Overview of Green Jobs in Minnesota

1. Overview of Green Jobs in Minnesota Rachel Vilsack Regional Labor Market Analyst

2. Labor market information (LMI) • Each state produces employment and economic statistics in cooperation with U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. • LMI includes employment statistics, unemployment rates, wages and salaries, job projections and more. • LMI is the foundation for informed, market-responsive planning.

3. What is green? • Green jobs have a direct or essential impact on a product, service, or process that results in environmental benefits: • An energy-efficient window is considered a green product because it helps save energy. • Water quality tests are considered green services because they help identify hazardous pollutants or contaminants in lakes and streams. • Green processes involve creating more efficient ways of doing things through supply chain analysis or other techniques.

4. Green jobs in Minnesota • Minnesota is estimated to have 52,827 green jobs in four sectors: • Environmental conservation • Renewable energy • Green services • Green products • About 2% of job openings in Minnesota are green. • 5% of vacancies in Central Minnesota • 1% of vacancies in Northwest Minnesota Source “Green Jobs in Minnesota: Market Analysis,”2008. MN Dept. of Employment & Economic Development

5. Examples of green industries • Environmental and conservation organizations • Engineering services • Plumbing and HVAC contractors • Solid waste and remediation services • Plastics product manufacturing • Environmental consulting services • Wood window and door manufacturing • Passenger transportation • Environmental controls manufacturing • Recyclable material merchant wholesalers

6. Green occupations • Roofers • Architects • HVAC mechanics* • Engineering mangers • Refuse collectors and recyclers* • Boiler operators • Fleet managers • Forest and conservation workers* • Production supervisors* • Bus drivers • Mechanical engineers • Conservation scientists • Environmental health and safety officers • Biological science technicians* • Marketing managers* • Truck drivers * = learn more by watching a career video at www.MNGreenCareers.org

7. New and emerging green jobs • Energy engineers* • Lean manufacturing engineers • Waste/wastewater engineers* • Wind turbine technicians* • Environmental restoration planners* • Energy auditors • Air quality control specialists • Supply chain managers • Sustainability coordinators • Environmental compliance managers* * = learn more by watching a career video at www.MNGreenCareers.org

8. Educational characteristics of green vacancies in Minnesota

9. Educational requirements • Almost 70% of all green vacancies need some level of education or training beyond a high school diploma • Most typical are bachelors and vocational degree • 44% of green vacancies are in STEM occupations, which typically apply scientific, technical, engineering or math knowledge on the job • Can also include mechanical and design knowledge

10. STEM skills • Mechanical – Skilled manual work operating, installing, repairing or troubleshooting equipment • Technical – Evaluate, design, install, monitor and apply theoretical knowledge to develop or improve products or services • Math – Use basic math to perform analytical or operational tasks, and advanced math for statistics analysis and scientific calculations • Design – Develop new products or find way of making existing products more sustainable using creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills combined with technology design skills

11. Other important skills • Research and analysis – Include scientific investigation, compliance auditing, data collection and quality control analysis • Project management – Mastery of time management, personnel management, budgeting of financial resources and management of material resources • Sales – Adept at listening to and working in collaboration with the customer in order to identify new product or market opportunities and customized solutions • General skills that are also important: learning, communication and problem solving

12. There’s no such thing as a green skill Rather than “new” skills, green jobs may require specialized expertise in traditional areas with some add-ons typically associated with: • The use of new technologies • A new way of approaching an issue • A new way of combining/applying existing skills and knowledge in a multi-disciplinary fashion

13. Green education programs • Found 490 green-related education and training programs in Minnesota’s colleges and universities • Span the range of green occupations • Length • 4 years or more, 170 programs • 2-4 years, 180 programs • Less than 2 years, 160 programs • 286 programs that are WIA certified

14. New green career website • Read about Minnesota’s green economy, careers, education and jobs • 45 Minnesota-specific career profiles • Green educational programs search tool • 20 career videos featuring green Minnesota occupations www.MnGreenCareers.org

15. If a green job is for you – where do you start? • Consider short-term training • Entry level green career • Enhance your existing career • Don't forget about volunteering • Start your own green business • Green entrepreneurship isn't for everyone, but if you have an idea for how a product or service can help the environment, you never know where it might take you. • Make the job you have now greener

16. Find green jobs • Network with green businesses and meet green entrepreneurship in Minnesota • Green your resume • Emphasize specialized skills of knowledge that might be important to a green employer • View green job boards

17. From a green job to a green lifestyle • Ask employers about their environmental initiatives or green practices • Recycling • Energy efficiency • Use of environmentally-friendly products or materials • Carpooling • Telecommuting • Led a more environmentally conscious lifestyle • Conserve energy • Reduce waste • Switch to reusable items • Recycle • Buy green

18. Minnesota-produced Labor Market Information is online at:www.PositivelyMinnesota.com Rachel Vilsack Regional Labor Market Analyst St. Paul WorkForce Center Phone: (651) 642-0728 rachel.vilsack@state.mn.us For a copy of this presentation, green materials and handouts from today’s event, please visit: www.MnGreenCareers.org