Are green jobs for real?
Yes. As we confront the many challenges facing us - including pollution, climate change, water quality, waste disposal, energy generation and conservation – we have no choice but to make green choices for our continued survival.
Additionally, the environment has become more and more important to consumers, which means that businesses are responding to this greater focus on sustainability.
Finally, governments are also investing heavily in the green economy. Ontario is home to the Feed-in-Tariff program, whereby green energy generators are paid for producing green energy (e.g. wind, solar) using equipment built to a certain extent here in Ontario. With this we’re seeing an increase not only in green manufacturing but also jobs in the installation and maintenance of these projects.
As discussed in the opening page, a green job is any job that contributes to sustainability, whether it's in an emerging renewable energy technology or increasing environmental awareness within a traditional industry. There are many green careers and many resources to help you identify them. Here are a few resources you can consult to see some occupational profiles in the green economy:
Occupational profiles from ECO Canada
Green Jobs Profile, Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin, September 2011
