Green solar jobs - for you?
These days, its all about green solar jobs. With record high unemployment, an economy in ruins and global climate change news grabbing headlines each week, what is the real story about jobs in the renewable energy industry? Are we really heading towards a green economy?
Wired Science.com recently published a report showing that growth in the green jobs sector outpaced other classifications by about 250% over the past 10 years. Between 1998-2007, renewable energy jobs grew by over 9%, compared to less than 4% for the overall job market.
For more good news, a report from the Pew Charitable Trust says that 68,200 businesses employ 770,000 green workers. Lest you are not impressed with those figures, note that the overall segment of jobs in the RE sector is approaching the same percentage as those in “traditional” energy (coal mining and big oil).
Finally, progress!
Ready for a green solar job?
Green solar jobs may be an even better place to seek employment than biotechnology, in fact. Notes the Pew Charitable Trusts researchers:
“Although our numbers are conservative, our report provides the most precise depiction to date of the clean energy economy in the United States.”
With the Obama administration pushing a renewable energy economy, along with its plan for economic recovery, one can expect to see even greater growth in green solar jobs in the coming years. Predicted a team from the Goldman School of Public Policy:
“Across a broad range of scenarios, the renewable energy sector generates more jobs than the fossil fuel-based energy sector per unit of energy delivered (i.e., per average megawatt).”
The U.S. economy will be able to create even more green solar jobs, if pending climate and energy savings bills pass Congress and become law. If cap and trade becomes law (let alone targets for renewable energy generation), we’ll soon be seeing a significant increase of employment in the green energy sector.
Be sure to check your local papers for information on green solar jobs. In the meantime, you may want to go back to community college to obtain any additional certifications that may be needed, whether you are an engineer, construction worker, or something in between.
What is going on in your community? Please let us know in the comments below.
Tags: green economy, green solar jobs, jobs in the renewable energy sector, pew charitable trusts, wired science
June 24th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Given your topic, your readers might be interested in a new site for high impact / high paying green jobs.
We recently launched Zoosa (http://www.zoosa.org) as a single destination for all social enterprise resources. Thanks to our partners, we already have several thousand news items, jobs & skills based volunteering opportunities in the clean-tech, education, government, health care, and nonprofit sectors!
I'd love to hear your feedback if you get a chance to visit our site!
Mike
July 17th, 2009 at 12:28 am
If you're looking for a solar job, check out The Solar Job Guide –a complete guide to understanding the solar industry and major players. It includes interviews with people in different roles and how-to information for breaking into solar.
May 9th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
For every green job, we are losing 2.4 jobs. Green is not the way to go. We need to cut taxes, reduce restrictions on businesses and drill for our own oil. Don't be deceived by the greeners.
May 10th, 2010 at 1:48 am
That's a ridiculous statement, Mark. Where do you get your statistics? The costs of fossil fuels are going to haunt our children—not simply in degraded environment (the recent spill in the Gulf of Mexico has decimated fisheries in that area, toxifying a huge swath of ocean) but in human health, thanks to pollution. Plus oil is a finite resource—when it runs out, prices go through the roof and our entire oil-dependent infrastructure crashes.
August 3rd, 2010 at 8:42 pm
I am interested in learning about entry-level but growing green jobs for academically-challenged inner-city youth. Any training program models out there?