Green Jobs

There has been a lot of talk lately about "green jobs" and "green industries". But what exactly are green jobs and industries? Part of the problem in identifying green jobs has been to figure out how to define and label them. Unfortunately, most employers simply list a job by a generic title and don't designate it as a "green job". Also, employers usually do not list in the job description a link to the job and the environment. A green job is simply any job that is good for the environment. The green economy is a an infrastructure of our society being developed to increase sustainability of natural resources that reduce harm to natural resources that are considered to be finite. According to Jim Cassio, author of Green Careers Resource Guide,

• Between 1% and 8% of all jobs in the U.S. are green jobs
• The current Administration's goal is to create 5 million new green jobs over the next 10 years
• There are 340 occupations that can lead to a green job or career.

The O*NET Resource Center has listed twelve green sectors. They are renewable energy generation, transportation, energy efficiency, green construction, energy trading, energy and carbon capture and storage, research, design, and consulting services, environment protection, agriculture and forestry, manufacturing, recycling and waste reduction, and governmental and regulatory administration. The O*NET also lists Green Increased Demand Occupations, Green New and Emerging Occupations, and Green Occupations with the Most Openings.

Some green job hunting resources include:

www.greenjobs.com

www.renewableenergyaccess.com

www.findsolar.com

www.area.org (wind industry)

www.goinggreenjobs.com

www.ases.org

www.careersinwind.com

As you discover new sources for green information or job leads, please post your comments and share with our group. In the mean time, we encourage you to pick one recent book on green jobs and read for professional development.