The green transition is the economic process of driving structural change in how humans produce and consume, driven by the urgent need to address climate change and reduce our environmental footprint. In economic terms, this involves restructuring production processes and transforming how we do things, adopting low-carbon technologies such as renewable energy, sustainable mobility, the circular economy, and regenerative agriculture, among others. This process entails a transformation in education and the labor market, as skilled individuals will be needed to use and implement these new technologies and produce goods and services that help protect and preserve the environment.

The green transition will generate millions of jobs in Colombia and around the world, while others will change or disappear. Therefore, the workforce will need to adapt gradually: current workers will need to improve their skills (known as upskilling) or even learn new skills to perform entirely different jobs (known as reskilling). Furthermore, future generations will need to receive relevant training adapted to this new reality.

This report presents the most promising educational and training pathways for high-potential young people in Bogotá and Barranquilla to access emerging green jobs in the country. The report focuses on the construction and energy sectors in Bogotá, and the food processing and tourism sectors in Barranquilla—sectors of economic importance that make a significant contribution to the green transition and offer good future employment prospects.

The document has six additional sections that explain what a green job is and how they were identified in the selected sectors, what the most representative training pathways are that can prepare young people for green jobs in these sectors, what young people and employers think about green jobs, and finally, what the challenges and calls to action are needed to materialize these new opportunities for young people in our country.