Recruitment News
Green is the new white (collar)
By Staff Writer
You have heard about climate change and global warming; but, have you thought about the new roles which must and will be created as a result?
“ The growth in green careers will be like the Internet boom.”
Job seekers starting out or looking for a change in their careers should consider green-collar work in addition to blue- and white- collar categories. This is as a boom in the range of environmental responsibility trades beckons on the recruitment horizon says Tracey Czakan, marketing director of employment services company the Kelly Group.
A bull market has begun to develop in green careers, she says, and job seekers are advised to get on board now because careers promoting environmental responsibility that are considered cutting edge now will be mainstream within a decade or so.
“The growth in green careers will be like the Internet boom, which not only created new jobs, but also significantly impacted the overall economy,” she says.
Research conducted in America shows that up to half a million new jobs in ecologically responsible trades will blossom in the next three years alone. And jobs will pop up at every income level, from chief sustainability officer to “green” maintenance supervisor.
Czakan reveals that some of the new job titles job seekers can look forward to seeing advertised in the not-so-distant future include a green product designer who develops products that use less energy and raw materials to produce and consume less energy and resources to use; an energy rating auditor who performs a comprehensive analysis of a building’s energy efficiency; an environmental manager who coordinates management of an organisation’s environmental performance; a permaculture specialist who analyses land use and community buildings to create a harmonious blend of buildings, microclimate, plants, animals, soils, and water; and an urban arborist who is a landscaper or greenskeeper with an understanding of conservation and renewable resources.
In addition, Czakan says that most current professions will have green added to their existing job description. “It could well become a requirement for accountants to manage corporate carbon emission offsets and for IT technicians to manage data centres in the most efficient way possible,” she says.
