Green Jobs

EMSI (one of the data providers we use) has published a helpful guide to understanding green jobs for the economic and workforce development worlds.

There is, of course, some disagreement about whether or not "green" jobs are really all that different from existing jobs (i.e. Does a HVAC technician go from a non-green job to a green job if he or she learns how to do an energy audit?). But the important point here is that, if you are interested in understanding and measuring the Capital Area's green workforce assets, then there is information available to help you.

Here's a list of occupations ranked by full-time jobs in the Capital Area that EMSI has identified as part of a solar power cluster:

Construction laborers
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers
Electricians
Electrical engineers
Construction managers
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
Electromechanical equipment assemblers
Helpers--Installation, maintenance, and repair workers
Helpers, electricians
Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
Structural metal fabricators and fitters
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
Helpers, construction trades, all other

These occupations represent approximately 31,000 full-time jobs in the Capital Area, and there are expected to be more than 7,000 openings for workers in the next five years. Wages range from an average of $10.88 for entry-level to $24.07 for experienced workers. Education and training requirements for these jobs in the Capital Area are as follows:

20% require short-term on-the-job training
45% require moderate-term on-the-job training
14% require long-term on-the-job training
21% require postsecondary education

Finally, here's a map showing where these jobs are located by zip code in the Capital Area. The darker shades of green indicate where jobs are concentrated.

(Click on image for a larger version)



Source: EMSI

If you'd like more information about green jobs in your community, let us know, and we'd be happy to help you identify data available for your work.

Brian Kelsey