Most , if not all, of you have been hearing a lot more about green jobs as of late. However, do you know exactly what news anchors and bloggers are talking about when they define green jobs?
According to the San Francisco-based Examiner.com, the official government definition of a green job is work hat provide[s] products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste.”
You can easily make a green job a “green career,” which are described by the Examiner as “any job in an organization that provides a product or service that allows the reduction of energy use” or otherwise reduces environmental impact on the planet
Green jobs could be a great bet for college students looking for jobs in this abysmal job marker. According to the Associated Press, green jobs pay 20 percent more than those non-green jobs, and are more likely to be held by city-dwelling men. So guys in New York City and D.C.: start looking green.
While most of today’s future job seekers were still in high school or had just started college when it passed, the Green Jobs Act of 2007 “allows $125 million to establish national and state job training programs administered by the U.S. Department of Labor,” according to a press release issued by the government around the time of the bill’s passing.
President Obama even appointed a Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Van Jones, back in March of 2009. Also, to compliment green jobs, the president plans to incorporate more funding for green housing, Buffalo News reported.
According to a CNNMoney.com article, the average entry-level pay for those in green jobs is about $12 an hour. There are multiple Web sites out there to help with all your green job needs. Greenjobs.com is a Renewable Energy recruitment service, meaning it can help you find a job in the sector, and greenjobs.net allows people interested in the green career sector to network with others in the field (think of it as an Enviro Linked-In).
College News previously reported that President Obama’s economic stimulus plan allows billions for green jobs and education. This growth in funding could possibly allow college students to study green careers when they begin as 18-year-old freshmen.
Also, many of us have grown up naturally environmentally conscious. We recycle, use public transportation and enjoy learning about clean energy, College News reported in March. It only seems natural that we now seemingly have a workforce that reflects our increasing need for all things green.
Our Take:
So, you fresh out of high school seniors (speaking of green). What would you do about green jobs? Are any of you interested? The whole green sector seems as if it would be an interesting way to go about a career post-college. Do you think that you’ll end up taking a green job because you have an existing passion for it? Or will it be out of necessity? (Meaning that you’ll go pretty much anywhere where people are hiring).
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