(Oral Bac 2014 G1-G2)

The need for alternative energy sources as well as the importance of energy conservation and environmental protection will be the driving force behind job opportunities in the field of energy. It will be the foundation for what has been called the green economy.

“Green collar” jobs, as they are called, are available at a variety of skill, education, and experience levels. Engineers aren't the only professionals in demand. Like other industries, the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors also need electricians, accountants, (IT) Information Technology managers, assemblers, truck drivers, and other workers, according to the American Solar Energy Society.

Green jobs can be found or even created in any field as long-as they truly preserve or restore the environment. Interior designers or furniture manufacturers could be considered green-collar if the material that they use is environmentally friendly. Food production, landscaping, and even manufacturing, one of the industries hardest hit by the recession, provide fertile areas for opportunity.

Wind turbines and photovoltaic panels require building, installation, and maintenance. They require the same traditional skills that mechanics possess to build and maintain. Former auto industry employees could upgrade their skills to find work in a wind turbine manufacturing plant.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, while many other industries were reducing jobs in 2008, the wind energy sector created 35,000 new jobs. Project engineers, marketing managers, and senior finance analysts are among positions available in the wind sector.

Adapted from Black Enterprise April 2010