In recent years, one of the most debated topics among scholars, as well as policymakers, has been related to climate change and the most efficient response to its detrimental consequences. According to the European Commission (2019), the global atmosphere is warming and that may cause the extinction of no less than one million out of eight million species. In this context, climate change and degradation of the natural environment at the same time have been recognized as global factors for change (Stanef-Puică et al., 2022). This is how the concept of green curriculums emerged, addressing concepts such as sustainability, renewable energy, and the green economy. Consequently, contributed to environmentally friendly initiatives and activities, to the emergence of green jobs.
The term "Green Jobs" is one of the terms derived from the concepts of sustainable development that have become prevalent in academic curricula, especially those that emphasize a commitment to sustainability concepts, often referred to as green curriculum. In general, green activities are key actions of policy makers in countries and regions across the world that can be created in almost all economic sectors which help in sustainable development leading to greening the economy and are an important tool in counteracting unemployment. Scholarly among the several definitions of green jobs available in the literature are the following: work in agricultural, manufacturing, research, and development, administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving environmental quality. Specifically, but non-exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, material, and water consumption through high-efficiency strategies; decarbonize the economy and minimize or altogether avoid the generation of all forms of waste and pollution” (Podołowska, Sulich&, Szczygieł, 2016). Incorporating these concepts into educational theory promotes an integrated approach to green jobs, emphasizing their pivotal role in addressing global environmental challenges while driving economic growth. By equipping individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills, education can play a transformative role in shaping a sustainable and green workforce.
According to (Podołowska, Sulich&, Szczygieł, 2016) green jobs should be understood as decent jobs that contribute to preserving the environment, both in traditional sectors such as manufacturing and construction and new, emerging sectors such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. A green job is any job or self-employment that genuinely contributes to a more sustainable world. At the enterprise level, green jobs can produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment, for instance, green buildings or clean transportation. For people beginning their professional careers, the potential of green places for employment is very high. Nevertheless, one thing is certain, green jobs lead to the creation of a new management framework based on the need to connect to the eco-efficient technologies of the future and to use resources efficiently to reduce environmental pollution and climate change. In addition, green jobs require decent work, connecting the 1st Millennium Development Goal-Poverty Reduction- with the 7th Millennium Development Goal- environmental protection (Stanef-Puică et al., 2022). These lofty and ambitious goals, with their high requirements, should be among the most prioritized objectives of the educational process in any country.
In summary, the world changing rapidly, and requires adaptable education, which in turn, entails ensuring schools' resource sufficiency and providing learning outcomes support. Moreover, fostering students' learning adaptability is crucial. Green jobs are strongly associated in the realm of education with topics, such as sustainable development, green education, and green and purple economy. Furthermore, research on green jobs has concentrated on the relationship between green business and green education.
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