GREEN EDUCATION? GREEN CAREER OR GREENED CAREER
Green education is the inclusion of green skills and lessons on sustainability as it relates to any industry or profession. Employability is often contingent on having a diverse range of marketable skills, not in the least green and sustainability skills that green education affords.
Green education is not limited to any one industry or occupation, as green skills are transferable and integral in a new low?carbon economy. Green education is therefore essential to ensure employees remain at the forefront of their industries, and also to ensure a constant stream of qualified graduates with green skills and knowledge.
Studies indicate that self-education is essential to enhance employability in a competitive employment market (Clarke, 2008). Central to this is an awareness of current market trends, social and political impetus that are impacting on your industry. An ability to self-evaluate your existing skills and areas of skill deficit is important. This will enable you to decide what green education courses best pertain to your specific needs.
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
On the domestic front, the Council of Australian Governments (meeting of Federal, State and Territory governments) has agreed to adopt several schemes to enhance general employability, with an emphasis on green skills in particular. For example, the National Green Skills Agreement (2009) is an initiative designed to ensure that standardised sustainability skills are included in vocational education and training courses. This marks a formal recognition of the importance of sustainability studies across all areas of study, and the practical application of this knowledge and skills for Australian businesses.
This mirrors an international trend towards green education; the understanding that green jobs and green skills upgrading is essential to conservation and social development in both industrialised and developing countries (UNEP, 2008). The case for green skills and sustainable practice also stems from an economic rationale that green jobs present a new business opportunity which creates jobs and incurs lower energycosts. On a social level, green practice can also generate goodwill among customers and community. There is therefore a multifaceted case for green education.
COURSES OFFERED
Primary education is increasingly seen as a vehicle of green education, and a precursor for the pursuit of green jobs. Early career exposure to green skills helps to navigate a green employment pathway. An understanding of green skills at a pre-tertiary level inevitably enhances labour market skills, increases ability to choose an appropriate green career, and elevates employment prospects overall. Though not government?mandated, throughout Australia several schools have incorporated practical and theoretical sustainability education series as part of the school curriculum.
Most of the 39 universities and countless other TAFE’s throughout Australia offer degrees in these areas. Degrees can be done full-time or part-time, often with night school options available, though there are often field work components. Undergraduate ‘green’ degrees can be divided into two main university faculties; science and engineering. Double degrees are also possible in faculties such as economics and education, offering the chance to ‘green’ your degree and broaden your skills set.
A list of Australian universities and TAFE’s and their respective websites can be found at www.australian?universities.com.
Similarly, there are several NGO and business?run short courses for professional development in green skills and sustainability. A snapshot of institutions that run such courses include EnviroEase, Moreland Energy Foundation, EcoBuy, SAI Global, Point Carbon, Ecosmart Electricians, Carbon Training International, California Green Solutions, Centre for Sustainability Leadership, and GEMS.
Courses offered by these institutions range from environmental regulations and management skills to retrofitting workplaces to carbon emissionmeasurement and accounting. There is therefore large scope to increase one’s professional development across a broad range of green skills. A comprehensive list of courses are available on each organisation’s website.
Apart from offering post-graduate degrees in green fields, universities also offer several short courses in green skills, such as emissions trading, carbon accounting and energy law. Here is a list of Australian universities that offer these services; AGSM (UNSW), Swinburne U. of Technology, Monash U., Macquarie U., Murdoch U., Sydney U., Bond U., The Harvard Distance School, U. Of Queensland and RMIT. A detailed list of courses and locations can be found on each university’s website.
CAREER PROSPECTS AND TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT
Obviously green skills can be directly related to green jobs in the renewable sectors, including solar,wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass. However, it is also useful to think more obtusely, and look at how other areas can appropriate green skills. Jobs in these areas extend to several related
industries, including engineering and design, sciences (agriculture, biology, chemistry, ecology, environment, marine, molecular, physics, photovoltaic and more), policy and government,construction and maintenance, law and business, marketing and finance. Green skills are essential to remaining at the forefront of your industry as Australia and the world experiences increasing pressure to embrace more sustainable business and lifestyle practices.
The transition to a green career is sometimes a linear process, other times it is more ad-hoc. In one example, Turning Green Consultants placed Sarah Kinsela, an Environmental Science graduate with a Post graduate Certificate in Environmental Management, into a senior sustainability consulting role. Sarah diversified her education experience, working in education in Ecuador. Yet, she continued her green career as an environmental projects officer at a local council. Sarah progressed through the ranks to become sustainability coordinator, which then led to the role of sustainability engineer. This gave Sarah invaluable project management and environmental systems implementation experience.
Whilst the demand for green skills has never been higher, green education opportunities must be harnessed to address these skill shortages (Arnett, 2009). An awareness of green education programs available presents an opportunity for all Australians; students, graduates and employees, to pursue fulfilling careers with a green edge.
The Clean Energy Council of Australia (CEC) has produced reports that show that over 28, 000 new jobs are expected to be created in energy efficiency industries in Australia by 2020. The CEO of CEC, Matthew Warren, states that "This is a tremendous opportunity for employers, investors, education providers and jobseekers to reap the benefits of a green jobs revolution". When extrapolated to other related industries, and the large number of jobs therein, the importance of green skills and sustainability knowledge becomes more vital. Evidently, green education is essential to maintaining business competitiveness and enhancing personal employability prospects.
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More information about this topic in our Education&Training section
References
Arnett, Sally E. et al., Career and Technical Education: Pursuing a Pipeline for the New Green Collar Workforce, Techniques 84(6) p. 36?40
Clarke, M. (2008) Managing Employability for the Future: Perspectives and Implications, International Employment Relations Review, 14(1) p. 51?62
UNEP (2008) Green Jobs: Towards Decent work in a Sustainable, Low?Carbon World, UNON (pub.), available atwww.unep.org/labour_environment/features/greenjobs.asp
Jodi Smith works at Turning Green Consultants
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