The green jobs phenomenon continues to grow with more students on campuses nationwide wishing to pursue environmentally-friendly careers, the Hackensack Record reported.

As College News previously wrote, green jobs are the wave of the future for students currently enrolled in higher education opportunities. It’s not just blue-collar jobs either.  Many are using green jobs in science, technology and politics to help them prepare for a more sustainable future, The Record reported.

The article said that the U.S. Conference of Mayors is projecting 4.2 million green jobs nationwide by 2028, compared with only 750,000 today.

A community college in Paramus, N.J. is now offering a solar energy class to teach electricians to install solar panels. There’s also classes in energy-efficient home construction and sustainable interior design, the article said.

There’s also another new four-week class involving real estate and environmentally-friendly homes.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark has also gone green, creating a “green careers” database for students interested in the field. There’s over 100 college majors to look at to see what green careers they can lead to, and a current job search listing, the article reported.

A student finishing up a degree in science and technology feels that green technology is the future of technology, and will be a very competitive field soon the article said.

Many New Jersey students are also intertwining hard science with social sciences. The Record said that this is in the hopes that it will influence business practices and public policy.

Our Take:

While I think this is a great idea, I feel that other majors need love too. I know everyone is excited about green jobs and I do believe it’s a growing field, I think it’s very important to remember that other majors need loving too. I do find it really interesting though, how many are combining other fields with green-related ones. I’m curious to see in the next 10-20 years where this field will be.