Stephen Hinton, provides a compilation of professionals that will see growth as the US economy goes green. He predicts that those in STEM professions (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will experience the most job security.

by Stephen Hinton, Managing Director of Hinton Human Capital.

People have asked me “Where do you see growth in the area of green jobs?” The United States has a shortage of technical professionals when compared to other countries due to low graduation numbers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. As the Climate Change, Environmental and Infrastructure industries pick up, here are the fields where I believe well paying jobs will come available:

1. Accounting/Forensic Accounting: The critics of the cap and trade market believe that fraud and ponzi schemes could be a major problem in the new carbon market. These people will be part of the team to determine the money trail and help regulators with prosecution.
2. Alternative Energy: You have heard of this one, but the number of people going into this field is still very low because of high math and science requirements. People are needed in Biofuels/Biomass, Geothermal, Hydroelectric, Waste to Energy and Wind.

3. Architecture: Architects are responsible for designing (or redesigning) buildings to fit the new green standards and building practices. With the advent of recycled building materials and the high numbers of government buildings that will be retrofitted with green features, it will be important for architects to have the LEED certification as part of their credentials.

4. Atmospheric Sciences:Atmospheric scientists study how pollutants behave in the atmosphere. Accidental toxic releases, acid rain, carbon emissions and ozone depletion are big business in their realm. Their mission over the next few decades is to inform the general public about the effects of greenhouse gases on the weather.

5. Carbon Consulting:Eventually every company will have a department or business partner to help them deal with their GHG emissions, carbon credits and trading. There will be growth in corporate as well as consulting jobs.

6. Carbon Capture/ Sequestration:What do we do with the carbon dioxide? Good question. This industry’s job is to find innovative ways to offset, reuse and store captured GHGs. Expect a lot of smart people and money to flow into this industry over the long term.

7. Computer Aided Design: These people “draw” the construction documents for any type of construction related project. With thousands of architecture, engineering and construction projects slated to come from the ARRA, there will be plenty of work once the projects start flowing.

8. Civil Engineering: Civil engineers have a role in every infrastructure related project, whether it is airports, bridges or stormwater systems. This is a field which will have good long term growth and a shortage of workers.

9. Electrical Engineering:These are the people who design and maintain the electrical grid and power plants. There may be a shortage of these people as the design and construction of the new grid picks up.

10. Emissions Trading:These professionals will be the focal point of the new carbon trading market. They are responsible for buying and selling credits to interested parties on the exchange. Carbon is not the only market that will see growth. Look for opportunities in Nitrogen Oxide (NO_x) and Sulphur Oxide (SO_x) markets as overall greenhouse trading markets grow. Traders and brokers must complete licensing requirements in order to work in the market.

11. Energy Management: Also called Resource Efficiency Managers, the professionals in this field not only understand engineering and construction but monitor utility rates to find cost savings. They ensure that energy consumption and costs stay within acceptable limits.

12. Environmental Engineering:These are the people who design water and wastewater treatment systems. Many cities like Atlanta, DC and Portland,OR have multi-billion water infrastructure upgrade programs underway which will receive federal funding.

13. Environmental Information Systems:Industrial facilities must monitor all their equipment, facilities and waste products to ensure the safety of their employees, the environment and the public. The specialized computer systems, software and the people who design and maintain them will have a big job to do in the “green economy”.

14. Environmental Scientists:These are the people who do the environmental investigations and write the environmental permits and reports for construction, industry and climate change. These people will be especially important to the smart grid, rural broadband and environmental clean-up and restoration projects.

15. Forestry:I am sure you were scratching your head about this choice. Here is my reason: Forests absorb carbon dioxide and will be used as offsets in carbon trading. Someone has to look after the trees because planting trees could become more lucrative than cutting them down.

16. Geographic Information Systems/Remote Sensing:The Smart grid and other infrastructure will be on a highly specialized network of sensors using different technologies to monitor power flow and report data.

17. Greenhouse Gas Auditing/Compliance:Every facility that has a smoke stack or produces gaseous byproducts will be inspected and monitored for compliance with greenhouse gas regulations. These professionals will work for environmental consulting firms, the government, non-profits and private investors to make sure GHG emissions stay in range.

18. Geotechnical Engineering:Geotechnical engineers have a key role in the design and construction of dams, foundations, levees, tunnels and underground remediation systems. As the alternate energy, infrastructure and environmental projects heat up, the need for these professionals will go off the chart.

19. Industrial Waste Treatment/Solid Waste/Hazardous Waste Managers:Before any industrial waste product can be reused or returned to the environment it must recycled, treated or put into long term storage. These professionals are at the front line dealing with contaminated water, E-waste, household trash and nuclear waste.

20. Landscape Architecture/Horticulture:Ever heard of a green roof or eaten organic vegetables or Xeriscaping? The natural activities of plants are important to the green jobs industry. Plants will be used to conserve water, clean up environmental spills and many other things.

21. Mechanical Engineering (HVAC):Green buildings need high climate controls to monitor energy consumption and the indoor environment. Mechanical engineers will be responsible in designing the next generation of indoor climate controls.

22. Nuclear Engineering:I know. I know. You think this is a stretch, right? Well, the French have come up with a way to reuse spent nuclear fuel rods and return them into service. If the department of energy approves the process, it is possible thousands of spent fuel rods could be returned to service and limit the need for new manufacturing.

23. Recycling:Recycling companies will gain a huge benefit in the green economy. Watch for some of them to have strong business in scrap metals and recycled materials markets.

24. Regulatory/Government compliance:The EPA and a number of other government agencies will have to expand their staffs to stay on top of new companies and regulations.

25. Risk Management/Insurance:All businesses need insurance and risk management services. The green industry will be no different.

26. Structural Engineering:Do you remember the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota or how about the Dallas Cowboys practice facility? Structural Engineers not only design structural framework of building and bridges, they also investigate structural failures.

27. Transit /Light Rail:The ARRA has a lot of money committed to transit projects. This field has a large number of people retiring over the next few years and a large influx of new people will be needed.

FEATURED GREEN EDUCATION PROGRAM

New Jersey Institute of Technology Online Graduate Certificate – Environmental Sustainability. The Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability is designed to provide a broad understanding of environmental issues including interconnected natural and industrial ecosystems with tools to measure and understand these systems. Also covered in this online program are the values assigned by people and society to the environment and the policies and laws established to preserve, protect, manage and restore it. Courses will cover the key value of water and the chemical movements and transformations that occur as a way of understanding environmental process, their control and management. Students will also gain an understanding of biological organisms in ecological processes, as well as their contribution to environmental technology in practice. Click here, for more information about the New Jersey Institute of Technology Graduate Certificate – Environmental Sustainability.

  (ARRA), accidental toxic releases, accounting, acid rain, alternative energy, architecture, Atlanta, atmospheric sciences, Atmospheric scientists, biofuels, biomass, building practices, cap-and-trade, carbon capture, Carbon Consulting, carbon credits, carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, carbon market, carbon trading market, Civil Engineering, Climate Change, climate controls, Computer Aided Design, construction, contaminated water, D.C., Department of Energy, e-waste, economy, Electrical Engineering, electrical grid, Emissions Trading, energy, energy consumption, Energy Management, engineering, environmental, environmental clean-up, environmental engineering, Environmental Information Systems, environmental investigations, environmental restoration, environmental scientists, EPA, Forensic Accounting, forestry, Geographic Information Systems, Geotechnical Engineering, Geothermal, GHG emissions, Government compliance, green jobs, green roof, green standards, Greenhouse Gas Auditing, greenhouse gas regulations, greenhouse gases, Hazardous Waste Managers, Hinton Human Capital, horticulture, HVAC, hydroelectric, Industrial Waste Treatment, infrastructure, Landscape Architecture, LEED certification, light rail, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical engineers, Nitrogen Oxide, NOx, Nuclear Engineering, nuclear waste, offset, OR, ozone depletion, pollutants, Portland, power plants, recycled building materials, recycling, Remote Sensing, Resource Efficiency Managers, retrofitted, reuse, risk management, risk management service, rural broadband, Science, Sequestration, smart grid, solid waste, SOx, STEM, Stephen Hinton, Structural Engineering, Structural Engineers, Sulphur Oxide, technical professionals, technology, Trading, transit, waste, wastewater treatment systemsm, water infrastructure upgrade programs, water treatment systems, weather, wind, Xeriscaping