Interest in green jobs may be starting to take root, but more must be done to ensure that the interest begins to blossom. That is the conclusion offered by the Career College Association, which recently released the results of a new commissioned survey conducted this past March. The survey indicated that while more than 70 percent of American adults are familiar with the idea of green jobs, less than one-third are aware of the growing availability of this type of employment. A mere one percent has actually obtained or is considering this education in preparation for work in green industries.
"We believe that green jobs are truly the way of the future," said CCA President Harris N. Miller. "Green jobs conserve energy and protect our environment. By doing so, they help solve problems from mass transit and urban sprawl to lower cost energy and more intelligent use of natural resources. This study shows, however, that public understanding of green jobs is not uniform, and that workers who might form the green jobs workforce of the future, particularly at the lower rungs of the education ladder, need to know more about practical steps they can take to prepare today."
Although Americans may not see green jobs "springing up" around them, majorities believe that sufficient numbers of people at both the professional and technical level are entering the field. Fifty-eight percent of adults are at least somewhat confident there are a sufficient number of people at the professional level obtaining education in green jobs. Some 57 percent are somewhat confident there are a sufficient number of people at the technical level doing the same.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $600 million specifically targeted for green jobs training programs and billions of dollars overall for energy grid expansion and improvement, for renewable energy and energy efficiency and related projects. The CCA green jobs survey found nearly all American adults (94%) think people would be at least somewhat likely to consider pursuing green-related education if the federal government was to provide a financial incentive.
While the green jobs themselves may take time to develop, Americans say they see "green" benefits associated with this type of employment. Seventy-two percent agree that the expansion of green jobs will help preserve a higher quality environment and 63 percent agree that more green jobs would have a positive outcome on energy costs. Sixty-one percent agree that the expansion of green jobs would have a positive outcome on the U.S. economy. Less than half of American adults (46 percent) agree that more green jobs will be at the expense of existing jobs.
What does it mean to be green? Just over half of adults agree that use of the word "green" is just a fad. But 78 percent agree that Americans will adopt more environmentally-friendly behaviors, such as recycling, weatherizing, or using energy efficient products, if there are more green programs, products and well-trained people designing, building, installing and operating them.
