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Green Jobs in the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains

Green Jobs in the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains. Results from the Consortium’s Green Jobs Survey. Presented by Barbara Wagner, Senior Economist, Montana Department of Labor and Industry April 19, 2011. Today’s Topics. About the Consortium What is a green job ?

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Green Jobs in the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains

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  1. Green Jobs in the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains Results from the Consortium’s Green Jobs Survey Presented by Barbara Wagner, Senior Economist, Montana Department of Labor and Industry April 19, 2011

  2. Today’s Topics • About the Consortium • What is a green job? • Why study green jobs? • Literature Review • Results • Conclusions and Discussion

  3. The Northern Plains & Rocky Mountain Consortium

  4. Why Study Green Jobs? Businesses and workers are changing their practices to address the rising costs for energy and ecological services • Short supply of resources • Greater recognition of the value of ecological services • Technology to better “measure” the use of natural resources so that property rights can be established and prices can be charged

  5. Why Study Green Jobs? Green jobs are not a new phenomenon, but part of the ever-developing process to make production • more efficient, • reduce costs, and • eliminate unnecessary waste in order to make business more profitable.

  6. Green Jobs are Not Just a Fad • Increased demand for energy and other natural resources will cause price increases. • Consumers value ecological services. • Will demand green products • Will likely continue to use policy and regulation to keep immediate environment clean • Businesses try to increase profits. • Reducing costs and unnecessary waste • Creating niche products and marketing

  7. Green Jobs are Changing the Skill Set Needed for Jobs Consortium aimed to answer the questions: • What are the characteristics of green jobs? • What are the skills needed for green jobs? • How do we need to change our education and training systems to prepare our workers for jobs?

  8. What is a Green Job? Green jobs are jobs where the work activity aids in • environmental mitigation, protection, or restoration • renewable energy generation • conservation of energy or other resources • support services for the above, like education or certification

  9. What is a Green Job? Green Jobs are found in nearly every industry • Renewable Energy • Restoration / Remediation • Construction • Oil and Gas • Health Care • Hospitality • Government Regulation

  10. The concept of green is … • Mutable: It changes with technology or knowledge improvements. • Relational: The job is more green than other industries, old practices, or other options. • Nebulous: We all understand the general concept, but it is difficult to draw the line needed to quantify the number of green jobs.

  11. Consortium’s Definition of a Green Job A green job is one in which the work is essential to products or services that improve energy efficiency, expand the use of renewable energy, or support environmental sustainability, including work in: • Renewable Energy and Alternative Fuels • Energy Efficiency and Conservation • Pollution, Waste, and Greenhouse Gas Management, Prevention, and Reduction • Environmental Cleanup, Remediation, Waste Clean-up, Mitigation, or Restoration • Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Conservation • Education, Regulation, Compliance, Public Awareness, Training, or Energy Trading

  12. How our Definition is Different From Other Research • Included government regulators as green jobs • Hydroelectric dams were considered green • Green jobs could be in EVERY industry, including • Mining (restoration experts and water pollution mitigation) • Oil and Gas (environmental engineers and hydrologists) • Biofuels and biomass (forestry and ethanol production)

  13. its not as easy as one might think… Janitors Green Jobs Construction Urban Bus Systems Environmental Engineers Plumbers Renewable Energy Oil and Gas Administrative support Why do we need a Survey to Count Green Jobs?

  14. Literature Review • Results in other states generally find 3 to 5% green jobs • Survey results show higher percentages than those identifying green businesses, industries, or occupations • Many exclude industries, such as government or mining Most Green Jobs are found in • Construction and Agriculture Industries • Construction and Production Occupations No “new” occupations – all can be categorized into existing taxonomies

  15. Consortium Differed From Other States • Did not exclude any industry or occupation • Attempted to exclude green practices, such as recycling – the work had to be essential to the production of a green product • Consistent survey and data collection throughout the consortium for comparable results

  16. 3.5% Green Jobs in Consortium States Margin of Error for Consortium Estimate is 0.3% at the 95% Confidence Level

  17. Industry Share of Green Jobs

  18. Green Percent by Industry

  19. Green Jobs by Size of Employer

  20. Green Jobs by Occupational Category

  21. Occupations with the Most Green Jobs

  22. Most Frequently Reported Green Jobs

  23. Interesting Occupations

  24. Percent of Consortium Businesses in Each Green Industry 2.3% Renewable Energy and Alternative Fuels 7.5% Energy Efficiency and Conservation 2.3% Pollution and Waste Prevention 2.3% Environmental Cleanup 3.5% Sustainable Agriculture 2.2% Education, Regulation, and Trading 81.9% Reported No Green Activity Margin of Error at the 95% Confidence Level is < +/- 0.5%

  25. Percent of Time in Green Work

  26. Required Education Level

  27. Certification and Licensure 11% green jobs require some type of certification or license • LEED • Water • OSHA • Pesticide Application • HVAC • Electrical • Welding • Lead Removal • EPA/ State Environmental Agency • Equipment Operation • Architect • Environmental Professional • Professional Engineer • Freon

  28. Green Wages

  29. Conclusions from Survey • Green percent consistent with other research, but differs between consortium states • Industry and occupational breakdown consistent with other states • Some “new” occupations in sustainability manager, water treatment specialist, but all could be included in current taxonomy

  30. Conclusions from Survey • 18% of businesses report being in some type of green industry • More report green activities, such as recycling, adopting energy efficient practices, etc

  31. Conclusions from Survey Labor Market Information Improvement Grant • Improved the knowledge and skills of LMI researchers • Allowed for knowledge and technology transfer between states • Resulted in economic information about green jobs and more

  32. find our research at www.researchingthegreeneconomy.com

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