Green jobs guidebook for New Mexico

The 28-page Green Job Guidebook is a resource for job seekers, students, guidance counselors, career advisors, policy makers and anyone else interested in knowing about the tremendous potential of New Mexico’s existing and growing green job marketplace.

The guidebook contains an index of current and potential green jobs in New Mexico, how green jobs are a pathway out of poverty, about green job apprenticeship programs offered by unions and utility companies, government-sponsored green job placement assistance, green job programs at New Mexico colleges and universities, and what a green career pathway map is.

This guidebook was developed by Governor Richardson’s Green Jobs Cabinet to provide an accessible overview to green jobs in New Mexico. This guidebook will be updated periodically to include new information.

What is a Green Job?

Green jobs are family-supporting, career-track jobs that directly contribute to preserving or enhancing environmental quality.

In New Mexico, this means jobs in areas as diverse as:

• renewable energy
• smart/green electricity grids
• energy efficiency and green building
• biofuels
• clean technology manufacturing
• recycling
• low-carbon transportation
• air and water quality
• sustainable agriculture

It is important to include all jobs in these industries, from the specialized scientists and technicians through human resources and accounting professionals. It also includes people working on energy efficiency and other environmental goals in all industries.

The Potential of Green Jobs in New Mexico

• The American Solar Energy Society estimates that the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries could create 37 million new jobs in the US by 2030. New Mexico’s share of that would be 236,800 jobs.¹
• The Solar Energy Industry Association anticipates 19,000 new jobs created in New Mexico by 2016 in the solar industry alone.² This is the highest per capita gain in the country.
• The Center for American Progress calculates that New Mexico’s share of a $100B “Green Recovery” federal stimulus package would create 13,717 jobs.³
• Renewable energy generates 40% more jobs per unit of energy than coal power.4 There are now more wind energy jobs in the United States than coal mining jobs.5
• Green jobs are generally well paid, place-based and difficult to lose to foreign competition

More information can be found at: http://www.edd.state.nm.us/greenEconomy/greenJobs/index.html