Match op competenties van duurzaamheidsprofessionals en hun duurzame inzetbaarheid
: Hoe is de match op competenties en heeft dat invloed op de duurzame inzetbaarheid?

Translated title of the thesis: Match on competencies of sustainability professionals and their sustainable employability: How is the match on competencies and does it affect sustainable employability?
  • Loes Waterreus

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

There is a growing sense of urgency regarding the environment and the consequences of climate change, which has resulted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Because of this the profession of the sustainability professionals is undergoing many changes. The competencies that are needed as sustainability professional are changing as well.

Will a match between the competencies that are needed in the work field and the competencies a professional has available to do the work provide a higher sense of sustainable employability. Sustainable employability consists of the elements employability, vitality and working ability. Experiencing sustainable employability will help retain sustainability professionals for the field and the transitions that need to be made.

In this research it is investigated how the sustainability professionals experience the match between competencies required in their profession and the availability of these competencies. The investigated competencies are the two clusters of competencies, the intervention and research competencies.
Sustainability professionals living in the Netherlands were asked to what extent they experience a match between the required competencies and the competencies they have available by means of an online survey. Next to this, they were asked about their perceived labour market opportunities; degree of enthusiasm; organisational commitment; job satisfaction; working capacity; and burn-out level to determine their sustainable employability.

The professionals have indicated that they need all the competencies in their work. Except for the basic academic competency, a mismatch is experienced with all other competencies, whereby professionals show that the level of availability of the competency is lower than the level they require in their work. The more work experience the professional has and the higher their age, the less of an experienced mismatch. The organisational commitment and job satisfaction are higher when the professional has more of a match between the required and available competencies. The higher the mismatch between the levels of competencies the lower the working capacity is.
When professionals starting on the labour market have more availability of the competencies needed they experience a higher level of sustainable employability which can lead to fewer dropouts and possible turnover to other sectors. Educational institutes can take a role in this. After all, sustainability professionals are desperately needed to reach the SDGs and keep sustainability transition going.

Date of Award26 Apr 2024
Original languageDutch
SupervisorPaquita Perez Salgado (Examiner), Tinka van Vuuren (Co-assessor) & Jean Hugé (Assessor)

Keywords

  • competency mismatch
  • match
  • sustainability professional
  • sustainability
  • professionals
  • practitioners
  • sustainable careers
  • employability
  • vitality
  • work ability
  • competencies

Master's Degree

  • Master Environmental Sciences

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