Green Jobs – Green Careers in Washington DC

With billions of dollars being invested in green technologies, a movement is growing to create thousands of green jobs in Washington, DC. A growing number of new career opportunities will become available over the next decade as businesses, community activists, and elected officials develop policies on green building, clean energy, waterfront restoration, and climate change. In order to meet the demand for skilled workers to provide services in the green economy, many workers will need to be retrained. Washington DC is striving to lead the way in developing new green jobs training and career development programs across the nation.

In February 2009, the DC Office of Planning, in conjunction with the Washington DC Economic Partnership and the DC Department of Employment Services, completed a green job demand analysis. The report concludes the following:

• There currently are about 22,000 green jobs in Washington DC, just over 3 percent of the total workforce.
  
  
• Emerging green initiatives could produce more than 169,000 green job opportunities in DC between 2009 and 2018. Most of these opportunities are a result of private sector real estate development projects that are required to comply with the Green Building Act.
  
  
• Occupations that require the least training: construction laborers, roofers, painters, landscapers and office clerks.
  
  
• Occupations that need moderate job training: carpenters, construction trade supervisors, operating engineers and construction equipment operators, electricians and plumbers.

Green Jobs Initiatives and Training Programs in Washington DC

The Greater Washington Green Jobs Corps trains individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to weatherize homes, businesses and federal buildings, install solar panels and perform energy audits. The program creates partnerships between job training programs and green employers.

Green DMV is non-profit organization seeking to promote clean energy and green jobs in low-income communities across America as a pathway out of poverty. Their initial focus is on the DC area, including Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Green Pathway DC, a partnership between Goodwill of Greater Washington and the Green Builders Council of DC, recently launched a comprehensive green job training program for DC residents in weatherization, smart meter installation, and advanced green building. Funding for the program is from part of DC’s allocation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Green Jobs Expo showcases the many pathways to green jobs and careers. The Expo is held annually in Washington DC and provides information from academic institutions, manufacturers, non-profit agencies, corporations and governmental agencies.

Everblue Training Institute is an accredited educational institution that has an extensive curriculum, that includes multiple BPI Certifications, Renewable Energy Training, Weatherization Training, RESNET HERS Rater, LEED Accredited Professional, NABCEP Solar Certification, Corporate Sustainability, and Carbon Accounting. Classes are available throughout the U.S.

Green Job Search Websites and Additional Resources

Greenjobsearch.org - This job search engine specializes in individuals find green job opportunities across the country.

Green Dream Jobs - The job search service connects people with business skills with environmentally conscious employers who focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, water and wastewater treatment, resource-efficient industrial processes, advanced materials, transportation and agriculture.

TreeHugger - The company is a media outlet that strives to be a one-stop destination for green news, solutions, and product information. Their website has a job board with postings of green jobs.

Green Collar Blog - This website provides information about green jobs, green job training, green job fairs and more.

Eco.org - The website connects job seekers who really care about the environment with eco-employers who are looking for quality candidates. The broad range of sites include: universities, environmental organizations, non-profits, major news sites, and government departments.

Indeed - Indeed is a search engine for job listings from over 500 websites including job boards, newspapers, as well as hundreds of associations and company career pages. Advanced search options are available so you can search for jobs by company name, job title, or maximum commuting distance.