Showing posts with label green workforce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green workforce. Show all posts

Best Places for Green Jobs in the US

The number of green jobs is proliferating around the world, but some places are better than others. In countries like the US, China, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore the recycling industry is experiencing significant growth to address their waste management issues. In the US, California, Florida, Michigan and Ohio are hotbeds of activity in energy efficiency.

Here is a list of some of the best US locations for green jobs from research compiled by the Examiner.

Washington

As a technology hub, Seattle is known for innovations including many new cleantech companies like waste management, energy efficiency technologies and smart-grid technologies.

Seattle has a large transportation industry, this is an advantage as many cleantech applications are used in the transportation industries – examples include those used for aviation industries and vehicle recharging facilities.

The city is also known to have a large environmentally conscious customers base, and this is helping environmentally oriented consumer products.

In addition, Seattle is a base of many technology and cleantech venture capital firms – it has a close community connecting between companies and venture capital investors.

Related Industries: Waste Management, Transportation, And Energy Efficient Technology

Texas

Renewable energy is a big industry across Texas. Large energy companies such as Esso, Chevron and other oil & gas companies invest heavily in renewable energy industries. The oil & gas companies are actually some of the major investors in the renewable energy sectors as they wish to maintain their market share in the energy industry.

Houston is the headquarters of many oil & gas companies. Many energy efficient technologies have also set up their operations in Houston to service their major customers. Other opportunities include the growing number of engineering services firms in Texas that provide services to infrastructure projects in that state.

Industries: Petrochemical engineering, environmental engineering, civil engineers, renewable energy R&D and energy financing

Southern California

Southern California is becoming the Cleantech Corridor of the United States. Southern California has several advantages including a favorable climate for solar energy, access to technical professionals and an environmentally aware population.

San Diego is one city that is becoming a popular base for cleantech companies, including solar companies, environmental engineering services and energy efficiency technology companies.

Northern California

The opportunities in the Northern California are different from those in the Southern California. Silicon Valley and San Francisco are major investment hubs for cleantech industries.

A number of large companies have chosen Northern California for their corporate headquarter. New electric vehicle Tesla motors is headquartered in Palo Alto, as well as hundreds of solar energy, wind energy and environmental engineering firms.

Northern California also has an environmentally conscious population ideal for organic products, green consumer goods, green energy providers and marketing firms that work on behalf of green industries.

Industries: Cleantech, Environmental Engineering Services, Green Marketing, Green Education, Solar, Consumer Goods, Venture Capital and Private Equity.

Michigan

Michigan promotes itself as the ideal destination for cleantech companies, particularly those relating to the automotive industries.

In cities like Troy and others in northern Michigan, factories have been transformed to manufacture greentech products such as batteries for electrical vehicles, recharging facilities and new types of engines.

It has also attracted various engineering firms including some major European engineering firms.

Related Industries: Automotive industries, car batteries, engineering services and automotive engineering designs.

New York

While New York is not a preferred location for the manufacturing industry, it is the global headquarters for a very large number of green related industries. This makes sense given the fact that the NYSE and Nasdaq are both headquartered in the New York City, along with many corporate headquarters.

It is the financial capital of the green economy. New York has a high concentration of financial services companies including Cleantech Venture Capital, Private Equity Firms, Energy Venture Capital, Mutual Funds, and Social Responsible Investment Funds.

To serve these financial services firms a number of support industries have settled in New York. This includes companies associated with investor relations, public relations and media companies.

Related Industries: Corporate Financing, Corporate Advisory Firms, Mutual Funds, Venture Capital, Investor Relations and Public Relations.

To see the original article in the Examiner click here.

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Top 10 "Shovel Ready" Green Jobs

Green jobs are growing rapidly around the world. Sectors involved with employment that is better for the environment are amongst the very few that are showing positive signs of growth in 2012 and beyond. According to Examiner.com, here are the sectors that are most likely to create jobs.

1. Energy Efficiency Technologies

Energy efficiency has been steadily growing and this is particularly true in the last couple of years. These "shovel ready jobs." have raised significant investment capital last 2 years. Energy efficiency (technologies, process and applications) is very popular because these applications can be applied immediately to existing infrastructure, and able to generate than reinventing a new technology.

2. Recycling technologies

New recycling technologies and increasing outsourcing are trends that are being adopted by governments worldwide. There have been quite a number of companies successfully developing new technologies for recycling. These include companies that convert solid waste into energy, packaging or building materials.

Professionals can look for companies providing recycling services or companies that have invented new recycling technologies. Many new jobs are also being created by environmental engineering companies, some of which have expanded into waste management services.

3. Green Building Materials

The green building sector is a very important industry that is experiencing massive growth. Green building innovations like green cement is replacing traditional cement which is very environmentally destructive.

Private equity firms in Europe, Middle East and China are investing in building materials that require less water. They have made investments which address issues related to the scarcity of water in these regions.

For job seekers or recruiters, look for major building materials suppliers.

4. Water Resources Conservation

Countries like United States, Canada, Australia and Israel are particularly active in investing in water resources conservation and management technologies.

These include diagnosis, water treatment and irrigation systems. In Asia, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan are prioritizing water management technologies. Singapore has achieved remarkable success in this field due to significant investments from governments and the private sector.

In North America, many companies have developed new membrane technologies to improve water conservation. New consulting firms have also been established to provide testing and remediation for water resources.

5. Home Products

Home products are a growth sector because they are easily replaced. In addition, a lot of these products benefit from government rebates. This creates new opportunities for manufacturers and retailers. Investors are also involved with low water toilets, solar panels, efficient windows and efficient heating and cooling units.

Consumers are changing their buying behavior and this is providing job opportunities. Consider window manufacturers, lighting companies, or companies that manufacture efficient heating and cooling systems.

6. Geothermal Energy Companies

Geothermal is a proven and safe renewable source of energy. It is already a widely adopted energy option in the US, Canada, Iceland and New Zealand, South America and Northern Europe.

Professionals can seek potential opportunities with mining and energy companies, or with investment firms that invest in alternative energies.

7. Solar & wind energy

A number of investments made last quarter were relating to energy storage technologies specifically designed to boost efficiency for solar and wind energy infrastructure. These technologies can enhance solar and wind energy generation and storage as part of the energy efficiency improvement.

Solar and wind energy companies became focus points in 2nd half of 2011, mainly due to the nuclear power issue in Japan. Decisions were made by several European governments to cancel or delay their nuclear power plans and focus more on solar and wind energy.

Interesting job opportunities may exist with solar companies, wind energy companies, utilities companies and companies that provide energy storage solutions and technologies to solar and wind energy.

8. Cleantech Marketing Companies

Cleantech and green industries are not just restricted to the technology and energy sectors. As we have seen recently, a number of social media websites were launched dedicated to green industries.

Some of these websites and marketing companies have been expanding at very rapid rate. For instance, there are cleantech specialized public relations companies, they create campaigns for cleantech and green companies, or to reach the LOHAs communities, which are often more affluent communities with higher disposable incomes.

There has also been significant growth in green media companies such as cleantech news sites, cleantech investment websites or business matching sites.

Green media will offer interesting opportunities for those with media or journalism experience.

9. Household Green Services

There are many jobs available with ompanies that help residential homes to become more energy efficient like those involved with efficiency retrofits.

Jobs in this field are available through plumbing companies, insulation specialists, electricity contractors and residential solar or wind energy specialists.

10. Green Investment Firms

Green financing is another area that has seen a substantial growth. For example, green private equity firms back some Green ETFs. Socially Responsible Investments were popular in 2006 and 2007 and will likely continue.

When looking for jobs you can consider green venture capital firms, or green mutual funds as well as investor relations firms that specializes in helping cleantech or energy companies to reach investors.

Good examples include Google and Intel Capital or Virgin Group, all of which have cleantech venture capital firms even though their core businesses are not related to the cleantech.

For the original article go to Examiner.com

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How to Land a Green Job

Green jobs encompass a wide range of occupations. Green jobs can play a pivotal role in reducing unemployment and reviving a sluggish economy. The green market has enormous potential, more than any other industry. We have already seen massive growth in the solar and wind industries and this is sure to continue.

Far too many American politicians confuse the debate by denying climate change rather than advance green jobs. However, the burgeoning awareness will make it increasingly difficult for these politicians to continue their resistance to the inevitable transition to clean energy. Clean energy is a matter of national security, it is also a matter of international competitiveness.

Green collar jobs are already playing a vital role spurring economic growth and providing green jobs. In Europe, countries like Spain are investing heavily in renewable energy with the expectation that this will reduce unemployment and help grow their national economy.

Increasing numbers of green job seekers are looking to enter the green market. Green job seekers should learn about the companies and technologies that are part of the green revolution. An appropriate Education and ongoing learning is key. Green job seekers need to continually update their skills to keep up with the latest trends, they also need to attend conferences, and network with others in their chosen green field.

An outstanding resume that is focused on cleantech or other sustainable skills can go a long way to help people secure a green job. Leverage your experiences and position yourself for a green career. It is important to note that each industry has its own specific needs, and rather than a generic resume your resume should highlight your cleantech experience and other relevant experience. A cover letter tailored to the company to which you are applying is also an important part of a successful job application.

Volunteering can also give you valuable experience. For helpful green volunteer information visit "Sustainability Pro Bono Exhange," (SPBEX). SPBEX is a kind of match-making service between green/sustainability professionals and organizations in search of such professionals on a volunteer basis.

An online community for the unemployed known as lemonadeit, provides information for the unemployed. This site has a wealth of tools for the unemployed seeking to become employed.


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Sustainable Education is Key to Accessing the Green Economy

High unemployment rates and the rising cost of college are causing many students to seek a college education that offers marketable skills.

Education is an increasingly crucial component of preparing a prospective workforce for the new economy. From preschool to post graduate studies, education supplies us with the tools we require to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

In the US, there were 76 million children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in 2007, comprising 27 percent of the entire population 3 and older.

In 2007, almost half of all college students were 18 and 19 years of age, however with 15 percent of all college students 35 and older, higher education is not only for the young. The older age group made up 36 percent of those attending school part time.

Recent university attendance numbers show an increasing number of people are enrolling in school for advanced degrees or specialty training. The projected number of students enrolled in US colleges and universities for fall 2010 is 19 million, up from 13.5 million 20 years ago.

With many losing their jobs or having trouble finding employment going back to school is a logical way to upgrade skills.

A new trend study from the University of California San Diego Extension reveals that sustainability is one of the hottest career options for college graduates in this challenging economy. Sustainable education aims to help people to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and others, now and in the future, and to act upon these decisions.

By the mid-21st century, all jobs will be sustainable jobs. Organizations must prepare themselves for inevitable legislative and regulatory changes, some of which are already well underway. We know that the future will be much greener than it is today and increasingly diverse sectors are looking for business growth opportunities in the area of sustainability. People who understand these challenges will be well positioned to benefit.

In the new era of environmental economics, sustainable jobs will be in high demand and have unparalleled growth opportunities.
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