How I'm Building A Greener Career

Green Skills Future: INCO Academy launches online learning program to accelerate green workforce transition with support from Microsoft & LinkedIn.

The work to achieve net zero carbon requires urgent and focused action by all, individually and collectively. To support the development of a global green workforce, INCO Academy will provide 10,000 individuals free access to their Green Digital Skills Certificate program. The online program launched with support from Microsoft and LinkedIn hopes to upskill individuals with sustainability and green design in mind.

Companies aren’t the only ones prioritising a commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) initiatives. Increasingly, individuals are taking the lead with actions that can be implemented from the bottom up.

Green Digital Skills graduate, Hanna Medyńska, signed up for the online certificate program because she sees the climate crisis as an increasingly local and personal threat.

“After experiencing heatwave after heatwave over the summer, I decided to look for ways in which I could create and contribute to meaningful actions that redress this moment we’re in. I wanted to be part of the local movement here in Poland,” she said.

With the urgent need to transition to a greener economy, opportunities continue to emerge as policymakers and companies seek to support the shift in the workforce. LinkedIn data suggests that job postings requiring green skills are outpacing the green talent available globally. This is a marker of potential resilience to an economic downturn if we can lean into skilling talent with green digital skills for the jobs available.

We see this with Hanna. The value of learning new skills to support her mission became clear. “Jobs are changing even if you’re not changing jobs,” she said. “At the individual level, these choices may seem small. But when people like myself have the skills, tools, and confidence to make them at scale in the organisations we work with, they equal big improvements.”

INCO Academy offers training programs designed to provide equitable access to the knowledge, skills, and habits necessary to gain high-demand, high-opportunity jobs in the changing economy for new, diverse talent seeking careers in the digital and green sectors of the economy.

Hanna is energised about helping her clients accelerate their progress. “I now have the skill set to prepare myself for the jobs of the present and the future,” she said. “Every day, I design and implement large-scale processes and projects for my clients. And as someone who works with large companies, I can now be their partner to help reduce their carbon emissions for our shared future.”

Green Digital Skills Certificate program applications are now open at greenskills.inco-group.co. Individuals interested are encouraged to apply early, as there are a limited number of spots. Selected applicants will be announced on a rolling basis throughout the year. .

Nicolas Hazard, Founder & CEO of INCO, said: “We want to create a skills-first economy that meets the urgency of the moment. With our new program, we want to empower individuals with greener skills that are future-proof, that allow them to lead in the development of a green workforce. With these skills, individuals can be the catalyst for meaningful action within their workplaces towards more sustainable operations and a low-carbon footprint.

Peggy Brannigan, Director, Global Environmental Sustainability at LinkedIn, said: “Mobilizing green talent will be essential to bring new technologies to multiple sectors and make progress on global climate goals. Programs like this foster the growth of talent and drive the development of green economies all over the world.”

Kate Behncken, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropies, said: “The climate crisis is the single greatest challenge of our time, but we simply don’t have enough people with the necessary digital skills for the green economy to help address the challenges the world is facing. Building training and education programs like this will help enable a worldwide sustainability revolution, reduce carbon emissions, and expand global economic opportunity.”

About the Green Digital Skills Certificate program

The Green Digital Skills Certificate program is part of INCO Academy’s mission to boost equality in future-driven industries. With support from Microsoft and LinkedIn, we are committed to equipping 10,000 jobseekers in non-green sectors and fields, especially digital and IT careers, with a complementary accelerated course that stacks green-specific competencies upon their experiences. Through this free, self-paced, and online program, learners will be empowered to build careers that can positively contribute to our evolving, green economy.