Building skills for environmental and social jobs and strengthening development capacity in Malawi

We have observed with keen interest across developing economies that demand is growing for professionals who can manage environmental and social risks. As countries invest in infrastructure, climate resilience, and natural resource management, ensuring that projects are implemented safely and sustainably requires a workforce with specialized technical skills. From environmental and social impact assessment to occupational health and safety, strengthening these competencies is becoming a priority—for project implementation and for graduates and trainees preparing for emerging jobs in development.

This is where the Skills for a Vibrant Economy (SAVE) Project comes in. The project provides support for skills development through selected tertiary education institutions spanning higher education and technical, entrepreneurial, and vocational education and training (TEVET), with special attention on demand-driven approaches to boost labor force skills, women’s empowerment, digital skills and technology, institutional strengthening and learning continuity.

As part of the project team, we leveraged the opportunity to add developing skills in environmental and social safeguards to higher education teaching. Collaboration between skills development programs and environmental and social specialists can strengthen both workforce readiness and environmental and social risk management systems. By investing in training programs, university partnerships, and curriculum reform, the project is helping ensure that training responds directly to the practical safeguards needs emerging in development projects while preparing graduates and practitioners with the competencies needed to support Malawi’s broader development priorities and future job opportunities.

Our experience with the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) shows there is a need to bring together environmental and social safeguards expertise with skills development and higher education initiatives to help projects achieve the best and most efficient development outcomes. The ESF aims to protect people and the environment from potential adverse project impacts while promoting sustainable development. With SAVE, we have the opportunity to strengthen the skills, institutional capacity, and professional pipelines needed to implement these standards effectively.

A central component of the SAVE Project has been strengthening technical expertise through collaboration with Malawi’s higher education institutions. With focus on institutional environmental and social safeguards strengthening, we supported a training-of-trainers program in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) delivered through the Malawi Centre of Excellence in Environmental and Social Sustainability, a center established with World Bank support. Eighteen lecturers from six universities and the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) received intensive training to deliver ESIA courses. Participating institutions included: Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), University of Malawi (UNIMA), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Mzuzu University (MZUNI), and Catholic University of Malawi (CUNIMA).

This collaborative model ensures that technical knowledge is embedded across multiple institutions, enabling environmental and social safeguards expertise to reach a wider community of students and practitioners. It also strengthens the connection between academic training and the real-world safeguards challenges faced in development projects.

The ESIA course emphasizes hands-on learning, equipping instructors and practitioners with practical skills to translate safeguards principles into effective project implementation. Participants also engaged with MEPA specialists, international trainers from North-West University of South Africa, and World Bank environmental and social experts, strengthening collaboration between academia, regulators, and development practitioners.

“Developing human resource capacity of key experts in ESIA through high quality training at universities will ensure that graduates are well-equipped to devise sustainable social and environmental safeguards for development projects,” said Professor Ishmael Kosamu, Executive Member of the Malawi Higher Education Institutions Network on Climate Change Learning.

The project also prioritized health and safety—strong safeguards systems depend on professionals who can identify risks, monitor compliance, and ensure safe working conditions. To support this, the SAVE Project delivered Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) training to participating institutions, reaching: 9 public higher education institutions; 7 national technical colleges; 15 competitive grant awardees, including community and private technical colleges and community skills development centers; and officers from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Environmental and social focal points were trained to monitor construction activities, identify risks, and ensure safety standards throughout project implementation. Contractors and consulting engineers also received OHS training, helping embed stronger safety practices directly into project execution. By strengthening OHS capacity, these institutions are fostering a culture of proactive risk management that protects workers, communities, and project outcomes.

While the SAVE Project initially focused on skills development across various disciplines, ongoing assessments highlighted the need to further strengthen training within university programs. The project supported a comprehensive review of environmental management curricula at three institutions to align academic programs more closely with ESF principles and international best practices.

The updated curriculum will strengthen instruction in areas such as environmental and social impact assessment, risk mitigation planning, occupational health and safety, and stakeholder engagement—ensuring that future cohorts of students graduate with these essential.

“By embedding ESIA competencies within university programs, Malawi’s higher education system is helping develop a pipeline of professionals prepared to support sustainable development projects across sectors,” said Firas Raad, World Bank Division Director for Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Malawi’s experience shows how aligning skills development, higher education, and environmental and social safeguards practice can strengthen both workforce readiness and development outcomes.

Through targeted training, curriculum reform, and cross-sector collaboration, institutions and practitioners are improving their ability to manage risks, address challenges and capacity gaps, and support safer project implementation.

By strengthening technical skills and expanding the pipeline of trained professionals, initiatives like SAVE are helping ensure that graduates and practitioners are job-ready to support Malawi’s priority sectors and long-term development.