by Becky Szafranski
11. April 2011
Although economic recovery may be starting throughout the United States, many people are still feeling the effects of a nationwide recession. Unemployment has risen dramatically in the past several years and still remains well above 8% in the United States and above 9% in Arizona. Layoffs and unemployment affected many industries, including both white-collar and blue-collar jobs. Industries hit particularly hard include manufacturing, construction and even health care.
Similar to other times of high unemployment, many of those who find themselves jobless choose to continue their education before continuing their job search. Today, many returning students are choosing a new path that holds the promise of future jobs, “green degrees” or sustainable practices education. In the past several years, green or sustainable programs have emerged at universities all over the United States.
Arizona State University opened the doors to their School of Sustainability in 2007 and offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in sustainability as well as degrees in business, engineering or law with a concentration in sustainability. The School of Sustainability, which has been called a model of sustainable education, uses a “transdisciplinary approach in its curriculum, addressing a broad spectrum of global challenges, including: energy, materials, and technology; water quality and scarcity; international development; ecosystems; social transformations; food and food systems; and policy and governance.” Green degrees can also be found at various schools across the country, including North Carolina State University, University of Massachusetts, Old Dominion University and University of Phoenix online.
With all of these students graduating with green degrees, will there be enough jobs for them? Those graduating from ASU’s School of Sustainability may not have to travel far to find a job. First Solar announced recently that they would invest about $300 million in a new U.S. manufacturing center for advanced thin-film photovoltaic modules in Mesa, Arizona. Construction of the factory is scheduled to begin in 2011 and once completed, the factory will employ over 600 people.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also has its eye on green jobs. Starting in Fiscal Year 2010, BLS received funding to develop and implement the collection of new data on green jobs. BLS has also undertaken the difficult job of defining “green jobs” and defines the term as follows: (A) Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources or (B) Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.
Do you think that those pursuing a green or sustainable degree will be better equipped for jobs in the future? Would you consider a green or sustainable degree an asset for an applicant for a job in your company? How would you utilize the skills and information they have gained from a green or sustainable degree program?
