REPORT
About Green Education & Training in BC
There is a wide variety of existing and new learning opportunities available to people interested in following "green" career paths in British Columbia. With the green elements of BC's economy growing faster than the economy as a whole, there is increasing demand for skilled and experienced workers needed to fill the relevant positions in all industries.
British Columbia has 25 public post-secondary institutions, dozens of private universities and colleges, and a number of industry training organizations, skills councils, and associations that have a role to play in the education and training of BC's green labour force.
Many of these institutions and organizations are ahead of the curve in delivering curriculum to address emerging needs for workforce development in BC, such as renewable energy systems, green building technologies, and carbon accounting. One example is UBC's new Master of Engineering in Clean Energy -- the first of its kind in Canada and one of only a handful worldwide. In addition, much of the industry training occurs within the private sector from companies who train employees for specific jobs.
While many of the existing and emerging green jobs in BC are well-paid, they require specific skills, experience, and relatively high-levels of education. Approximately 62 percent of BC's green labour force has some level of post-secondary education or trades training (see figure below).
Source: GLOBE Foundation
Figure: BC's green labour force by highest education level achieved.
Of those with a post-secondary education, 40 percent have obtained a level of Bachelor's degree or higher. In terms of the post-secondary field of study, approximately one-third (34 percent) of BC's green work force have an educational background in architecture, engineering, or related technology. Business, management, and public administration are also important with 16 percent of BC's green labour market having educational backgrounds in these areas.
Enrolment in environment-related programs is increasing in both colleges and universities compared to all programs. However, the total number of students entering environmental programs at BC's public post-secondary institutions is small relative to other program areas. According to a recently-released study by ECO Canada, approximately 10.5 percent of all university enrolments and only 2.3 percent of college enrolments in BC were in environment-related programs in 2004/2005. The percentage of students who end up graduating from environment-related programs in BC is slightly higher than enrolment at 11.6 percent for universities and 5.2 percent for colleges.
In 2008, approximately 23,450 students obtained a post-secondary education certificate at some level of programming identified as important for BC's green economy. Of course, whether these graduates actually enter green careers is at their discretion.
From 1992 to 2007, the number of BC public post-secondary certifications grew at various rates, as illustrated in the figure below.
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 477-0014
Figure: Growth rates for university degrees, diplomas, and certificates granted by program level in BC, 1992 to 2007. (click to enlarge)
Highest growth rates were found in programs related to business, management, and public administration; architecture, engineering, and related technologies; and education. Growth in the number of certifications for programs related to physical and life sciences and technologies was relatively low and was actually negative for certifications related to agriculture, natural resources, and conservation. This supports ECO Canada's study that suggests traditional environmental programs are declining (e.g. wildlife biology) while new emerging programs are experiencing tremendous growth (e.g. land use and planning).
The low number of graduates with science backgrounds is of particular concern, however, as a labour pool made up of workers with fewer science degrees has been identified as one of the reasons that Canada's overall productivity levels have stagnated in recent years -- along with the fact that Canadian businesses are less technology-intensive and do far less R&D than other developed nations around the world. This is important because productivity growth is a precursor to higher employment and ultimately, a better standard of living.
Despite the low certification numbers and even negative trends in certain important programming areas, demand remains high for qualified and experienced workers throughout BC's renewable energy, clean technology, and environment-related sectors. As such BC's public post-secondary institutions offer a variety of programs specifically designed for those interested in following green career paths.
Many industry experts have identified that skilled trades are almost certain to see the biggest gains in terms of new employment opportunities as green initiatives in energy efficiency and sustainable construction get underway across North America. This has created a strong demand for modern training programs with sufficient capacity to help fill emerging employment opportunities.
A 2009 report by the US Department of Labor highlighted that as market demands evolve in favour of greener practices, it is in fact the Registered Apprenticeship stakeholders and the organizations they support that are consistently first-to-market in training both existing and new workers.
In addition, the private sector -- in partnership with tertiary educators, unions, industry training organizations, and relevant associations and sector councils -- takes responsibility for ensuring that industry knowledge and training remains current and effective.
Environmental skills are quickly becoming more important across the workforce and within every industry and with continued innovation, education, and training/retraining, BC's workforce can build on its existing knowledge base to incorporate the emerging skills that will open up doors to exciting employment opportunities in all industries, both new and old. Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and experience to support environmental sustainability initiatives will not only have an advantage over the rest of the workforce as BC transitions to a greener economy, but will also be in a position to make a positive contribution to society as a whole.
For more information on specific programs and courses related to green education and training in BC, download the free Reference Guide to Green Education and Training in BC by clicking on the Report link below.
Access more resources on BC's green economy