the right policies. I’m excited to work with organisations ready to lead this effort in 2025. econome 𝐫𝐞-𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 75 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 Through our Climate Stream and seed learning programs, we supported over 75 learners in applying transferable skills to decarbonisation, grid modernisation, nature-positive solutions, and ESG strategy. Our model for building organisational capability and enabling successful skill transfer has proven effective and is now ready to scale. 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞) 𝐁𝐁𝐐 𝐢𝐧 2025 A shower thought, turning to reality. The potential to be one of the biggest talking points of 2025 in Australian society. And showcase the best climate tech solutions in the market. To everyone I've collaborated with, has provided me advice, pulled me into line, encouraged me to be more bold and most importantly those that have trusted econome as a reskilling provider, thank you. Can't wait for 2025!

The recent C40 Cities report, "Growing the workforce needed for building retrofits: A guide for U.S. cities," highlights a pivotal opportunity for urban sustainability and #workforcedevelopment. It underlines the urgent need for #buildingretrofit projects to combat climate pollution and stimulate economic growth, noting that buildings contribute to 50-75% of city emissions. The report emphasizes the creation of an inclusive, diverse construction workforce as essential, particularly benefiting vulnerable groups such as women, youth, migrants, and BIPOC communities who are often in lower-paying construction roles. Highlighting significant federal funding from the #InflationReductionAct and the #InfrastructureInvestmentandJobsAct, the guide marks a historic moment for U.S. climate action and economic opportunity. It outlines key strategies for cities like setting #netzero targets for public facilities, supporting small businesses and minority groups, and encouraging investments in training programs for underrepresented communities. Success stories like the NYC Accelerator and Denver’s Climate Protection Fund illustrate the potential of targeted investments and policies in building resilient, green workforces. The report serves as a call to action for city leaders and communities to unite in creating sustainable, equitable urban environments, highlighting the chance to prioritize green jobs and sustainability in the fight against #climatechange. It is also worth noting that this is the FIRST energy efficiency related report that I have encountered that has included demographic workforce statistics on gender #nonbinary individuals working in energy efficiency(pg. 24)! Thank you to the authors who produced this timely and easily digestible report! Download the report at the link below: https://lnkd.in/ehznmS65

Yesterday was International Day of Rural Women , a day that rarely trends, yet these women are the central actors of Africa’s economy. The theme this year, “Rural Women Rising – Shaping Resilient Futures with Beijing+30,” is a reminder of how much resilience lives in Africa’s rural heartlands. While my reflection today is not about the aspirations of Beijing+30 per se, it’s about the women who till the soil, trade in open markets, process food by hand, and keep entire communities running often without ever being recognized as “entrepreneurs.” Across the continent, rural women contribute up to 60–80% of food production, yet most remain locked in subsistence cycles : producing, feeding, and surviving, but rarely scaling. The barriers are not just financial; they’re systemic. Limited access to credit, gendered land rights, exclusion from digital finance, and low participation in value chains keep many of their enterprises from moving beyond survival. But the story is not all grim. Over the years, I have witnessed incredible transformations from women’s cooperatives in Nigeria that pooled savings to start cassava processing centers, to smallholder farmers in Mozambique who are now supplying formal markets after gaining access to tailored financing to a young female chili farmer in Nyanza that has gone beyond owning and cultivating 1 plot of land to half hectare. These stories matter because they demonstrate that with the right combination of finance, capacity, and policy reform, women don’t just lift their households, they lift entire economies. If we want “resilient futures,” then rural women’s enterprises must move from subsistence to significance. It is time we stopped treating their contribution as charity and started recognizing it as the powerful economic engine it is. So, as we celebrate Rural Women’s Day, let’s do more than applaud resilience , let’s fund it, formalize it, and scale it. Because the future we are building in Africa is only as strong as the rural women holding it up. #InternationalDayOfRuralWomen #WomenInAgribusiness #FinancialInclusion #GenderFinance #AfricaRising #BeijingPlus30

Why it’s time to use reskilling to unlock women’s STEM potential: "Women make up just 28% of the global STEM workforce and only 22% of artificial intelligence (AI) professionals. Left unaddressed, this deficit will restrict innovation and economic growth during the reskilling revolution. Fostering collaboration, cultivating mentorship and delivering tailored solutions to country-specific challenges will close the STEM gender gap. Reskilling provides an opportunity to rethink how we are planning for the future of work. We must reconsider not only how we work, but who works. If the Fourth Industrial Revolution is rewriting the rules of work, now is the time to rewrite the rules of opportunity. Enrolment among women in STEM-related university programs has stagnated over the past decade, with the causes of this disparity differing across industries and regions. If left unaddressed, however, it will compound reskilling challenges that are already expected to cost G20 countries more than $11 trillion over the coming decade. Multiple inspiring stories have shown how these barriers can be broken. Ritu Karidhal, one of the 'rocket women' of the Indian Space Research Organization has inspired a rise in the number of women pursuing STEM fields in India. And she is not alone: From Esraa Tarawneh’s work on mitigating flash floods that's helped multiple communities tackle one of our century’s largest environmental threats, to Ayanna Howard’s assistive technologies that are revolutionizing accessibility for children with disabilities, women are pioneering ground-breaking innovations. Gender-diverse teams are also more profitable and productive. Companies in which female representation exceeds 30% are significantly more likely to financially outperform those with less. Gender diverse R&D teams are also more likely to introduce new innovations into the market over a two-year period. The case for closing the gender divide in STEM is clear, but it will persist without deliberate interventions. Women face a variety of barriers to accessing STEM fields and solutions must reflect this reality. In some regions, there will be a need to break stereotypes that dissuade girls from pursuing science. Elsewhere, the challenge will be infrastructure and ensuring access to resources and learning tools. Addressing these intersectional challenges demands localized strategies, which are essential for creating interventions that have enduring impact." Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eryKvFxp #MentorMonth #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels

What if a needle and thread could shape not just one or two women’s futures but an entire community’s ?   In Sohag, in the south of Egypt, twenty women have turned a traditional craft “Tally embroidery” into growing businesses. They have registered their trademarks and united under a shared collective mark: Tally Shandaweil.   What began as an artistic craft is now a structured, thriving business. This video offers a glimpse into the inspiring work of women entrepreneurs and artisans, brought to life with the support of intellectual property (IP).   At the heart of it all are the women and the Tally craft, a traditional embroidery they have mastered. An artform deeply tied to their heritage and identity. Its motifs tell the story of their hometown, and today, it’s also a source of income and empowerment.   Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of sharing updates on this project, which was designed to leverage trademarks and collective marks to boost recognition of Tally in Sohag and beyond. Led by our WIPO Regional and National Development Projects team and the Egyptian National Council for Women (NCW),this project stands as a powerful testimony to how IP can drive real, sustainable change for women entrepreneurs.   Thank you to everyone who helped bring this to life. #WIPO #Egypt #TraditionalKnowledge #WomenEntrepreneurs #CollectiveMark

I recently stumbled across this case study we produced along with Meta about Pabiben Rabari, an inspiring woman from Kutch, Gujarat a few years ago. Pabiben invented Hari Jari, a new embroidery technique, revolutionising traditional crafts. This innovation was more than a creative breakthrough; it laid the foundation for a women's collective, transforming a local art form into a global brand. Today, Pabiben's products are stocked at multiple stores in Sweden and even in the museum shops in countries like the US. She currently employs 300 women, providing them with not just income but independence. Her story goes beyond preserving cultural heritage; it's about inspiring women in her community to dream big and start their own businesses. Who are some of the women you know who are moving forward and moving communities forward together? Tag them in the comments. PS : Pabiben's story was also captured as a feature film - Sui Dhaaga by Yash Raj Films.

As leaders gather for #COP29 next week, our latest LinkedIn data shows that green jobs continue to boom while the supply of skilled workers is tight. We’re calling for green skills to be put at the centre of climate commitments, so that we have a workforce ready to tap into this new wave of green jobs and make our climate goals a reality. ✅ 📊 Our LinkedIn Green Skills Report 2024, out today, shows: ❇️ Job seekers with green skills are enjoying a 55% higher hiring rate than the global workforce average. ❇️ Global demand for green talent is growing 2x faster than supply. ❇️ By 2030, nearly 1 in 5 jobs requiring green skills could go unfilled. Unless we change course, by 2050, that number could rise to 1 in 2. ❎ We continue to see a growing gender and generational gap: women and young people, especially Gen Z, risk being left behind in the green workforce. Just 1 in 10 women and 1 in 20 Gen Z workers have a green skill, compared to 1 in 8 in the workforce at large. Dig into the report to learn more about the demand for green skills, how industries that contribute heavily to global emissions are adapting, and how companies and workers are tapping into the green transition – https://lnkd.in/eWYzr7jh #GreenSkills #Sustainability #COP29 #FutureOfWork