Would you like a green, clean job?

Recently I posted about ending the coal industry in Australia. Although it only contributes 1.3% of Australia’s employment, that’s still over 200,000 people affected by the change. But it doesn’t have to mean that they’re out of work – we’ll be needing lots of people to work in new clean energy industries.

Plus, we can’t be telling our kids to head off to the mines and rigs for a well-paid job when they get older. It’s not really a secure industry anymore: they’ll be needing something with a long-term future.

But what will the jobs in the clean energy industry look like? What kinds of things will they do?

I’ve taken a look at the ABC’s Ace Day Jobs website and picked out a few jobs there that will be in big demand over the next decade. Each link has an interview with someone who already works in the industry, with info on what sort of people will enjoy the work, and what kind of training you need.

• Solar energy researcher – the more solar the better!
• Civil engineer: recycled water supply systems – we have to get smarter about water
• Senior forestry consultant – playing a part in the new carbon trading market
• Apprentice electrician – help the upgrade to a smart grid electricity system
• Soil scientist – testing for pollution in soil and groundwater
• Ranger – to protect and promote our national forests and parks
• Facade engineer and architects – making buildings more sustainable
• Urban planner – to make our cities more sustainable, creating walkable communities with plenty of green spaces.

But wait, there’s more!

Check out www.cleanenergyjobs.com.au for even more examples of the types of jobs we, our families and our friends could be doing in the future. Each case study is a link to information about someone with a job in solar and wind power, waste & recycling, water supply, energy efficiency and so on.

Half of these things didn’t even exist as jobs when I was a kid – I think the possibilities are really exciting, don’t you?