Green Jobs
Green Jobs
Until relatively recently, being "Green" was considered a minority interest. However, 2007 saw a big change in people’s attitudes and now public awareness and government policy are making many companies assess what impact they have on the environment.
Scientists tell us we need to do a lot to slow down climate change by:
- reducing waste
- changing the way heat, power and fuel is produced
- making our homes and workplaces more energy efficient
This is leading to the creation of a range of job opportunities, both technical and non-technical.
Areas included
Green jobs come in many forms and cover a range of industries. The major industries are:
Energy
Renewable Energies:
- Wind Energy
- Biomass
- Hydroelectric
- Solar
- Tidal/Wave Power
Environmental
Eco-Tourism:
- Environmental Conservation
- Fisheries Management
- Game and Wildlife Management
- Landscape
- Land Management
- Organic Farming
- Recreation
- Sustainable Forestry
Waste Management
- Recycling
- Waste Disposal
- Waste Water Processing
- Water Treatment
Construction
- Sustainable construction
- Microgeneration
There are jobs at all levels. There is a high demand for skilled engineers, technicians and scientists.
Some jobs are new, for example carbon management consultant, wind resource analyst and energy assessor.
However there are far more existing jobs that will “go green” with both updated skills and new qualifications. For example, there are job opportunities in microgeneration for traditional trades such as plumbers to fit solar thermal hot systems and electricians to fit solar photovoltaic cells in domestic properties.
The Renewable Energy sector is making a substantial and growing contribution to the Scottish Economy, employing somewhere in the region of 2,500 to 3,700 people.
The Steven’s Croft Biomass Plant near Lockerbie is currently the UK’s largest biomass plant. The local farming community provides the fuel and an estimated 340 jobs have been created.
The waste management sector has a number of entry level jobs such as drivers, plant and machine operatives and labourers.
For a full list of green jobs see below.
What's it like working in a Green Job?
- Green Jobs offer interesting and challenging work with job satisfaction as you will be working towards the goals of a sustainable future.
- Salaries for green workers are good.
- Foreign Language skills are useful owing to the international focus on research and development of renewable energy sources.
- Opportunities in Renewable Energy exist for individuals with experience and skills gained in other industries.
- There are an increasing number of renewable energy focused courses being developed.
- Visit The Path is Green and learn first hand what it is like from people working in green jobs.
Future Trends
- There are no robust statistics on the number of green jobs and which industries provide the most green jobs. However, one source (WWF Scotland) predicts that there is the potential to create up to 50,000 Green Jobs in the next 10 to 15 years – giving you an incredible range of choice for the type of career you would like to pursue.
- The renewable energy sector in Scotland is in a period of robust growth that looks set to continue with a large amount of wind and hydro schemes due to come on line over the next few years.
- Around 1,500 people were directly employed in the renewable energy sector in 2004 – this is predicted to grow to 8,600 jobs by 2015.
- Alternative methods of disposing of waste are also being developed and will create new employment opportunities. Higher level skills will be needed for jobs such as process engineers, chemists and laboratory technicians.
Useful information
British Wind Energy Association
Green Energy Jobs - throughout Scotland
Occupations
Air Quality Specialist
Biomass Development Officer
Building Services Engineer
Carpenter/Joiner
Chemical Engineer
Civil Engineer
Control Engineer
Ecologist
Electrician
Electronics/Electrical Engineer
Energy Assessor
Environmental Consultant
Environmental Planner
Forester
Heritage Manager
Hydrographic Surveyor
Land Surveyor
Maintenance Fitter
Marine Biologist
Mechanical Engineer
Meteorologist
Offshore Engineer
Plumber
Roofer
Sales Manager
Sheet Metal Worker/Plater
Structural Engineer
Welder
Wind Resource Analyst/Wind Analyst
