Cities in transition : how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener.
Date: 2022-07-29
Institutions: Cedefop
Subjects: EU energy policy, adaptation to climate change, digital transformation, innovation, professional qualifications, smart city, vocational education, vocational training

ISSN: 2529-3397

Cities in transition 
How vocational education  
and training can help cities 
become smarter and greener 

POLICY BRIEF

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Policy background   

2

POLICY 
BACKGROUND

In this section

Cities: a pivotal role in the 
green transition 

Smarter cities, greener 
societies 

Foresighting skills to guide 
city green transitions 

© iStock-AlxeyPnferov

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Policy background   

Cities: a pivotal role in the green transition   

3

Cities:  
a pivotal role 
in the green 
transition 

© iStock/Pobytov

Among  the  challenges  facing  European  cities, 
climate change is the most pressing. More frequent 
disruptive  weather  events  such  as  extreme  heat 
and storms, water scarcity and flooding will strongly 
affect them. These adverse impacts, which already 
affect  urban  areas  given  their  concentration  of 
inhabitants,  assets,  infrastructure,  and  productive 
activities,  are  likely  to  intensify.  While  cities  cover 
only  4%  of  the  EU’s  land  area,  they  host  almost 
75% of EU citizens today and this share is expected 
to  increase  to  85%  by  2050  (1).  Cities  also  have  a 
responsibility  to  act  to  address  climate  change: 
their  carbon  footprint  accounts  for  70%  of  CO2 
emissions worldwide. 

Climate change will affect cities differently depend-
ing on their geographic position. In many southern 
European countries, cities are already experiencing 
more extreme heatwaves, while northern European 
cities are faced with more frequent floods. While it 
is difficult to quantify economic losses in cities due 
to climate change, it is obvious that the economic 
and social costs of extreme weather and other cli-
mate change manifestations experienced by cities 

(1)  More  information  is  available  on  the  EU  mission: 

climate-neutral and smart cities web page.

...while cities cover only 4% 
of the EU’s land area, they host 
almost 75% of EU citizens 
today and this share is expected 
to increase to 85% by 2050...

...Cedefop skills forecast 
scenario: skills formation 
will be crucial for filling the 
additional jobs created and 
enabling workers to transition 
into greener sectors... 

are  enormous.  This  justifies  faster,  more  effective 
and scalable policy responses which target cities’ 
resource  consumption  in  the  short  and  long  term 
and enable and empower their citizens to become 
change agents in the green transition. 

The European Green Deal (EGD) is the EU’s growth 
strategy  and  the  bloc’s  policy  response  to  the 
challenges related to climate change and environ-
mental  degradation.  It  sets  the  ground  for  the  EU 
to  become  a  competitive  and  resource-efficient 
economy with net zero greenhouse gas emissions 
by  2050,  while  ensuring  a  just  transition  for  all.  A 
Cedefop  skills  forecast  scenario,  which  looked 
at  the  implications  of  the  EGD  up  to  2030  from  a 
vocational  education  and  training  (VET)  and  skills 
perspective, shows that skills formation – both ini-
tial and during working life – will be crucial for filling 
the  additional  jobs  created  and  enabling  workers 
to transition into greener sectors and occupations 
(Cedefop, 2021). 

While  there  are  clear  employment  winners  and 
losers  among sectors more directly linked to sus-
tainability  and  climate  change,  employment  gains 
are also expected for almost all occupational cat-
egories,  including  middle-skilled  and  elementary 
occupations. Given that the twin (green and digital) 

...VET has a key role to play in 
accommodating economic 
and social change...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Policy background   

Cities: a pivotal role in the green transition   

4

transitions  mutually  reinforce  one  another,  alongside 
green transition skills many green jobs will also require 
better digital skills compared to jobs in ‘brown’ sectors, 
irrespective of skill level. Delivering such skills, VET has 
a key role to play in accommodating economic and so-
cial change. VET needs to cooperate with governments, 
employers,  universities  and  research  institutions  and 
regional and local players. 

local  implementation  of  actions  that  directly  contribute 
to  meeting  nationally  and  internationally  agreed  green 
commitments  and  targets.  The  importance  of  cities  in 
attaining carbon neutrality is also reflected in European 
Commission  activities  and  EU  initiatives,  such  as  the 
Green deal going local, the Local green deals guide from 
the  European  Commission’s  Intelligent  cities  challenge 
and the Mayors Alliance for the European Green Deal.

Municipal authorities have a key role to play in the transi-
tion towards a green economy because they are typically 
in charge of policy domains and services which directly 
impact the environment and the health of citizens. Cities’ 
strategic role as local hubs for the implementation of the 
EGD stems from their capacity to develop and steer the 

Shifting from economic development driven by resource 
consumption  towards  innovation-driven,  sustainable 
and circular development to reduce cities’ CO2 footprint 
requires action on many fronts. It involves scaling up re-
newable energy generation (e.g. solar panels, biofuels), 
prioritising  sustainable  waste  management,  promoting 
investment in green transportation solutions, and mak-
ing  buildings  more  energy  efficient  (as  in  retrofitting). 
Cities  can  also  promote  investments  in  nature-based 
solutions,  such  as  green  infrastructure,  reforestation, 
and urban farming. Via education, training, guidance and 
information campaigns, cities can foster citizens’ aware-
ness of the importance of green transition and contribute 
to shaping a new generation of environmentally respon-
sible consumers, employers, employees and voters. 

The economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pan-
demic and the policy responses to mitigating its impact 
contributed  to  elevating  the  sustainability  approach  at 
city  level  in  the  policy  agenda.  Clean  mobility  and  cir-
cular economy initiatives at city level boomed and were 
generally  well-received  by  local  communities  (OECD, 
2022).  Cities  that  only  recently  set  in  motion  action  to 
become greener or have a considerable way to go can 
greatly  benefit  from  the  experience  of  cities  that  have 
fully embraced the ‘smart and green city’ (SGC) concept 
and – as a result – are forerunners in the green transition.

© iStock/gremlin

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Policy background   

Smarter cities, greener societies     

5

Smarter cities, 
greener societies 

At  the  crossroads  of  the  twin  (green  and  digital)  
transitions,  smart  and  green  cities  (SGCs)  can 
become hubs driving the achievement of EGD-set 
objectives. These include, for example, accelerat-
ing  the  shift  to  smart  and  sustainable  mobility  by 
stepping  up  action  to  reduce  carbon  emissions 
(e.g.  through  reducing  pollution  from  vehicles) 
and  building  and  renovating  in  an  energy  and 
resource-efficient  way.  Improved  waste  manage-
ment and more efficient energy use are also central 
to boosting the implementation of the EGD at city 
level.

interconnectivity  and 

With  the  proliferation  of  smart  cities,  expanding 
internet-based 
increased 
information  flows  became  transversal  innovation 
drivers  in  urban  settings.  The  smart  city  concept 
has its roots in the 1950s, when transport planners 
began to use computers to model traffic flows. To-
day, a city is viewed as ‘smart’ when it can control 
and make effective use of information collected via 
sensors, networks and related technologies for pol-
icy development in domains relevant to the urban 
environment (e.g. transport, waste, air quality, and 
brownfield site development). 

Cities  are  not  smart  just  because  they  implement 
innovative  ICT  solutions  on  their  territories,  but 
rather  because  they  make  use  of  them  and  of 
data they produce to achieve specific goals set to 
improve  the  sustainability  and  wellbeing  of  their 
residents.  The  process  is  about  harnessing  the 
potential of technologies such as industry 4.0 and 
the internet of things, to bring beneficial change to 
the urban environment by improving efficiency and 
strengthening sustainability. 

© iStock/KanawatTH

...smart city concept has its 
roots in the 1950s, when 
transport planners began to use 
computers to model traffic 
flows...

...viewed as ‘smart’ when it can 
control and make effective 
use of information collected 
via sensors, networks and 
related technologies for policy 
development...

...at the crossroads of the twin 
(green and digital) transitions, 
smart and green cities (SGCs) 
can become hubs driving the 
achievement of EGD-set 
objectives...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Policy background    Foresighting skills to guide city green transitions   

6

Foresighting 
skills to guide  
city green 
transitions

To  understand  the  skill  needs  of  smart  and  green 
cities in a dynamically changing environment, from 
both  short-  and  long-term  perspectives,  Cedefop 
engaged  extensively  with  experts,  analysing  and 
synthesising  their  insights  to  develop  evidence 
to  help  policy-makers  and  VET  providers  make 
informed decisions.

To  support  EGD  implementation,  cities  have  to 
focus  on  encouraging  and  enabling  significant 
structural change across a wide spectrum of eco-
nomic activities. Transforming the demand for oc-
cupations and skills, this will also have major labour 
market  impacts.  The  importance  of  upskilling  and 
reskilling  in  accommodating  change  to  make  the 
green  transition  happen  has  been  recognised  by 
the EGD and EU VET and skills policy documents, 
most  notably  the  European  Skills  Agenda,  the 
Commission’s communication on a European Skills 
Agenda  for  sustainable  competitiveness,  social 
fairness and resilience, the Osnabrück Declaration 
and the Council Recommendation on VET. 

While  the  policy  debate  recognises  that  skills  are 
drivers of cities’ green transitions, applied research 
and policy analysis has not yet paid enough atten-
tion to exploring systematically what types of skills 
and occupations will be crucial. The skills foresight 
exercise  conducted  by  Cedefop,  as  reported  by 
this policy brief, seeks to address this research gap 
(p.7). It aimed to identify the occupations, jobs and 
skills needed to enable cities to transition towards 
a ‘greener’ and ‘smarter’/more intelligent and sus-
tainable future and to explore what role vocational 
education and training (VET) can play in the process. 

© Shutterstock/Bashutskyy

...importance of upskilling 
and reskilling...to make the 
green transition happen has 
been recognised by the EGD 
and EU VET and skills policy 
documents...

...not yet paid enough attention 
to exploring systematically 
what types of skills and 
occupations will be crucial...

...skills foresight exercise 
conducted by Cedefop, 
as reported by this policy 
brief, seeks to address this 
research gap...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Policy background    Foresighting skills to guide city green transitions   

7

Explained: Cedefop foresight  
on smart and green cities

Cedefop’s  work  on  exploring  the  links  between 
the  EGD  and  smart  and  green  cities  was  part  of 
a  green  foresight  study  that  also  covers  waste 
management, the circular economy and agri-food. 
More  detailed  information  about  the  project  and  a 
list of contributing experts is available here. 

In  the  first  online  workshop,  experts  were  asked 
to look towards the future (2030 and 2050) and to 
identify the occupations/skill profiles that enable a 
city to transition towards a ‘greener’ and ‘smarter’/
more intelligent future to accommodate the neces-
sary changes the EGD implies. They also explored 
the role of VET in enabling the development of iden-
tified skill sets. The results from the first workshop 
discussions  were  used  to  develop  a  two-round 
Delphi-style survey. The first questionnaire was de-
signed to gain more insight into the issues raised in 
the workshop and assess the extent to which there 
was  consensus  around  various  issues  among  the 
experts. 

The  results  of  the  first  survey  were  then  used  to 
design a second survey, which focused on the role 
VET might play in meeting the skill needs identified 
in the first survey round. Findings from all stages of 
the  foresight  study  were  reported  back  to  experts 
and  discussed  and  validated  in  a  final  workshop. 
The complete results will be published in a Cedefop 
2023 report along with the results of the other three 
sectoral foresights.

Source: Cedefop. 

© iStock/Danila Shtantsov

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

8

EVIDENCE

In this section

Jobs and skill changes for 
greener and smarter cities 

Wanted! More staff in 
knowledge-intensive 
occupations

Data, technology and 
soft skills fuel the green 
transition 

Key occupations in SGCs

SGC profiles and skills 
shortages delay SGC 
development

VET contribution to 
shaping SGCs

Making SGC jobs (more) 
attractive

© Shutterstocl/Lucky Business

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Evidence   

Jobs and skill changes for greener and smarter cities   

9

Jobs and skill 
changes for 
greener and 
smarter cities 

and greener regulation, as the EGD does at EU level, 
is a sine qua non for instigating an SGC perspective 
at  national  and  local  levels.  Experts  pointed  out 
that achieving a just green transition in a digitalised 
world  does  not  merely  benefit  the  sustainability 
agenda,  but  also  opens  many  opportunities  to 
serve  ageing  populations  better.  Making  optimal 
use  of  smarter  and  more  digital  approaches  can 
play  an  important  role  in  addressing  generational 
digital divides. 

When  asked  to  reflect  on  what  drives  the  shift 
towards  smart  and  green  cities  (SGC),  experts 
underlined the complex interplay of technological, 
societal, and environmental trends and challenges; 
this demands a cultural shift among citizens and in 
local administrations and institutions towards more 
collaboration and partnerships (Figure 1). It is addi-
tional to municipal staff having knowledge of green 
technologies  and  understanding  of 
innovative 
green solutions, sustained through regular upskill-
ing,  which  are  prerequisites  for  cities  to  procure, 
develop  and  deliver  services  (e.g.  water,  waste 
management) in a greener way. City ‘smartness’ is 
supported  by  digitalisation,  which  allows  cities  to 
make  decisions  based  on  big  data  collection  and 
analysis,  also  driving  green  innovation.  To  benefit 
fully  from  such  technologies,  city  administrations 
need  to  commit  to  using  them  in  the  context  of 
greening  and  to  empower  their  staff  via  adequate 
digital skills training. 

While all the above contributes to achieving circular 
economies,  the  circular  economy  concept  goes 
much further, being also largely driven by changes 
in  producer  and  consumer  behaviour.  Therefore, 
having  in  place  a  balanced  approach  to  policy 
development which builds on political engagement 

© iStock/Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn

...demands a cultural shift 
among citizens and in local 
administrations and institutions 
towards more collaboration 
and partnerships...

...city ‘smartness’ is supported 
by digitalisation, which allows 
cities to make decisions based 
on big data collection and 
analysis...

...making optimal use of smarter 
and more digital approaches 
can play an important role in 
addressing generational 
digital divides...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Evidence   

Jobs and skill changes for greener and smarter cities   

10

Figure 1. Drivers of change in smart and green cities

REGULATION & 
POLITICAL WILL 
to adopt 'smart and 
green' practices & 
technologies

DIGITALISATION, 
TECHNOLOGY 
& INNOVATION

CITY STAFF  
KNOWLEDGE  
& CAPACITY

PRIVATE-PUBLIC 
PARTNERSHIPS  
(powered by open 
access data policies)

SERVE AGEING 
POPULATION NEEDS 
SUSTAINABLY

CITIZEN AWARENESS, 
ABILITY, &  
WILLINGNESS 

CIRCULAR 
ECONOMY &  
WATER 
MANAGEMENT 

CLIMATE 
CHANGE 
MITIGATION

© iStock/Iaremenko

Source: Cedefop skills foresight on smart and green cities.

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

Wanted! More staff in knowledge-intensive occupations  

11

Wanted!  
More staff in 
knowledge-
intensive 
occupations 

Emerging  skill  needs  in  municipalities  aiming  to 
become smart and green relate to establishing and 
using  an  SGC  approach.  This  involves  designing, 
developing  and  constructing  the  infrastructure 
necessary to introduce smart and green solutions; 
managing  this  infrastructure;  delivering  smart  and 
green services in an urban setting; monitoring, fol-
low-up and evaluation; and building and maintain-
ing citizens’ engagement and active participation. 

The  range  of  skills  which  municipalities  need  to 
obtain to prepare for and shape the future is wide, 
and significant changes are expected to take place 
in  the  roles  of  city  managers  and  urban  planners. 
To  deal  with  the  complexity  of  smart  cities,  their 
managers  need  a  varied  skills  mix,  including  city 
planning capabilities, legal competences, soft skills, 
and  financial  resource  management  competence 
(Michelucci et al., 2016).

The complex nature of SGCs will increase the de-
mand  for  other  knowledge-intensive  occupations, 
particularly  those  linked  to  the  use  of  smart  and 
green  technologies.  Infrastructure  and  software 
tools  can  be  used  in  almost  every  area  of  a  mu-
nicipality’s administration, including energy supply, 
mobility/transport,  waste  and  e-services  to  citi-
zens. Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data 

analytics,  and  online  platforms  have  the  potential 
to disrupt the way in which municipal services are 
delivered, while the emergence of digital twin cities 
is likely to transform city governance and planning.

Demand for ‘twin transition skills’ will soar as more 
specialist  knowledge  is  needed  to  customise  and 
apply  green  technology,  and  more  fundamental 
understanding  of  environmental  and  sustainability 
issues is required compared to the past, e.g. for ICT 
professionals.  New  job  roles  identified  in  existing 
smart  city  research  include  smart  city  planner, 
smart  city  IT  manager  and  smart  city  IT  officer 
(Fitsilis  and  Kokkinaki,  2021),  artificial  intelligence 
and  machine  learning  scientists,  data  scientists, 
cybersecurity  analysts,  app  and  software  devel-
opers, network support engineers, civil engineers, 
digital  marketers,  geospatial  and  mapping  scien-
tists, cloud architects, energy efficiency engineers, 
and  integration  engineers  (Goddard,  2021).  While 
many  of  such  roles  involve  applying  advanced  IT 
technology, this is not the case for all jobs needed 
to support green activities in an SGC. Examples of 
less  IT-driven  SGC  jobs  include  tree  maintenance 
professional, urban farmer and solar panel installer.

© Shutterstock/tonympix

...managers need a varied 
skills mix, including city planning 
capabilities, legal competences, 
soft skills, and financial 
resource management 
competence... 

...the complex nature of SGCs 
will increase the demand 
for other knowledge-intensive 
occupations, particularly those 
linked to the use of smart and 
green technologies...

...demand for ‘twin transition 
skills’ will soar as more 
specialist knowledge is needed to 
customise and apply green 
technology...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

Data, technology, soft skills fuel the green transition

12

Data, technology 
and soft skills 
fuel the green 
transition 

More  data,  technology  and  soft  skills  underpin 
the process of making cities greener and smarter. 
These  skills  will  be  equally  important  for  workers 
in  the  private  sector  who  work  for  contractors  to 
municipalities.  As  data  collection  and  analysis 
is  of  critical  importance  in  SGCs,  there  is  a  need 
for workers with generalist skills profiles, who can 
‘translate’ data and findings into actionable policy 
responses  and  engage  with  politicians  to  demon-
strate the importance of using data and technology 
in  policy  development.  Transversal  skills  needed 
in  such  roles  include  data  analytics,  legal  (e.g. 
GDPR  compliance,  artificial  intelligence  ethics), 
cybersecurity, and data manipulation (AI, machine 
learning).  Soft  skills  needed  to  bolster  innovation 
and  communication,  with  and  for  different  groups 
of  citizens  and  stakeholders  in  SGCs,  include 
outreach  and  engagement,  entrepreneurship,  and 
advanced communication skills.

© iStock/ipopba

...a need for workers with 
generalist skills profiles, 
who can ‘translate’ data and 
findings into actionable 
policy responses...

...transversal skills needed in such 
roles include data analytics, 
legal, cybersecurity, and 
data manipulation...

...soft skills needed include 
outreach and engagement, 
entrepreneurship, and 
advanced communication 
skills...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

Key occupations in SGCs

13

Key  
occupations 
in SGCs

The  Cedefop  smart  and  green  city  foresight 
showed  that  –  no  matter  what  the  current  level 
of  maturity  of  a  city  in  terms  of  ‘smartness  and 
greenness’  –  a  particular  set  of  occupations  are 
central to their development (Figure 2). By helping 
communities understand and share its values, and 
by guiding policies in creating a more prosperous 
environment for smart/green technologies, compa-
nies and occupations to thrive, the municipal staff 
is  instrumental  in  bringing  about  the  smart/green 
transition. As the transition towards SGCs gathers 
pace, the role of ICT and other specialists will come 
to  the  fore.  More  network-based  approaches  to 
managing change emerging at city level will shape 
change  in  urban  planner  skill  demands,  as  they 
increasingly  need  to  focus  on  negotiating  change 
with local stakeholders in their communities. 

© iStock/kokouu

...the Cedefop smart and 
green city foresight showed 
that a particular set of 
occupations are central to 
their development...

...municipal staff is 
instrumental in bringing about 
the smart/green transition...

...as the transition towards SGCs 
gathers pace, the role of ICT 
and other specialists will 
come to the fore...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

SGC profiles and skills shortages delay SGC development

14

Figure 2. Main occupations driving change in smart and green cities (expert assessment) 

SMART AND GREEN CITY
MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
  sustainability/climate officers
 
  citizen engagement specialists
  analysts and researchers
 

innovation managers

legal experts

URBAN SPACE 
SPECIALISTS 
  horticulturalists
  gardeners

DESIGNERS 
  urban planners

PROFESSIONALS IN CHARGE  
OF PROTECTING URBAN SPACE
  waste management
  sanitation

SPECIALISTS TO BOOST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT 
AND IMPROVE THE AMBIANCE OF URBAN SPACE 
  communication specialists
  psychologists
  artists

Source: Cedefop skills foresight on smart and green cities.

ICT 
PROFESSIONALS

ENERGY PROFESSIONALS 
Design, installation and  
maintenance of environmentally 
friendly energy systems

TRANSPORT AND  
MOBILITY SPECIALISTS 
Design, manufacture,  
installation, and maintenance 
of smart mobility systems

ENVIRONMENTAL 
PROTECTION 
SPECIALISTS 
  environmental engineers
  biodiversity protection professionals

CONSTRUCTION AND  
BUILDING SPECIALISTS 
 
involved in retrofitting
  better use of materials
  design of buildings

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

SGC profiles and skills shortages delay SGC development

15

SGC profiles 
and skills shortages 
delay SGC development

Cities  are  expected  to  face  difficulties  in  attract-
ing, finding and recruiting people to key SGC jobs 
and  keeping  the  skills  of  their  workforce  up  to 
date. Recruitment difficulties will be acute for ICT 
professionals, as municipalities will be competing 
with  local  companies  and  other  sectors  for  the 
same  talent.  Recruitment  difficulties  for  urban 
space specialists are likely to persist because of 
overall  skill  shortages  for  professionals  in  smart 
green  management  and  skill  gaps.  For  urban 
specialists,  demand  matches  supply  relatively 
well  in  absolute  terms,  but  many  professionals 
lack the skills SGCs need. The Cedefop foresight 
expert  group  identified  several  drivers  of  current 
and future skill shortages; these include demand 
from  other  cities  for  the  same  skills,  insufficient 
supply  from  higher  education,  and  accelerating 
technological change which makes it challenging 
to  keep  skills  development  opportunities  up  to 
date.  Other  bottlenecks  to  ensuring  the  green 
transition  at  city  level  include  limited  learning  or 
training opportunities for municipal staff to reskill 
or upskill in line with the needs of SGCs and the 
perceived  unattractiveness  of  jobs  and  careers 
in  the  green  economy  among  VET  learners  and 
graduates. 

© Shutterstock/metamorworks

...recruitment difficulties will be 
acute for ICT professionals, 
as municipalities will be 
competing with local 
companies and other sectors 
for the same talent..

...the Cedefop foresight expert 
group identified several drivers 
of current and future skill 
shortages...

...limited learning or training 
opportunities for municipal staff 
to reskill or upskill in line with 
the needs of SGCs...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

VET contribution to shaping SGCs

16

VET contribution 
to shaping SGCs

Cities  and  regions  are  the  catalysts  for  environ-
mental  policy  solutions  and  cannot  rely  solely  on 
central government policy to achieve a green tran-
sition. For the eight occupations Cedefop foresight 
experts identified as central to SGC development, 
both IVET and CVET have the merits to strengthen 
young(er) and adult learners’ skills (Table 1). 

To  align  the  content  and  focus  of  IVET  and  CVET 
programmes  to  SGC  and  wider  skill  needs,  cur-
ricula  need  to  reflect  local,  regional  and  national 
needs and trends. Applying insights emerging from 
experimentation and learning at local level can set 
in motion a bottom-up process for spreading rela-
tively good practice throughout cities and regions. 
For  this  to  happen,  local  stakeholders  (municipal 
authorities,  social  partners,  major  employers, 
learners,  VET  providers,  local  /regional  innovation 
platforms)  need  to  become  partners  in  designing 
and  developing  VET  programmes  and  curricula. 
Partnership  based  approaches  are  indispensable 
in  local  or  regional  skills  governance  to  aid  and 
safeguard  timely  updates  of  IVET  and  CVET  pro-
grammes.  When  asked  what  shape  CVET  should 
take for best support to up- and reskilling, experts 
favoured  shorter  and  more  job-related  learning 
routes over longer programmes (Figure 3).

© Shutterstock/mirzavisoko

...to align the content and focus 
of IVET and CVET programmes 
to SGC and wider skill needs, 
curricula need to reflect 
local, regional and national 
needs and trends...

...local stakeholders need to 
become partners in designing 
and developing VET 
programmes and curricula...

...asked what shape CVET 
should take for best support 
to up- and reskilling, experts 
favoured shorter and more 
job-related learning routes...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

VET contribution to shaping SGCs

17

Table 1.  VET pathways to providing skills for smart green cities

IVET OR  
YOUNG  
PEOPLE

CVET FOR ADULTS  
TO STAY IN THEIR 
CURRENT JOBS

CVET TO ENSURE ADULT  
TRANSITION TO SMART,  
GREEN CITY JOBS

OCCUPATION/JOB

Smart and green city management professionals

ICT professionals

Urban space specialists

Energy professionals

Transport and mobility specialists

Environmental protection specialists

Specialists to boost citizen engagement

Construction and building specialists

Source: Cedefop skills foresight on smart and green cities.

Figure 3. How CVET can support upskilling and reskilling (expert views) 

CVET programmes delivered on VET providers’ premises
(classroom-based instruction)

Apprenticeship for adults

Long training courses combining a set of training modules

Courses that lead to microcredentials
(i.e. the certiﬁcation of the skills obtained from 
short learning experience or course)

Courses that lead to certiﬁcation/qualiﬁcation 

Short training courses/modules

CVET programmes including work-based learning opportunities

On-the-job training

2,87

2,93

3,13

3,4

3,4

3,47

3,6

3,73

© Shutterstock/Gorodenkoff

Source: Cedefop smart green cities foresight – survey round 2.

1             1,5           2             2,5           3             3,5          4           

Agreement score: 1 = strongly agree      4 = strongly disagree

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener      Evidence   

Making SGC jobs (more) attractive

18

Making SGC jobs 
(more) attractive

contribute to the EGD 2050 net zero goal. Making 
people realise that they can play a part in improving 
citizens’ lives and contribute to the green transition 
at local level by working for the city could increase 
the attractiveness of SGC jobs. Skills development 
for SGCs can be made more attractive by pointing 
out to learners that skills needed are often linked to 
ICT or energy and therefore transferable and usable 
in  a  broad  range  of  occupations  and  sectors,  of-
fering attractive career development opportunities. 

Attracting learners to pursue ‘tech’ skill profiles, like 
software  development  and  coding,  will  be  crucial 
in addressing the recruitment challenges affecting 
several sectors. Municipalities and private employ-
ers  offering  services  to  municipalities  will  have  to 
compete  with  sectors  which  jobseekers  perceive 
as offering better job or career prospects. The rapid 
uptake of remote work in tech jobs may ease ten-
sions for cities in attracting such talent, as it opens 
opportunities  for  recruiting  candidates  abroad.  At 
the  same  time,  the  increasingly  global  talent  pool 
may disadvantage smaller cities, because they will 
find  it  more  difficult  to  attract  talent  than  larger, 
more well-known cities. 

Apart from targeted information campaigns on SGC 
job  wages,  working  conditions  and  professional 
development  prospects,  breaking  stereotypes  is 
also a matter of giving young people opportunities 
to  discover  what  work  in/for  SGCs  is  like.  Short, 
supervised  work  experience,  tasters,  games  and 
promoting  apprenticeships  where  young  people 
can earn as they learn can help put SGC job oppor-
tunities on young people’s radar and contribute to 
easing recruiting difficulties. 

With  technology  altering  job  content,  occupations 
develop  dynamically  with  respect  to  the  way  they 

© iStock/Laurence Dutton

...rapid uptake of remote work 
in tech jobs may ease tensions 
for cities in attracting such 
talent, as it opens opportunities 
for recruiting candidates 
abroad...

...breaking stereotypes is also 
a matter of giving young people 
opportunities to discover what 
work in/for SGCs is like...

...making people realise that they 
can play a part in improving 
citizens’ lives and contribute 
to the green transition at local 
level by working for the city...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Conclusions   

19

CONCLUSIONS

In this section

Policy messages

© Shutterstock/lassedesignen

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Conclusions    Policy messages

20

Policy 
messages

Setting policy priorities at EU level has been a cat-
alyst for change in VET systems and practices for 
over two decades. The current focus, and concen-
tration of the policy agenda, on the digital and green 
transitions is setting new developments in motion. 
Innovative practices in cities that take a strong lead 
in managing and shaping change already show that 
the local level crucially matters in realising Europe’s 
digital and green ambitions. 

Making the shift towards or advancing as an SGC 
requires  a  new  mindset,  primarily  among  poli-
cy-makers  and  key  actors  in  local  ecosystems. 
Skills  development  needs  to  be  seen  as  a  trans-
versal policy objective that is embedded in a stra-
tegic  vision  about  how  a  city  wants  to  develop  in 
the future. Policy-makers need to be informed and 
trained on the benefits of the SGC approach so that 
they  can  lead  the  way  in  actively  including  social 
partners, VET providers, learners, and other actors 
in shaping a shared vision and priorities for the road 
ahead.

Changes  in  skill  supply  and  demand  and  skill- 
matching challenges also concern private compa-
nies that provide applications and services to cities. 

To accelerate the transition to SGCs via economic 
development strategies, public administrations can 
boost  the  involvement  of  local  companies,  par-
ticularly SMEs. Local companies can also become 
VET  advocates  and  contribute  to  its  uptake  by 
promoting it as a key provider of skills that expand 
career  prospects;  this  counteracts  stereotypes  of 
it  being  a  less  desirable  educational  route  and  a 
second-best education or training option. 

The transition towards becoming an SGC is a jour-
ney that cities should take at their own pace, con-
sidering strategic priorities, aspirations and capaci-
ty. Collaboration, communication and transparency 
among  all  public  administrations,  academia,  local 
industry and citizens (the quadruple helix approach) 
will help deliver quality results tailored to the needs 
of  cities  and  benefiting  their  citizens.  Every  step 
counts,  particularly  for  smaller  urban  centres  that 
may  lack  the  infrastructure  and  funding  arrange-
ments  larger  cities  readily  have  at  their  disposal. 
Nonetheless, with climate change progressing and 
its  repercussions  intensifying,  becoming  smarter 
and greener will be a dominant trend and a reality 
for most, if not all cities. 

© Shutterstock/hxdbzxy

...innovative practices in 
cities already show that the local 
level crucially matters in realising 
Europe’s digital and green 
ambitions...

...to accelerate the transition to 
SGCs via economic development 
strategies, public administrations 
can boost the involvement of 
local companies, particularly 
SMEs...

...with climate change 
progressing and its repercussions 
intensifying, becoming smarter 
and greener will be a 
dominant trend and a reality for 
most, if not all cities...

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener     Conclusions    Policy messages

21

Empowering and enabling cities to become greener and 
smarter should be a core priority for VET. The key take-
aways from Cedefop’s smart and green cities foresight 
are the following:

modules  on  sustainability  across  specialisations 
and the development of teachers’/trainers’/mentors’ 
skills were acknowledged as essential drivers of SGC 
development.

01

04 

There are opportunities for VET to take a stronger role 
in addressing up- and reskilling needs in cities. Given 
its close connection to the world of work and its ability 
to  provide  science-  and  technology-based  theoreti-
cal knowledge and practical skills crucial for building, 
retrofitting, green construction, IT management, and 
other  green  economy  areas  at  different  levels,  VET 
can play a major role in meeting skill needs of SGCs. 

02 

Robust  and  trusted  skills  intelligence,  based  on  a 
variety  of  skills  anticipation  methods  and  tools,  is 
essential  for  prompt  action  to  inform  policy-makers 
and  VET  providers  about  skill  needs  in  the  short  to 
medium term. This is particularly crucial for SGC-rel-
evant  skills  that  are  changing  rapidly  due  to  tech-
nological  progress.  Strong  feedback  loops  between 
VET  and  labour  market  change  –  particularly  for 
highly regulated types – facilitate flexibility and agility 
of programme and curricula. 

CVET  offering  up-  and  reskilling  opportunities  plays 
a  key  role  in  ensuring  that  the  continuing  develop-
ment  and  proliferation  of  SGCs  is  not  impeded  by 
skill  shortages  and  gaps.  Work-based  learning  and 
on-the-job training opportunities are particularly well 
suited  to  delivering  on  skills  that  match  needs  in 
SGC jobs. Microcredentials can stimulate the uptake 
of  such  training;  the  certification  and  recognition  of 
learning they provide can increase acceptance from 
employers,  strengthen  learners’  employability  and 
facilitate professional mobility. 

05 

To  support  CVET  provision  and  delivery,  effective 
feedback  loops  between  employers  and  trainers, 
stimulating  employer  interest  in  training  their  staff, 
and ensuring that workers can balance training and 
work, are essential.

06 

03 

Cedefop  foresight  experts  acknowledged  the  im-
portance of initial and continuing VET for SGC skills 
formation, up- and reskilling and matching. For young 
learners, high-quality IVET programmes linked to SGC 
goals with strong work-based elements (such as ap-
prenticeships) in private and public service settings, 

Local  administrations,  trade  unions  and  employers 
have  a  role  to  play  in  making  the  transition  just. 
They are well placed to take into consideration local 
specificities  and  the  position  of  vulnerable  groups 
and  have  at  their  disposal  approaches  and  tools  to 
promote gender equality in VET and employment in 
SGC-relevant jobs.

© iStock/NatalyaBurova

Policy brief     Cities in transition: how vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener       References

22

REFERENCES 
[URLs accessed 28.6.2022]

Cedefop  (2021).  The  green  employment  and  skills 
transformation:  insights  from  a  European  Green 
Deal  skills 
forecast  scenario.  Luxembourg: 
Publications Office.

Michelucci,  F.V.,  De  Marco,  A.  and  Tanda,  A.  (2016). 
Defining  the  role  of  the  smart-city  manager:  an 
analysis  of  responsibilities  and  skills.  Journal  of 
Urban Technology, Vol. 23, No 3, pp. 23-42.

European Commission (2020). European Skills Agenda 
for  sustainable  competitiveness,  social  fairness 
and resilience. COM(2020) 274 final. 1.7.2020.

Fitsilis, P. and Kokkinaki, A. (2021). Smart cities body of 
knowledge. Smart DevOps competences for smart 
cities.

OECD  (2022).  The  sustainable  development  goals  as 
a  framework  for  COVID-19  recovery  in  cities  and 
regions.  Paris:  OECD  Publishing.  OECD  Regional 
Development Papers, No 26.

Saunders,  T.  and  Beack,  P.  (2015).  Rethinking  smart 

cities from the ground up. London: NESTA.

Goddard, W. (2021). 12 key smart city jobs.  IT Chroni-

cles, 23 June 2021.

FURTHER READING 

European Commission (2021). Delivering the European 

Green Deal.

European  Commission  (2021).  Local  green  deals:  a 
blueprint  for  action:  the  European  Commission’s 
100 
intelligent  cities  challenge.  Luxembourg: 
Publications Office.

OECD  (2020).  The  circular  economy  in  cities  and 
regions: synthesis report. Paris: OECD Publishing. 
OECD Urban Studies.

Green
Observatory

Cedefop Green Observatory 
(Cedefop GO) includes Cedefop’s 
work on the implications of 
the green transition on jobs 
and skills across sectors and 
occupations in the EU

For more information  
on Cedefop Go visit  
the theme page

POLICY BRIEF

Cities in transition 
How vocational education and 
training can help cities become 
smarter and greener 
Cities are key players in mitigating climate change 
and  shaping  the  green  transition  via  services  and 
through  regulatory  competence.  Using  the  smart 
and  green  city  concept  in  existing  and  new  urban 
settings  contributes  to  achieving  European  Green 
Deal  ambitions.  This  policy  brief  reports  on  a 
Cedefop  skills  foresight  study  which  looked  at  the 
occupations  and  skills  that  help  cities  become 
smarter  and  greener  and  the  role  vocational 
education and training can play in developing them. 

Project info:  
Skills and jobs for the green transition

Project contacts:
Cedefop expert, Stelina Chatzichristou 
Cedefop expert, Joanna Napierala
Cedefop expert, Jasper van Loo

Europe 123, Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECE
Postal address: Cedefop service post, 57001 Thermi, GREECE
Tel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, Email: info@cedefop.europa.eu

Copyright  ©  European  Centre  for  the  Development  of  Vocational  Training 
(Cedefop), 2022. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

visit our portal www.cedefop.europa.eu

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