With $40 billion dollars of the stimulus plan dedicated to creating “green jobs”, there has been a lot of talk about what exactly the administration means. Through conversation about a green collar economy has been a vibrant one for the past two years, the concept is in many ways still concept. MSNBC does a good job this week of pointing us all in a more tangible direction and the good news is jobs in the building sector are growing up green.
Complements of Galley Eco Capital
Here’s the hottest 10 sectors for green jobs:
1. Advanced biofuels
2. Building retrofitting
3. Geothermal energy
4. Green chemistry
5. Green manufacturing
6. Smart grid
7. Solar energy
8. Sustainable agriculture
9. Sustainable green retailing
10. Wind energy
Here’s a taste of what’s to come:
Building retrofitting
The Obama administration wants to retrofit 10 million homes every year until 2020. At that rate, the industry could sustain about 1.25 million jobs directly and about 6 million jobs indirectly.
Jobs: Home performance specialists, energy auditors, managers, marketers, mechanical engineers, retrofitting directors, construction managers, retrofitters trained in multi-disciplines and software engineers.
Green manufacturing
Advocates contend that every $1 million invested in renewable energy systems creates about five full-time component manufacturing jobs. Every $1 million invested in energy-efficiency programs creates three to four building-material manufacturing jobs and five energy-efficient appliance manufacturing jobs.
Jobs: Factory workers, health and safety officers, managers, machine tool operators, machinists, pipefitters, quality control technicians, sales managers, team assemblers and welders.
Smart Grid
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law on Feb. 17, included more than $11 billion for investments in a new smart grid, investments that will create thousands of miles of new or modernized high-tech transmission lines, while training and employing highly skilled and well-paid line workers.
Jobs: Contractors, electrical engineers, electricians, line workers, programmers and suppliers.
Green jobs have become a mantra of hope for many, with organizations like Van Jones’ Green For All organization. It’s dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty and believes a shift to a clean, green economy can improve the health and well being of low-income people.
Additional great resources for greening your career path:
