Hawai i's Green Workforce A Baseline Assessment December 2010

Table 14. Growth in Green Jobs by County and Industry: 2010-2012
New and Emerging Green Occupation: Sustainability Specialist
The green economy has generated a number of
new professional, technical and administrative jobs
whose principal responsibilities are to monitor and
lead an establishment’s green efforts. One prime
example is the emerging occupation of Sustainability
Specialist. The Hawaiÿi Green Jobs Survey helped
identify several, predominantly large, firms that
offer such career opportunities in industries ranging
from professional services to food services. In
2010, there were an estimated 61 Sustainability
Specialists in the State of Hawaiÿi, with a projected
growth rate of 26 percent by 2012. Based on O*NET
definitions, a Sustainability Specialist “address(es)
organizational sustainability issues, such as waste
stream management, green building practices, and
green procurement plans” by undertaking prescribed
tasks to:
• Develop sustainability project goals, objectives,
initiatives, or strategies in collaboration with
other sustainability professionals;
• Monitor or track sustainability indicators, such
as energy usage, natural resources usage, waste
generation, and recycling;
• Assess or propose sustainability initiatives,
considering factors such as cost effectiveness,
technical feasibility, and acceptance. 1
30 Hawaiÿi’s Green Workforce: A Baseline Assessment
Hiring managers are interested in individuals
with skill sets comparable to other corporate
professionals, which include excellent written and
oral communication skills, project management
experience and data analysis expertise. An
undergraduate degree in engineering, environmental
studies or the natural sciences is also considered
beneficial.
To produce students capable of entering career
pathways in energy and environmental sustainability,
grass root initiatives such as Sustainable Saunders
at the University of Hawaiÿi aim to integrate the
educational curriculum with campus-based projects
and internships. 2 This holistic approach allows
students from multiple disciplines to work together
on current sustainability issues, while developing the
skills and acumen necessary to transition successfully
into the green workforce upon graduation. Moreover,
such programs serve as a useful conduit transmitting
the skills-needs of potential employers with frontline
education providers.
1 http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/13-1199.05
2 http://sustainablesaunders.hawaii.edu