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How can colleges and employers work together more effectively to prepare students for green jobs?
The field of sustainability draws ideas from various disciplines, such as environmental sciences, economics, public policy, political studies, psychology, geography, etc. At the college level, multidisciplinary exposure can help lay the foundations of cross-disciplinary thinking, an attribute that is crucial for succeeding in green jobs. Thanks to the National Education Policy (NEP2020), we are witnessing multidisciplinary orientation in undergraduate programs- where students are exposed to a wide array of courses from humanities, social sciences, physical and natural sciences, fine and performing arts, business and media studies, etc.
At the same time, NEP2020 also aims to make college graduates employable/work-ready by emphasizing internships and skill-based learning. Through these initiatives, two benefits can be attained: (a) fostering academia-industry partnerships, and (b) reducing the burden on the employers to spend considerable resources in training the new hires.
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Do you see more students choosing renewable energy and environmental studies compared to a few years ago?
While more students are considering a major in environmental and sustainability studies, a large chunk of undergraduate students still veer towards an undergraduate major in computer science & engineering, business studies, economics, and psychology. As the field of sustainability is a recent development, efforts need to be directed towards helping students understand various career opportunities with a major in environmental studies.
- Are internships and industry projects now considered essential stepping stones for students in this field?
As discussed before, internships and industry projects help bridge the academia-industry gap and make the graduates employable/work-ready. Hence, they become essential stepping stones for students pursuing a college major in environmental and sustainability studies.
