Green Collar Jobs Demand Analysis Available for Download
Rigorous analysis completed to help District fully understand the potential of emerging green sector.
Contact: Andi Joseph
Manager, Research & Communications
202.661.8678
March 12, 2009
Washington, D.C.—The Washington, DC Economic Partnership, DC Office of Planning, and the Department of Employment Services recently released the highly anticipated Green Collar Jobs Demand Analysis, one of the first comprehensive studies of its kind to be completed in America.
“This analysis will help the District create the necessary training and policy strategies needed to bolster DC’s green collar workforce, through which the District can become a national leader in green job creation and retention,” said Steve Moore, President and CEO of the Washington DC Economic Partnership.
The analysis quantified the job demand generated by the District’s Green Building Act, Clean and Affordable Energy Act and other green policy interventions, and has listed job categories and skills/education required for green jobs. An economic model was developed to project and characterize DC’s green-collar jobs for current, 2, 5 and 10 year periods. Between 2009 and 2018, the report states that as many as 169,000 green jobs could result from the District’s green innovations. DC could currently count approximately 22,280 jobs as green.
“As the private sector moves toward more sustainable business practices, it is critically important for the District’s workforce to be properly prepared for the changes,” said DC Department of Employment Services Director Joseph Walsh.
Within the District of Columbia, construction, architecture and engineering are among the largest industries where green collar jobs are found. Over a third of the green collar jobs opportunities will have relatively low barriers to entry for DC job seekers.
“The report reveals that the District will continue to be a leader in Green Building for many years to come and that District policy is helping to lead the way,” said Harriet Tregoning, Director of the DC Office of Planning.
Also completed was the analysis of best practices, policy drivers and their impact on demand for labor from other US cities that have adopted a “green agenda”. To gain a local perspective, focus groups of District employers were conducted to identify attitudes, needs and plans related to green collar jobs.
The Green Collar Demand Analysis will continue to be an important tool to gauge the emerging green trend, as both the Current Green Collar Jobs Database and the Green Collar Demand Model can be updated for the District’s future use.
The analysis is available for download here.
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The WDCEP is a 501(c)3 non-profit, public/private partnership dedicated to promoting business opportunities throughout DC and contributing to business retention and attraction activities. For more information visit www.wdcep.com.