Everything You Need To Know About Green Jobs
The job market and recruitment sectors are evolving with new jobs being created to increase innovation and enhance modern-day infrastructure. But have you heard about ‘green jobs’?
If you’re still unsure what ‘green jobs’ actually are, why they are important and the skills needed for them, we’ve got you covered.
To get started, take a look at our recent video from Stockport’s Climate Action Now Expo. We asked local business leaders why young people should consider a career in the green sector and here’s what they had to say.
What are ‘Green Jobs’?
Green jobs are those roles that have a direct, positive impact on the planet, this includes jobs with environmentally-conscious credentials. It also covers jobs in the circular economy – roles that contribute towards reusing, reducing, recycling and repairing our resources through more sustainable and less consumption-heavy practices.
Green roles can be found in almost any industry, but some are more likely than others. You’ll typically find green jobs in the following sectors:
- Administration – including jobs such as an environmental health specialist, green data analyst, environmental lawyer or accountant.
- Agriculture – including jobs in organic farming, agricultural technicians and farming managers.
- Energy – including jobs such as renewable energy technicians and operators, solar panel installation, wind turbine engineers and nuclear energy engineers.
- Engineering – including jobs such as mechanical engineers, urban planners, water resources engineers and air quality engineers.
- Housing – including jobs such as architects, landscape designers, civil engineers, urban planners and geologists.
- Technology – including jobs such as an environmental scientist, climate scientist or environmental technician.
- Transportation – including jobs in electric vehicle design and manufacture, electric public transport and electric haulage.
- Waste removal – including jobs such as a recycling coordinator and refuse collector.
Why are ‘Green Jobs’ important?
Green jobs are essential for future-proofing the planet and we as a collective need to do our best if we want to try to reverse the environmental damage that’s been done and tackle the impending climate crisis. This is where green jobs offer enormous potential in the jobs market to help make those necessary changes to the way we live and grow as a society.
Green jobs are also important because they provide an optimistic and stable future for the young people of today. Future generations are the next up-and-coming workforce so we need to protect their futures also. A recent study found that young people were most positive about the prospect of working in the green and digital economies with ethical concerns increasingly determining their choices.
Skills for Green Careers
To enhance your chances of attaining a green job, it’s important that you have the appropriate skills and training in the first place, as well as the right mindset and good intentions. The skills and training you’ll find useful for green jobs include:
- A degree in a relevant subject, such as environmental science, biochemistry, sustainability management or electrical vehicle engineering.
- A training course or certificate in a topic relevant to the environmental sector, such as Environmental Awareness training or an apprenticeship in agriculture, energy or manufacturing.
- Relevant work experience or volunteering, like getting involved in local community sustainability projects or work experience of the industry you want to join.
- Demonstrable transferable skills, like good communication skills, critical thinking, creativity and teamwork, which can be adapted for any industry and any job role.
At the recent Stockport Climate Action Now event, we interviewed local employers about the skills they think will be most important to invest in for the green careers of the future. Here’s what they had to say about priorities for their businesses and top tips for the next generation.
