New Cedefop study: the jobs driving Europe’s green transition
A 2026 Cedefop policy brief uses online job advertisements to show which occupations the green transition needs — and why VET is key to filling them.
Which jobs does the green transition actually create? A new policy brief by Cedefop, the EU agency for vocational education and training, published in July 2026 as part of the European Skills & VET Week, looks for the answer in online job advertisements — a way of following labour market demand almost in real time, faster than traditional statistics.
Key findings
- 92% of EU firms are taking action to reduce their emissions, so demand for green skills is spreading across the whole economy, far beyond “green” sectors.
- 79% of EU firms report skills shortages as a barrier to investment — talent is one of the main obstacles to scaling up the green transition.
- Demand is growing for engineers, installers and maintenance technicians, especially in renewable energy, and also for cybersecurity experts.
- Some of the fastest-growing occupations are not yet fully captured by existing occupational classifications.
VET as a key enabler
The brief describes adult learning and VET as key enablers of the transition. It calls for keeping education and training up to date, helping workers acquire new skills and making it easier to move into growing occupations. Among its six policy priorities are modernising VET, promoting transferable skills, offering targeted reskilling pathways and supporting regional transition strategies.
What it means for X-VET
For X-VET, the message is encouraging: green and digital skills belong together — the same job advertisements ask for renewable-energy technicians and for cybersecurity experts. This is why the X-VET MOOC combines sustainability with digital tools, and why the X-VET hackathons bring learners, educators and companies together around real challenges.
