The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated.
With home and office energy use contributing 40% toward global warming (or as some tend to say, “global weirding”) it’s no surprise that green building jobs equal one third of all U.S. Design and Construction workforce according to a new study by McGraw-Hill Construction. Expected to become standard for this sector, their research found that 35% or 661,000 jobs for contractors, engineers and architects fall within the green design niche.
Claiming growth estimates indicate this job number will grow to 45% by 2014, green building is indeed a solid answer for the college bound and those seeking retraining to re-enter the labor market with needed skills in a rising sector. Since shelter is a basic necessity, perhaps green building education should be implemented as a government program to create more opportunities to get educated.
Trade jobs for green building are also plentiful so many people with these skills will have an easier time transitioning into green jobs. Think of all the plumbers, electricians, carpenters, HVAC/ boilermakers and concrete or cement masons who will have more potential work on a consistent basis. You don’t need to be as smart as a rocket scientist to realize that this sector is advantageous for career building as well.
A majority of hiring managers believe green certification is the most valuable asset for professionals in the field. Accordingly, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a good place to research what courses to study. Clearly this b2b LOHAS niche jobs trend is a better bet than b2c jobs in the current economy (except perhaps Sales).
It makes sense that green building job seekers will have greater alternatives since many commercial building owners realize how investments in energy efficiency are more cost effective for the long term (even the historical Empire State Building), and partnering proves there’s more money to invest in the new technology and improvements that green building demands.
Structurally there’s an assortment of work categories in green building management like water, energy use, materials and installation, plus indoor environmental conditions. Getting educated in sustainability offers an advantage at corporate and government job opportunities, particularly more openings in local, county and state jobs.
Job titles like Director of Sustainable Design, Sustainable Buildings Project Manager and LEED International Technical Development Manager sound excitingly fresh for people who like hands on work with physical results that benefit our environment. Today architecture as works of art takes on new meaning with green building, and this trend will always be in demand as people are highly visual.
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