By Green Skills Network

With the support of the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC), the Green Skills Network has published Emerging Green Jobs in Canada, a labour market research report that provides insight for employment counsellors into the changing labour market and its potential for entry-level employment.

The report includes a two-part literature review on the green economy and specifically on the renewable energy and energy conservation sectors, addressing questions such as what the green economy is and how the transition to such an economy is affecting the labour market. It also addresses where the employment opportunities lie within the green economy and what occupations are found in the generation of renewable energy and energy conservation.

Additionally, the report includes a number of tools for employment counsellors and job developers to use to connect their clients to employment and training opportunities in the green economy. These tools are as follows:

  • Job task analyses for six common green jobs that outline the job description, responsibilities, essential skills and experience, and qualifications for each of the occupations.
  • An inventory of training programs, provided by private trainers, and public and private colleges, for jobs related to renewable energy and energy conservation. The inventory provides details on the courses available in each institution, such as duration, cost, course requirements and contact details.
  • An inventory of employers that provide services in renewable energy and energy conservation. Contact details for each employer are included.
  • An online and interactive map of renewable energy and energy conservation projects across the country. These projects serve as additional leads to connect clients to employers and projects.
  • Case studies on five successful green jobs training programs, each with a different training and business model that fits the needs of the organizations and partners involved. These case studies demonstrate the variety of models that can be developed and implemented in different communities.

We encourage readers to engage in the online discussions about the report, which will launch on August 7, 2012 through the Green Skills Network social media channels.

 

The Green Skills Network is a department of First Work and serves to close labour market gaps by connecting entry-level workers to emerging green employment opportunities. To read the full Green Jobs report, visit ceric.ca and click on “Projects.” For more information, contact Justine Katz at jkatz@firstwork.org.