Employer Insights: Skill and Workforce Needs for Green Jobs in New Jersey

"Discussion is ongoing at the national and state levels about the potential for growth in green jobs and the need to expand the skills that existing and new workers acquire. To better understand the demand for green jobs and for new green skills in New Jersey’s labor market, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJLWD) engaged the John J. Heldrich Center to gather insight and input from businesses that produce green products and services in the state" (p.1). "Researchers explored the following topics with participating businesses: current and expected demand for jobs that require green skills; green training and credentials that are most valued by employers; current industry recruitment and training practices for green jobs, including partnerships to recruit new hires; and gaps in existing green training and education programs" (p.4). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

Finding #1: While some hiring occurred among Energy Efficiency (EE) and Renewable Energy (RE) employers in 2010 and early 2011, hiring has slowed as a result of the weak economy and lower consumer demand than expected. Finding #2: Incumbent workers currently are the primary source of green job growth, as many employers shift their existing workforce to handle demand for green products and services. Finding #3: Some sectors anticipate job openings in the future, especially for high-skilled workers. Finding #4: Employers reported that traditional occupational skills, training, and experience are more valuable than green credentials for new hires. Finding #5: Most employers reported satisfaction with the general level of preparation of their workforce. They did, however, cite a need for training programs to develop hands-on skills, knowledge of regulations, and systems-level applications of knowledge. Finding #6: Employers who are hiring find the majority of their new employees through internal referrals. This may limit the number of jobs employers post publicly. Finding #7: Several employers noted partnerships with education providers, however, relatively few had participated in a partnership or recruitment effort with a workforce partner" (p.4-10). Additional conclusions are noted on page 10. (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2011
• Author(s): No individual author identified
• Organizational Author(s): John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies