1. Running Footer - Title or Subtitle Industry Trends in a Green Economy Moira Srago, Employment Specialist, College of Engineering & College of Science Career Center
2. AGENDA Introduction What are Green Jobs & Clean Tech? Hiring Projections Sample Careers in this Industry Skills Employers Desire Next Steps: How can you help?
3. Green Jobs What is a “Green Job”? Jobs that are focused on sustainability and/or environmental protection and preservation. A green job can be defined either by the nature and purpose of the job, or by the nature and purpose of the employer. Green jobs include jobs of all levels of education, skill and experience. Jim Cassio, Clean Energy and Building Green Careers in Silicon Valley, 2008
4. Clean Tech What is “Clean Tech”? The financing and development of new technologies that provide solutions to energy and environmental challenges. This is achieved by dramatically reducing the use of natural resources and the output of emissions and wastes. Jim Cassio, Green Career Resource Guide, 2009
5. Jobs in the Green Economy Jobs in the Green Economy will fall into 1 of 3 Categories: Green Increased Demand Job: No significant changes in the work and worker requirements of the jobs, however the impact of the green economy activities and technologies results in an increased demand for this job. Green Enhanced Skills Job: The activities & technologies in the green economy result in significant changes to work or worker requirements. This may or may not result in increased demand. The essential purposes of the job may remain the same but some tasks, skills, and knowledge (as well as possible certifications) have changed. Green New & Emerging Job: The impact of green economy activities and technologies is sufficient to create the need for unique work and worker requirements, which results in the generation of a new job. This job may be newly created or derived from an existing job. Greening the World of Work: Implications for O*Net – SOC, and New and Emerging Occupations, 2009
6. The Sectors of the Green Economy Renewable Energy Generation Transportation Energy Efficiency Green Construction Energy Trading Energy & Carbon Capture & Storage Research, Design, and Consulting Services Environment Protection Agriculture & Forestry Manufacturing Recycling & Waste Reduction Governmental & Regulatory Administration Greening the World of Work: Implications for O*Net – SOC, and New and Emerging Occupations, 2009
7. The Green Economy: California’s Focus Renewable Energy Generation: activities related to developing and using energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass. This sector also includes traditional, non-renewable sources of energy undergoing significant green technological changes (e.g., coal, gas & nuclear) Energy Efficiency: activities related to increasing energy efficiency (broadly defined), making energy demand response more effective, constructing “smart grids,” and so forth 74% of California’s Green Economy is attributable to activities in these areas Greening the World of Work: Implications for O*Net – SOC, and New and Emerging Occupations, 2009
9. Example 1: Materials Engineers Green Increased Demand Job Nanomaterials Improve the efficiency of fuel cells and batteries Green Company: Applied Materials (Ranked #9 in Newsweek’s Greenest Companies in America, 2009) US Job Outlook for 2006-2016 is only +4% California Job Outlook for 2006-2016 is +21% Silicon Valley Job Outlook for 2006-2016 is +13.4% Where are they being employed? Electronic Instrument Manufacturing (15%) Semiconductor & Electronic Components (14.3%) Jim Cassio, Clean Energy and Building Green Careers in Silicon Valley, 2008
10. Example 2: Energy Engineers Green Enhanced Skills Job Research, manage or generate energy including renewable energy Some companies are moving towards requiring Certified Energy Manager (CEM) Certification. Green Employer: HP (Ranked #1 in Newsweek’s Greenest Companies in America, 2009) Growth of the job tied to the growth of the industries that provide & create the jobs. “Architectural, Engineering & Related Services” is projected to grow much faster than average through 2016. Where are they being employed? Architectural and Engineering Services Computer Systems Design & Related Services Electronic Instrument Manufacturing. Jim Cassio, Clean Energy and Building Green Careers in Silicon Valley, 2008
11. Example 3: Sustainability Coordinators Green New & Emerging Job Help an organization become more sustainable and more environmentally responsible. Responsible for educating people about sustainability issues/best practices Coordinate specific projects/programs or coordinate sustainable/green events. Might come from a variety of degrees – business administration, environmental studies or environmental science. Green Employers: SJSU (Dr. Katherine Cushing, Sustainability Director), Cisco Systems(Ranked #14 in Newsweek’s Greenest Companies in America, 2009) Hiring projects unknown at this time, however this position can be found in virtually all industries. Jim Cassio, Clean Energy and Building Green Careers in Silicon Valley, 2008
12. Top 10 Skills Employers Seek in New Grads Top 10 Qualities Employers Seek Communication skills* (verbal & written) Strong work ethic Teamwork skills* (works well with others) Motivation/Initiative Analytical skills Computer skills Flexibility/adaptability Interpersonal skills* Problem solving skills Technical skills Source: NACE Job Outlook 2009 * = Skills employers reported lacking in new hires.
13. Next Steps: What Can You Do to Help Encourage Exploration Every engineering emphasis has a role in the green economy. Encourage students to explore which emphasis is most interesting to them. Informational interviews with individuals already working in the green economy may help students in finding a career that sounds like a “fit”. Encourage Flexibility The green economy is constantly changing and evolving. Help students to understand that they will have opportunities for numerous careers over the course of their lives, they are not just picking “one job”. Encourage Scholastic Focus & Experiential Education A strong academic background combined with the opportunity to apply this knowledge in an internship will help a student succeed in a competitive job market, as well as ensure that their career choice is a good match.
14. References Cassio, Jim & NOVA Works: Clean Energy and Building Green Careers in Silicon Valley, 2008 http://www.youthatwork.org/GreenForum_Handbook.pdf Cassio, Jim: Green Career Resource Guide, 2009 http://www.cassio.com/publications/GreenCareersResourceGuide(Fall09).pdf Dierdoff et. al, Greening the World of Work: Implications for O*Net –SOC, and New and Emerging Occupations, 2009 McGinn, Daniel: The Greenest Companies in America, Newsweek, Sept. 2009 National Association of Colleges & Employers: Job Outlook 2009
