Green Jobs in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has released a study on the availability of the state’s green jobs and how these green jobs can grow and expand in years to come. It is expected that green jobs will continue to grow and expand, especially as the economy begins to pick up and as the number of people who are interested in green product continues to increase over the years.

Mark Phillips, the DEED Commissioner, has spoken about the subject and says, “Identifying green jobs and the skills that people will need to work in them will help Minnesota identify economic development strategies, as well as strategies for workforce training and education.” He also says, “With the support of the Workforce Investment Boards, the Governor’s Workforce Development Council, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, we are pleased to release this important research.”

Some of the released research includes information on the green job vacancies. As of right now, green jobs are at about a 2.5 percent vacancy and there is a demand for employers to work these jobs. There are some green vacancies found within privately owned firms and some that are outside of the metro area. A higher education is also needed for green vacancies than some of the other vacancies available. Most people will need to obtain a bachelor’s degree or a vocational degree in order to work within the green vacancies. Those who do not have the education for employment with a green job may want to consider obtaining such a degree to land a job like this.

Future job growth is expected in Minnesota for a number of reasons. For one, advances have been made with technology and there is also a higher demand for specific green products by the consumers who seem to prefer these products. Consumers seem to be increasingly interested in the green products over traditional product. And, with the increase in interest of green products, this will help to increase the job growth for green jobs and help many people find the employment they have been searching for.

The study took place within a span of two years and was supported by the United States Department of Labor grant. This study was performed to help figure out how much the green economy has had an impact on the labor market, especially in the area of Minnesota. Some of the research was also performed to help set up the ISEEK portal for finding green careers. This helps people find the employment and find out more information about different careers with green jobs. When people have the knowledge about such jobs, they are far more likely to apply for such jobs and find the employment they need.