Nearly 60% sustainability managers and professionals do not have a degree in fields related to the same, revealed the Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap Report (2022) by Microsoft. Further, it stated that the current sustainability skilling model cannot bridge the gap for business growth in industry.
According to the Sustainability Skill Gap report, in terms of leadership in companies, 68% were hired internally, and among sustainability professionals, over 40% had a maximum of three years of previous sustainability experience. “These companies have relied upon talented insiders with the core transformational and functional skill sets needed to evolve their roles, despite a general lack of formal sustainability training,” the report stated.
Interestingly, the study further revealed that digital skills can provide the foundation for sustainability work. The report further suggested imparting sustainability based skill training at primary and secondary level of school education can bridge the necessary gap. “We will partner with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, providing support to its Centers for Sustainability Across the Curriculum programme,” the company said in the report.
The report further suggested that company sustainability professionals spent 30% of time on strategy, 40% on implementation, and 30% on enablement. Further, although companies emphasise sustainability expertise, the report found that deep knowledge of business processes is more critical for sustainability know-how. “Organisations need to embed sustainability science into their day-to-day operations,” it noted.
Also Read: Fitch Learning collaborates with TimesPro to meet demand for CQF in India
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn