The European Green Deal and Just Transition Mechanism present substantial workforce adaptation challenges in coal-dependent regions. Greece's 2028 lignite phase-out represents one of Europe's most accelerated energy transitions, with only a decade from announcement to completion, compared to Germany's target of 2038 and Poland's 2049 (European Commission, 2020; Szpor and Ziółkowska, 2018), yet systematic workforce readiness assessment remains absent. This study provides quantitative analysis of green skills gaps across Greek Just Transition regions through a structured employer survey (N = 1,961 enterprises) spanning ten economic sectors in Western Macedonia, Peloponnese, and Island Regions. Using Skills Gap Index methodology and ANOVA-based statistical analysis, we examine regional and sectoral patterns in workforce capabilities. Results reveal a counterintuitive regional hierarchy: Islands exhibit the highest gaps (19.65%), followed by Peloponnese (15.72%), while Western Macedonia demonstrates the lowest gaps (8.26%). This pattern reflects transferable technical competencies cultivated through decades of heavy industry experience. Agriculture emerges as the critical deficit sector (25.33%), substantially exceeding Energy (17.67%), Transport and Logistics (17.67%), and Tourism (16.33%). Significant Sector × Region interaction effects (F(18,654) = 10.65, p < 0.001) indicate that uniform national programs may prove inadequate. The study contributes to Just Transition scholarship by demonstrating that human capital transferability can function as transition accelerant rather than liability. Policy implications center on differentiated regional strategies and rebalancing Just Transition Fund allocations toward workforce development.
Galanos et al. (Fri,) studied this question.