Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

Growing the green generation: How to meet the need in Canada’s burgeoning environmental sector

February 11, 2010 Ottawa—The demand for green jobs is rapidly expanding and Canada’s workforce is ill-prepared to meet the need, according to the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL).

The need for jobs in the environmental sector will increase by more than 8% by 2011; yet enrolment in post-secondary environmental programs has dropped 9% since 1999.

This finding is summarized in CCL's Lessons in Learning article “Meeting the Demand for Trained Personnel in Canada’s Environmental Sector,” which identifies the impending shortage—and offers a number of potential solutions.

“The green economy is an undeniable part of our society and global culture, and it is critical that Canada is prepared to meet this sector’s need for skilled workers,” says Paul Cappon, CCL’s President and CEO. “As this article reveals, people who pursue environmental careers are a special shade of green, and we need to nurture that commitment at the earliest possible stage.”

Green careers, which include a broad spectrum of positions from botanist and oceanographer to toxicologist and environmental lawyer, accounted for more than half-a-million jobs in Canada in 2006. The demand in this up-and-coming environmental sector is estimated to increase by nearly 40,000 jobs by 2011.  

CCL offers a number of possible solutions to the short-fall of green jobs. The article details how individuals who pursue careers in the environmental sector are driven not by money or power, but rather by personal belief.  

“Students choose green careers primarily because of their personal interest in environmental issues, strong emotional connection towards the environment and passion about the environment and environmental issues,” the article states. 

As a result, stimulating interest in the environment among students as they are making career decisions is the best way to increase the supply of graduates from environmental programs.

The report recommends:

• offering students experiential activities such as outdoor programs;
• educating teachers and students about the diversity of the jobs available in the environmental sector;
• offering information and guidance during the career decision-making process; and
• focusing on the elementary and middle school years as a time to introduce environmental education programs.

Dr. Cappon sees the link between the environment and education as a strong one.  Last year, CCL along with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESC0) and the International Economic Forum of the Americas published Education, Training and Sustainability Conditions for success in a changing world.  The book covers three elements—education, training and sustainability—from the perspective of their interdependence.

About CCL
The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded through an agreement with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Its mandate is to provide evidence-based information to Canadians so they can make the best decisions about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.

Sheena Powell
Communications
Canadian Council on Learning
613.786.3230 x221
spowell@ccl-cca.ca
www.ccl-cca.ca

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