What exactly qualifies as a green job?

[mmmoralesss]

I know there are engineers but what else? What other type of jobs are there? Also, What degree can you pursue to get to get whichever type of job?

[someguy]

here is some info off the michigan.gov website...

[url=http://www.michigan.gov/nwlb/0,1607,7-242-49026_49042---,00.html]No Worker Left Behind - What types of jobs are green?[/url]

as for the degrees.. i guess you can click the link and google the jobs you like individually and see what you come up with.. hope this helps.

[kymsolaris]

Here is an article that discusses that very issue:

What Makes Jobs 'Green,' And How Many Are There?

In speeches, TV ads and debates, politicians talk about green jobs almost every day.

"Green jobs will be one of the largest changes in our economy since the industrial revolution," said Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

"We're also investing in a home-grown clean energy industry," said President Barack Obama.

"That's why I proposed an energy savings fund," said DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton.

"We passed a nation-leading renewable energy standard, and you know, it still is creating jobs," said DFL gubernatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

"I believe that we can create 50,000 jobs right away with a clean energy agenda," said DFL gubernatorial candidate Matt Entenza.

But what are green jobs and how can they really help the economy and the environment?

Here's what you need to know.

From wind turbines to solar, the market is exploding with clean jobs for clean energy. It's called "green-collar." The most basic definition of a "green-collar job" is that it must pay decent wages and benefits that can support a family, be part of a real career path with upward mobility and the job needs to reduce waste and pollution.

But many jobs expand the definition to include anything that helps put America on the path to a cleaner, more energy-efficient future.

That means jobs in public transit, science, education, green construction and building retrofitting -- even traditional, blue-collar manufacturing jobs as long as the products contribute to "decarbonizing" the economy.

It's difficult to put a real number on exactly how many green jobs are out there, and it's still quite a small part of our economy. Here's what you need to know:

The most recent government study, "Measuring the Green Economy," found the number of green jobs at about 2 million. Green manufacturing jobs totaled more than 200,000 and green service jobs were much higher at more than 1.5 million.

Even during this recession, a Pew Institute report found clean energy jobs in Minnesota grew by nearly 12 percent from 1998 to 2007, while total jobs grew at only about 2 percent.

With the demand for clean energy on the rise and financial support from both private and public sectors increasing, the green economy is in place to grow quickly.

Voters can expect to hear more about green jobs as Election Day nears.

[IMG]http://www.treehugger.com/20081031-green-jobs-now.jpg[/IMG]

[jonyboyy]

What are green-collar jobs?

by Stephanie Watson

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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article:

Watson, Stephanie. "What are green-collar jobs?." 17 November 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/green-collar-job.htm> 04 August 2010.
Inside this Article

1. What are green-collar jobs?
2. What Makes a Job Green-collar?
3. Creating Green-Collar Jobs -- Pros and Cons

4. Lots More Information
5. See all Green Science articles

Alternative Energy Videos
Alternative Energy Videos

* More Science Videos »

What Makes a Job Green-collar?
*The architect William McDonough.
Ted Thai/Time Life Pictures/*Getty Images
Green-collar jobs also include professions in the design field. The architect William McDonough stands in a green building he designed.

*The term "green-collar job" has been around since the late 1990s. The nonprofit organization Sightline Institute helped coin the phrase. In 1999, its director, Alan Durning, wrote a book of the same name investigating the changing job market in the Northwest.

The term "white-collar jobs" was introduced in the early 20th century to describe salaried professionals who work in an office or sales job. The idea of blue-collar jobs came along after the post-World War II industrial boom to describe more manual jobs.

The description of a green-collar job falls somewhere between that of white collar and blue collar. Some positions are manual -- for example, constructing the steel blades used in wind turbines. Others are managerial *or scientific -- such as designing energy-efficient buildings or planning out green space for a city.

Any of the following can be considered green-collar jobs:

* Designing "green" buildings
* Retrofitting homes and office buildings to make them more energy-efficient
* Producing biofuels or working in a biofuel station
* Manufacturing nontoxic cleaning products
* Designing and maintaining parks
* Recycling and composting
* Manufacturing environmentally friendly products, such as hybrid cars and wind turbines
* Installing solar panels
* Working on water conservation projects
* Growing organic food on a sustainable farm

Environmental Career Consultant
When you're looking for a green-collar job, where do you turn for help? To an environmental career consultant, of course. Marie Kerpan claims to be the country's first environmental career consultant. In 2000, she left a high-powered career as vice president and senior consultant for the New York outsourcing firm Drake Beam Morin to follow a more sustainable career path. Kerpan founded Green Careers, a career consulting firm that helps prospective employees scope out jobs in environmentally friendly industries.

*Determining whether a job is green-collar can sometimes be fuzzy, because some companies are involved in making both traditional and environmentally friendly products. Take, for example, people who work in a mill that produces steel for both big SUVs and wind turbines. Are they green-collar or blue-collar workers? Do the lawyers who work for a biodiesel company have white-collar or green-collar jobs? The answers depend on how you look at the job and its responsibilities.

Proponents of green-collar jobs say they're ideal for people with limited education and skills. Most of these jobs don't require a four-year college degree, certification or licenses. Yet one study foun*d that green-collar jobs sometimes pay higher than most traditional manufacturing jobs -- between $12 and $22 an hour, compared with $8 or $9 an hour in the traditional manufacturing sector [source: Porter]. What's more, green-collar jobs can be an entry point to higher paying, more skilled professional jobs.

[koddio]

Here is an article about green jobs in Australia:

Green Army jobs target passes halfway mark

More than 1600 jobs have been created through the Queensland Government’s three year Green Army program, passing the half way point of the 3000 jobs target, Treasurer Minister for Employment and Economic Development Andrew Fraser said today.

Mr Fraser said in the last 13 months 1630 jobs had been created under the Green Army program that’s providing Queensland jobseekers with the skills they need to enter to the workforce.

“Just like our 100,000 jobs target, we’re less than half way through this term and we’re more than half way to meeting our Green Army target,” Mr Fraser said.

“The target was for 2300 work placements of up to six months and 700 year-long Green Traineeships.

“In our first 13 months 1300 jobs have been created in 85 projects around the state, along with 330 year-long traineeships.

“This $57 million program is not only about recruiting jobseekers to build their skill, but also improve the natural environment.”

Mr Fraser said that Queensland’s Green Army had been created at the time of the Global Financial Crisis as part of the Government’s response to support and build new jobs.

“While the economy is now showing signs of improvement, the Green Army will continue to improve local natural assets across Queensland,” he said.

“Importantly, it will provide Green Army recruits with the skills they need to get jobs as the economy picks up.”

Queensland’s Green Army is part of the innovative Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.

During 2010-11 the Queensland Government will invest $106 million in the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to give an estimated 24,000 long-term unemployed and under-employed people job-related assistance and skills training.

“Our aim is to maximise labour force participation and increase Queensland’s prosperity,” Mr Fraser said.

“Queensland continues to lead Australia in the provision of assistance to those most disadvantaged in the labour market.”

For more information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit [url=http://www.employment.qld.gov.au]Employment (Queensland Government)[/url] or call 1300 369 925.

Media contacts: Treasurer’s office – ( 07 ) 3224 6361 or 3224 4551

[IMG]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ikgc1GAkfv-JRM:http://www.theimpulsivebuy.com/images/twirgreenmen.jpg&t=1[/IMG]

[mmmoralesss]

so much reading !!!!

[jonyboyy]

forget about green jobs... if you want to make a steady living then find a different career because the green job search is so volatile. Just go into something more practical and do volunteer work on the side... thats all you need to make a difference

[Vegan]

I think any job can become a green job when you are helping nature. For example inside offices, workers can use both pages of the paper before throwing it to the bin. Their jobs become green jobs as they help conserve trees.

[MsImpact]

Wow, so much have been going around and I am so out of touch. I like this concept of Green Jobs. I wish they would implement greener rules on industrial wastes as they are one of the big culprits. Well, of course individuals too, but if factories and industries use reusable and recyclable materials then more wastes will be reduced.
I do hope this Green Job move will be realized asap.

[solarpowered]

I think this depends if it's by a legal definition or a personal one, for the legal one I'm sure that you can find an official document stating the requirements, for me personally tho it's anything that helps leave a cleaner planet to future generations.