More than 3 million workers, in other words, 13,4% of employed in Italy and a growing sector. It really seems that 2020 might be the year of the so-called green jobs. But what are the jobs that are so in demand? The term has been defined by theUnep, United Nations Environment Programme, the UN agency that operates in the sector of environmental protection . According to the United Nations, green jobs are “occupations in the agriculture, manufacturing, research and development, administration and service sectors that contribute decisively to preserving or restoring environmental quality.”
So there is not just one specific branch: there are lots of opportunities and millions of professionals with skills and degrees that can turn their jobs“green”.
Every year in Italy,GreenItaly, part of the Fondazione Symbola, that operates precisely in the area of sustainability and culture, and Unioncamere, provide a report on “green jobs”. This year is the 10th edition of the report and the numbers are impressive: 3,1 million Italians work in the green economy, 432 thousand companies that in the last 5 years have invested on green economy, and a growth in green employment of 3,4% from 2017 to 2018.
But what are the green jobs that are most in demand? The GreenItaly report highlights the ten green jobs of the future.
According to the latest GreenItaly report, in Italy there are 3.1 million people employed in “green” jobs.
1. Sustainable Cook
Making the job of cooks environmentally sustainable could be a great idea to bring together two aspects which are increasingly in the spotlight. Cooking, thanks to TV show featuring star chefs, has become very popular and the challenge of sustainability could give people who choose this career the definitive push to emerge. So keep an eye on locally sourced production, quality brands, organic production and especially on avoiding waste, favoring reuse of materials and excess.
2. High efficiency electric network installer
The green breakthrough in home appliances and buildings is all good, but someone is needed that knows how to make an environment concretely more sustainable . It is therefore clear that professionals that are particularly experienced in energy efficiency will be increasingly sought out, as private citizens, companies and even public institutions are moving towards solutions to pollute less. Obviously to do this job, it’s not enough to possess the basic technical skills of the trade, but you must master the regulatory framework on clean energy and the application of all safety laws.
3. Green Mechatronic
From 2023 mechanics and car electricians in Italy will have to become, by law, mechatronics. It means that these professionals will have to certify their competencies and, if necessary, integrate them with courses. Mechatronics, in fact, bring together the classic motor background with new evolutions towards electronics and IT, to keep up with the green wave that has taken over a growing share of cars.
432 companies have invested in green economy in the last 5 years.
4. Low environmental impact A/C systems installer
If only a few years ago home A/C units meant incredibly high energy consumption rates, things are now changing. Just think about solar cooling, the technology that allows you to cool down your environments usingsolar energy. Moreover, the sector offers free land in terms of the improvement of traditional systems, that can be made to be more efficient and sustainable.
5. Energy Management Expert (energy engineer)
The potential of such a professional are virtually infinite, both in the domestic and public and industrial areas. In this case they have to have a degree and be enrolled in the bar, or have followed a specialized course that allows them to become an “Expert in energy management”, in other words, in charge of energy management systems. In other words the “EME” is allowed to conduct energy diagnostics for companies and can formalize steps towards White Certificates.
6. Sustainable materials construction consultant
Also due to the economic crisis which started in 2009, the construction market has seen a profound change. The challenges can however be the opportunity for starting again in an environmentally friendly way: designing new products or requalifying them is now ever more often done in view of sustainability criteria, with the use of new materials and with new construction processes. The sustainable materials construction consultant profile represents production companies but can also be the expert within the company who chooses the materials, deciding therefore the sustainable direction of a new construction.
Green jobs are not only new types of jobs, but also traditional jobs that have been modified in a green perspective.
7. Environmental industrial mechanic
Various companies have decided to adapt their production to be more environmentally friendly, and to do so it is often necessary for them to change machineryor modify the ones already in the factories to make them more efficient from an environmental point of view. The immediate consequence is the need for installation and maintenance specialists for these kinds of industrial machinery, a profile that in some cases can evolve into an actual systems testing and verification certifier.
8. Environmental Lawyer
One datum is enough to understand the potential of this specialization: according to analyses conducted by Unioncamere, environmental sustainability skills in lawyers are considered “very important” for the profession by 98% of the sector. For those who want to choose a career in the law, this specific inclination can lead to providing consultancies to companies and public institutions, but also obviously to representing clients in court, after passing the bar. Due to the fact that environmentalism’s emergence to the forefront of media (and not only) is only recent, for young people it could prove the best opportunity to rise and create their own niche.
9. Environmental IT tech
Most of the home appliances of internet of things are precisely tied to energy efficiency. Think about heating systems, the long-distance management of home appliances, for example: all areas that will make these IT skills related to sustainability ever more in demand. There are countless applications: creating software, maintaining appliances, installing tools, but also new jobs like bioinformatics technician – in demand in the biology and genomics industry – and geo-informatics, specialized in geological sciences.
10. Specialist in green accounting
There is no doubt that in the last few years even from a legislative perspective, thegreen conversion of part of the economy has been making strides. Being knowledgeable in terms of eco-bonuses, incentives, white certificates and more is without a doubt interesting for a company, that could decide to invest in profiles of experts in accounting and in particular in all laws and policies that relate to deductions and bonuses for environmental sustainability. The easiest path, of course, means getting a degree in finance or law.