Grow Your Career in a Green Job

Goodwill green jobs logo showing people working.Companies today are thinking more seriously about their impact on the planet, making new environmental commitments that will require new workers.
Proctor & Gamble made a commitment to power all of their factories with renewable energy within the next ten years, and Walmart pledged to sell $1 billion of fresh produce sourced from 1,000 small- and medium-sized farmers, just to name a few.
As the economy becomes greener, you can position yourself to make your career greener, too.

Green Your Career

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines green jobs as jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources. Green jobs are also described as positions that have duties involved in making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.
There are green jobs for workers at every level from entry to advanced. To prepare for opportunities in the greening of our economy, you may have to fill gaps in your education, brush up on existing skills, or add a certification or credential to your resume.
Goodwill offers the following tips to help you land your next green job:

  • Start by searching green job sites. Websites like Clean Edge, Green Biz, and Green Jobs specialize in connecting job candidates at every level with a range of clean-tech organizations leading the transition to a clean-energy economy.
  • Gain experience in an apprenticeship. By participating in an apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship program, you can learn life skills, basic construction skills, and safety training to develop skills needed in the green economy. The U.S. Department of Labor offers energy apprenticeships and also has a listing for apprenticeships in your region.
  • Specialize in a business sector. Choose a specific industry to build your skills and you can boost your resume in that field of work. If you are interested in energy, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council have information on solar energy trainings. If you are interested in green building, check out the Building Performance Institute that offers industry-recognized training and certificate programs.
  • Sign up for special student trainings. If you are between the ages of 16-25, programs like Service and Conservation Corps and Job Corps provide free work training programs that are focused on green jobs.

Goodwill Goes Green


Goodwill is helping hundreds of people across the country advance and build their careers while reducing waste, pollution, energy use and other environmental risks in an environmentally conscious industry. Through our Pathways Out of Poverty Program, Goodwills offer green jobs training to help participants attain employment in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.
Participants like Steve Jones, a military veteran, received welding training and landed a job as a sales manager for an iron fabrication company. “This program has truly made a difference in my life,” he said. “I am excited to share my experience with others entering the program.”
For more information on green jobs in your community, contact your local Goodwill.