Encouraged by a global environmental movement as well as increased government funding for renewable energy, college students across the country are turning to green jobs as a means of finding long-term success and stability.
A green job is one that is either focused on the environment or conducts practices with the environment in mind, said Maurice Diesendruck, a third-year math and economics student and an organizer of the upcoming Green Job Fair.
Green jobs, which are sometimes referred to as “green-collar jobs,” encompass a wide range of fields, from companies researching alternative energy to law firms specializing in environmental malpractice, Diesendruck said.
The goal of the job fair is to engage students interested in green careers with businesses that are providing them, he added.
Diesendruck said that about 20 companies ““ including renewable energy, engineering and nonprofit organizations ““ would be attending the job fair.
The job fair will be hosted by the Forum for Energy Economics and Development, Net Impact and E3, three UCLA student groups designed for students interested in green jobs or promoting ecological responsibility and awareness.
“We don’t often think about business as a way to improve the world,” said Janet Liang, a fourth-year international development studies student and vice president of external affairs for Net Impact’s undergraduate chapter.
“We want to challenge undergrads to think differently about a career in business,” she added.
The UCLA Career Center had also been providing information and resources to students interested in green jobs for about five years when a team from the center realized that there would be an emerging interest in environmental careers in the coming years, said Kathy Sims, Career Center director.
They then started to look for professionals from green fields to come and talk to students, she added.
The number of students approaching the Career Center for information about green jobs has continued to grow since then, she added.
“There is a growing social consciousness that puts sustainability on a high-priority list,” she said.
This year, the center is holding a special program during Career Week focusing specifically on green job opportunities, Sims said.
Called Red, Hot & Green, the program will feature speakers who hold green jobs in areas like urban planning, sustainability and policy analysis.
Increased interest in green jobs among students is due in part to increased government funding for renewable energy research, said Jiun-Shyan Chen, chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.
“How a field will grow eventually all ties up with the job market,” Chen said.
Without adequate funding for fundamental research, an environmental or energy-related field cannot expand enough to create a substantial job market, he added.
Diesendruck also said that increased federal support of environmental industries in recent years has had a direct effect on the number of students considering careers in environmental fields. In particular, he credited President Barack Obama’s energy plan, which dedicates $150 billion to the funding of clean energy programs and the creation of 5 million new jobs relating to these programs.
Diesendruck noted that although the 1970s experienced an environmental movement similar to today’s, it eventually quieted due to a lack of government funding.
Diesendruck called green jobs “a tenant of Obama’s administration,” and said that this government backing makes them a more economically feasible option for college students faced with the prospect of choosing a career.
“The difference is the political administration we have now,” he said.
UCLA alumnus Greg Soulages is one of many students to consider environmentally minded companies as viable long-term career options.
Soulages is currently working in an internship with the Angeleno Group, a private equity company that specializes in renewable energy.
In addition to his desire to promote environmental responsibility, Soulages said the global movement to curb climate change along with government funding for renewable energy development helped him to see the field’s potential to expand.
“I saw that it had significant growth opportunities,” he said of his interest in renewable energy.
“It is an industry that is on the rise.”