Green Jobs: How Being a Woman Can Help You in the Race for Green Jobs

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When people think about green jobs, they usually focus on solar panel technicians, wind turbine installers, and HVAC technicians – and the people that dominate these images usually are male. However, green jobs are the way of the future for everybody – both men and women – and women certainly should take advantage of the opportunity to ride the green job train, too. Here are a few reasons why women shouldn’t be left behind in this important jobs sector.

1. Green jobs are all over the place, in every state. In fact, there isn’t one state in which one aspect of the green job sector isn’t present. With women – about 53 percent of women, according to a Prudential study – being primary breadwinners in the modern economy, members of this gender need to keep their options open in all categories, even once male-dominated ones. Several green occupations exist that allow women to use their skills.

2. Green jobs can keep women satisfied. It is a known fact that workers who actually like doing their jobs rather than just showing up for the sake of a paycheck simply perform better. Job satisfaction is key to the success of any business as well as the quality of life of any employee. Whether a woman chooses to work or is forced to work outside of the home due to economic reasons, choosing a green job can help her to feel better about herself as she helps to protect the world – one of humankinds’ greatest assets.

3. Green jobs allow women to focus on their specific areas of interest. If they do like math and science, then studying engineering in college and open up a wealth of well-paying green job opportunities. Meanwhile, those who are skilled in organization and coordination can serve as recycling coordinators.

4. Some green jobs do not require women to go back to school. In fact, research shows that a vast majority of green employers actually provide on-the-job training to new employees, so first having a particular college degree – or a degree at all – is not always a prerequisite.

5. Green jobs for women are receiving attention with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Civil Rights offering competitive grants for on-the-job training particularly targeting women. Women also can receive support from the Workforce Investment Act and the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant.

By YaShekia King

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