Green industries offer job growth opportunity

The fastest-growing sectors, she adds, will be recycling, energy efficiency, solar, wind and water conservation.

Borrego, the solar company where von Moos works, already has increased its work force this year by more than 10 percent to 144 employees. “Right now we have an open requisition for field people, sales people, middle managers and a CFO,” he adds.

Workers are increasingly looking to see what green-collar jobs are out there.

Monster.com, the job board giant, has seen a jump in the last 12 months of people searching for environmental service jobs, up to 1.37 million job searches in April from about half that a year earlier, says a spokesperson for the company.

The process for finding a green-collar job is similar that of any other job, but be prepared to explain why you want to work in a green industry, and you might need to be flexible about relocating, says Llewellyn.

In the “Green Jobs” book, she and her co-authors stress thinking outside the corporate box: “There’s a chance that the dream green job you desire just isn’t out there or available in the place you want to live or the industry you want to work for. The new green economy is going to have plenty of room for innovative thinkers and entrepreneurial types who have what it takes to strike out on their own.”

Don’t expect a financial windfall in the green-collar sector, at least not right away. Wages are typically on par with or a bit less than traditional employment, especially among manufacturing jobs. Some workers are covered by unions.

Gamesa has created 1,160 jobs in Pennsylvania, including 955 manufacturing positions.

“These are good-paying jobs, with workers earning $12 to $18 an hour on average,” says Kurt Knaus, a spokesman for the company, adding that the workers are represented by the United Steelworkers.

Some believe there are more opportunities to advance in green jobs because the industry is still in its infancy and someone who works hard can easily make a mark.

Pagan started full time with Gamesa in early 2007 and is now team leader in the quality control area.

“Today, I make 20 to 25 percent more than when I started,” he says. “I’ve worked for other places, shown myself, tried to improve, but I was not given the opportunities that I got here.”

Brad Mohring, a former designer for an automotive supplier outside of Toledo, was laid off in early 2007 and applied to a host of traditional firms in auto, defense, etc.

He decided to take a job as senior designer for Xunlight, a solar energy company, even though other companies offered more money.

“Every day I’m learning something and it was a chance to get in on the ground floor of a company. I was the 20^th person hired here,” he explains.

“And,” he adds, “I know it sounds cheesy, but I’ve got a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old. I want to leave a better place for them to grow up in.”

MORE FROM CAREERS

Careers Section Front

How to handle criticism from the boss Your Career: Working with your spouse Your Career: Turning dreams into reality Swine flu poses a costly decision for millions Supreme Court to hear labor board case The key to dealing with lousy boss: negotiation Can being laid off really make you better off? Worker: I was fired for wearing ‘God’ button Trick or beer? Office parties may be BYOB Need to fire someone? Here’s what to do Careers Section Front   Add Careers headlines to your news reader: