Vocational education and training (VET), green and STEM jobs

Vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in supplying skills for green and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) jobs, particularly in middle-skilled occupations that are central to the green transition but increasingly exposed to skill mismatches when training does not keep pace with change. This paper uses online job-vacancy data from Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom to examine how employers signal skill needs, the role of VET qualifications and apprenticeships in recruitment, and the extent to which green jobs rely on STEM knowledge and skills. The findings highlight substantial overlap between green and STEM occupations, and cross-country differences in how employers value VET pathways. The paper concludes by identifying policy options to strengthen skill signalling, improve alignment between VET qualifications and green labour-market needs, support targeted upskilling, and enhance apprenticeships as an inclusive skills pipeline for the green transition.