What are Green Jobs?

Green jobs refers to any job that contributes to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. In addition, they provide family-supporting wages and a career ladder to move low-income workers into higher-skilled occupations. Almost everything we do and use in our daily lives, requires energy, and most of that energy comes from fossil fuels. Transitioning from a fossil fuel based economy is an essential to our future. Our ability to meet this challenge depends upon creating and supporting millions of new green jobs that are good for our climate, our wallets, careers, and our health. 

 
For examples of Green Jobs click here.

  Why Green Jobs?
 

Green collar careers present opportunities for local community revitalization by creating good jobs in areas which are experiencing recession or environmental injustice.

While some green collar jobs have existed for years, interest in green employment has grown dramatically in recent years. Consumers, environmental justice activists, and policy makers recognize a growing need to address environmental issues and climate change, while creating dignified jobs. Many businesses are responding to these consumer concerns by making their operations more environmentally friendly. A number of green business initiatives rose up on their own to meet the demand for things like solar panels, environmentally friendly furnishings, and other green products.

For more on why green jobs are so important, click here.

Where are Green Jobs?

Trainings/Continued Education

1. Top 10 green colleges and universities
2. Many community colleges have unique green job  trainings. Find your local colleges here.
3. Renewable energy training catalog by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council
4. National Primary Training for Green Builders
   
    

Current Job/Internship Openings

1. Green For All's robust Green Collar Jobs Resources page is a great place to start for job trainings and openings
2. Green Jobs Network connects people seeking jobs with available opportunities and resources
3. The Clean Energy Service Corps provide high-quality job trainings and paid service for low-income, low-skilled young people. Find Corps near you
4. Job Corps program helps you earn high school diplomas or GEDs, and find and keep good jobs.
5. Clean-tech jobs openings listed by Clean Edge
6. Yahoo! hot green jobs listings
7. Search for jobs in your area of interest at idealist.org