Green Jobs: 10 million skill trainings, placements by 2047, says Skill Council for Green Jobs CEO

Arpit Sharma

The Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ), established in October 2015 under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is an awarding body recognised by National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), dedicated to developing a skilled workforce in Renewable Energy, Waste Management, and Sustainability.

Over the years, SCGJ has collaborated with key ministries, including MSDE, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), to implement impactful skilling initiatives.

SCGJ has been instrumental in flagship programmes like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) , the Suryamitra Skill Development Program, and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for Safai Karamcharis under NSKFDC.

As an awarding body SCGJ has developed 56 qualifications in the domain of Solar, Wind, Green Hydrogen, Solid Waste management, Wastewater Treatment, Small Hydro, Clean Cooking, Eco-Tourism & Sustainability (GHG Accounting).

SCGJ has also undertaken significant initiatives to uplift the sanitation workforce. Supported by NSKFDC, SCGJ has trained close to 3,500 desludging operators and organized over 200 one-day workshops on hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, spreading awareness about safety protocols and best practices among workers nationwide.

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In collaboration with HCL, SCGJ has also trained 4,000 sanitation workers of the Noida Authority, equipping them with enhanced skills for efficient and safe work.

Trainings, skill gap studies

To expand its reach, SCGJ has developed an E-Learning Management System, through which virtual training of over 4,000 candidates has been successfully conducted. With support from the International Solar Alliance (ISA), SCGJ has trained over 130 stakeholders from 82 ISA member countries on various aspects of solar energy.

Under its partnership with HCL, SCGJ has trained over 4,000 Sanitation Workers of Noida Authority on solid waste management best practices, health and hygiene, and communication skills. In total SCGJ has conducted training of close to 4 lakh sanitation workers across the country.

SCGJ has conducted 15 Skill Gap Studies including the recent studies with JP Morgan on “Gearing up the Indian Workforce for a Green Economy” & with USAID on “Skill Gap Assessment Across Green Hydrogen Sector in India”

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Beyond government schemes, SCGJ has executed industry-supported training programmes with leading organisations such as Renew, HCL, HPCL, JAKSON and multilateral/bilateral partners like GIZ, the World Bank and UNDP.

Notably, SCGJ, in partnership with Renew, trained SEWA Sisters (salt pan workers) in Gujarat in solar energy technologies, facilitating their employment in the sector. With more than 1000 affiliated training centers, more than 5,000 trainers and assessors, and 56 developed qualifications, SCGJ has trained over 6,20,352 individuals to date, including 4.32 lakh candidates in Waste Management (Solid Waste Management, Waste Water Treatment and Agri Waste) & 1.88 lakh candidates in the domain of Renewable Energy including Solar, Wind, Green Hydrogen, Small Hydro and GHG Accounting.

SCGJ’s contributions have gained international recognition, securing four medals in World Skills competitions from 2019 to 2024. It has also established two Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Green Hydrogen – one at Tata Power Skill Development Institute, Shahad, Mumbai, and the other at GERMI, Gujarat. Moreover, SCGJ has developed more than 92 Green Hydrogen Training Facilities with well-equipped labs at various locations, reinforcing India’s commitment to a sustainable future.

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Vision 2047

SCGJ’s vision for 2047 is to leverage the clean energy transition in India to create 30-35 million additional jobs across key sectors such as green hydrogen, energy storage, hybrid renewable systems, biomass/biofuels, EV charging, pollution control, e-waste management, and decarbonization of energy-intensive industries.

By 2047, SCGJ aims to facilitate over 10 million skills training and job placements. In the shorter term, by 2030, SCGJ plans to conduct one million short-term trainings in clean energy and green technologies, provide two million virtual or blended upskilling and reskilling programs, establish 20 Centres of Excellence, create 7,500 certified trainers, and expand its network of affiliate training centers to 750.

Arpit Sharma is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Skill Council for Green Jobs (Skill India Mission). This piece first appeared in the 200th issue of the Careers360 magazine, published in August 2025.