Recent news have been mainly a dismal affair when it comes to the economy. One report states that all but five metropolitan cities will suffer major job losses. Another report states that graduates from top universities are unable to find jobs, despite stellar grades and credentials.
In the midst of all of this, I found one piece of positive news pertaining to jobs in the clean energy sector:
According to Fast Company, a magazine devoted to innovation and technology, the following ten jobs will be in high demand over the next decade as the country continues to increase investment in clean energy:
- Farmer - America’s two million farmers, with an average age of 55, will need to be replaced by a larger group of smaller-scale farmers
- Forester – deforestation, which has become a leading source of carbon credits worth billions of dollars, will increase the need for foresters skilled in finance, conservation, and development.
- Solar Power Installer – greater need for installers if anticipated tax credits are accelerated
- Energy Efficiency Builder (LEED) - increased need for specialized architect, engineers, and retrofit workers
- Wind Turbine Fabricator – fastest-growing source of alternative energy will create a need for new jobs in this sector
- Conservation Biologist – need to preserve the integrity of world’s ecosystems
- Green MBA/Entrepreneur – need to assess the “triple bottom line” – People, Planet, Profit
- Recycler - create alternatives to high costs associated with disposal
- Sustainability Systems Developer – create new software to run clean energy networks
- Urban Planner – increasing the use of mass transit, limiting suburban sprawl
Of course, some of the growth in the aforementioned job fields may be contingent upon the passing of President Obama’s $1 trillion economic stiumulus plan, which will provide federal funding for renewable energy, mass transit, construction, and renovation, among other things.
