Students will have the chance to look into greener opportunities Dec. 8 at the McKimmon Center as the University’s Solar Center presents “How to Land Your Green Dream Job.”
According to the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, there are upwards of 12,500 jobs classified as “green-collar” in North Carolina, which brings in over $3.6 billion in annual revenue.
Lyra Rakusin, a workforce development specialist with the Solar Center, said she believes it’s time for students to capitalize on these opportunities.
According to Rakusin, the Solar Center will present a workshop on the green job market—and a student’s place in it—at the McKimmon Center Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Rakusin, also the event’s coordinator, said the three-hour workshop is free, open to anyone and will focus on analyzing attendees’ qualities to help find their ‘green-dream’ job.
“The goal of this workshop is for people to think about their qualities and compare them to the green jobs available,” Rakusin said. “They will list such things as their skills, interests, background information, and work experience. From there we will work with them to find what else they need like to be seen as a good candidate for this line of work.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, green jobs are “businesses that produce goods or provide service that benefit the environment, conserve natural resources, or involve the use of production processes that are more environmentally friendly.”
Rakusin said the event will not solely focus on jobs related to solar energy, a common misconception among students and the general public alike.
“Green jobs don’t just involve solar energy, nor do green employers only hire people with environmental or engineering backgrounds,” Rakusin said. “One must have the skills, training, work experience and most importantly the passion for working in this industry. This workshop is designed to help maximize these qualities in applicants.”
Rakusin said the workshop will begin with an hour-long presentation discussing such topics as career options in the green market, how to cater one’s education and skills to find the right position, information on when and where to receive more training in these areas, as well as others.
Following the presentation, Rakusin said, there will be a meet-and-greet session between attendees, members of the Solar Center staff, as well as representatives of businesses in the green community.
“This will be the time for people to find out what is right and what isn’t right for them in the green job market, and they will have the time and opportunity to network with people currently in green fields,” said Rakusin. “It’s almost like speed dating, but for career advisors and advisees.”
Ismail Kassim, a freshman in chemistry, said the opportunities to learn more about green-collar jobs are important as they are becoming more and more prevalent in the business world.
“With the growing environmental sensitivity movement in various parts of the world, I think people and companies are now, more than ever, looking for innovative and ‘green’ ways to accomplish the same tasks,” Kassim said. “The push for green jobs will only get stronger as more people become aware of the state of the environment, so students should grasp every opportunity they have to learn more about this area.”
Rakusin said the workshop will be very beneficial and encourages students in any field who are interested in the shift toward an environmentally-friendly career to attend, but she said it is important for students to realize the workshop is only the first step to landing that green dream job.
“I hope it will give them a clear idea of how they can best find the right fit for them based on their skills, interests, passions, and what they can offer the industry,” Rakusin said. “However, one must be willing to build upon the skills, training, work experience and most importantly the passion for working in this industry. An employer will see through fakers, and we want the best type of people in the industry.”
