The Greening of Oregon’s Workforce

.

Jobs, Wages, and Training

Community College Green Conference

May 13, 2010

We defined “Green Job”…

• For our survey, a green job is one that provides a service or produces a product in any of the following categories:1. Increasing energy efficiency2. Producing renewable energy3. Preventing, reducing, or mitigating environmental

degradation4. Cleaning up and restoring the natural environment5. Providing education, consulting, policy promotion,

accreditation, trading and offsets, or similar services supporting any of the other categories

Note: we wanted one or more of these things to be an “essential function” of the job.

We surveyed Oregon businesses …

• In early 2009, surveyed 10,500 employers in all industries across the state

• We asked them the following:• How many jobs in 2008 included green activities as

an essential part of the job• The minimum education required for these jobs• The types of special training, certification, or other

requirements that exist for these jobs• The wages associated with these jobs• How many of these jobs they expect to have in 2010

Key Finding: Oregon has roughly 51,000 green jobs.

• 51,402 green jobs in 2008, spread across... • 5,025 employers• all major industry groups• 226 different occupations

• Represents about 3 percent of the employment in the private sector and state and local government

• To give perspective … this is roughly the same as the number of employees working in Oregon’s private hospitals.

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

Wood productmanufacturing

Computer &electronic

manufacturing

Green Jobs Construction Health care &social assistance

Oregon's Green Jobs Relative to Other Industries, 2008

Source: Oregon Employment Department, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)

Construction, wholesale and retail trade, and administrative and waste services account for about half of Oregon’s green jobs.

IndustryGreen Jobs

Portion of All Green Jobs

Construction 8,676 17%Wholesale and Retail Trade 8,315 16%Administrative and Waste Services 7,074 14%Natural Resources and Mining 5,762 11%Professional and Technical Services 5,411 11%State and Local Government 5,063 10%Manufacturing 4,228 8%Leisure and Hospitality 2,260 4%Other Services 1,555 3%Educational and Health Services 1,353 3%Transportation and Warehousing 573 1%Utilities 403 Less Than 1%Information 354 Less Than 1%Management of Companies and Enterprises 252 Less Than 1%Financial Activities 123 Less Than 1% Total 51,402 100%

Key Finding: Many green jobs are in blue collar occupations.

Occupational GroupGreen Jobs

Portion of All Green Jobs

Construction and Extraction 10,381 20%Production 6,512 13%Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 5,838 11%Transportation and Material Moving 5,255 10%Architecture and Engineering 4,360 8%Life, Physical, and Social Science 4,135 8%Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance

2,877 6%

Sales and Related 2,437 5%Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,233 4%Management 1,639 3%Office and Administrative Support 1,570 3%Protective Service 1,032 2%Education, Training, and Library 790 2%Business and Financial Operations 683 1%Food Preparation and Serving Related 513 1%Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

480 1%

Other 667 1% Total 51,402 100%

But very few green jobs pay very low wages …

Percent of Green Jobs and All Jobs by Wage Group

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Under$10.00

$10.00 -$14.99

$15.00 -$19.99

$20.00 -$29.99

$30.00 -$49.00

$50.00 ormore

Average Hourly Wage

All Jobs Green Jobs

Source: Oregon Employment Department

Key Finding: “On average, green jobs tended toward slightly higher wages than jobs across the entire economy.”

• Average wage for all jobs: $19.92 per hour• Average wage for green jobs: $22.61 per hour

• Half of all jobs pay $15.22 or more per hour• About 2/3 of all green jobs pay $15.00 or more per

hour

• Occupation mix explains some of the difference, but not all

Key Finding: Two-thirds of green jobs require no education beyond high school.

No Requirement32%

High School Graduate

32%

Associate Degree7%

Some College7%

Bachelor's or Graduate

18%

Other4%

Where the Minimum Education Level was specified

Green Jobs by Minimum Education Level Oregon, 2008

As is true with the whole economy … jobs requiring more education usually pay higher wages.

Green Jobs Requiring Education Pay Higher Wages

0 4,000 8,000 12,000 16,000

No educationrequirement

High school diploma orGED required

Some college, Associatedegree, or Other

Bachelor's or graduatedegree

Number of Green Jobs

Less Than $15 $15 - $24.99 $25 to $49.99 $50 or More

Where the Minimum Education Level was specified

Key Finding: About one-third of green jobs require some kind of special license / certificate.

Green Jobs by Required License or Certificate

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000

Computer Proficiency orTraining

LEED Accreditation

Prior Experience or SignificantOJT

Equipment Operator Licenseor CDL

Cleanup or AbatementCertification

Occupation Specific Licenseor Certificate

Some jobs have more than one special requirement.

Key Finding: Employers project a 14% increase in green jobs between 2008 and 2010.

Occupational Group

Total Workers

2008

Projected Workers

2010 ChangePercent Change

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 5,838 7,960 2,122 36%Transportation and Material Moving 5,255 7,025 1,770 34%Production 6,512 7,625 1,113 17%Architecture and Engineering 4,360 5,243 883 20%Construction and Extraction 10,381 11,077 696 7%Protective Service 1,032 1,543 511 50%Life, Physical, and Social Science 4,135 4,338 203 5%Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,233 2,402 169 8%Education, Training, and Library 790 952 162 21%Management 1,639 1,791 152 9%Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance 2,877 3,026 149 5%Business and Financial Operations 683 797 114 17%Community and Social Services 157 263 106 68%Computer and Mathematical 244 301 57 23%Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 165 178 13 8%Personal Care and Service 20 27 7 35%Food Preparation and Serving Related 513 514 1 0%Legal 81 81 0 0%Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 480 465 -15 -3%Office and Administrative Support 1,570 1,376 -194 -12%Sales and Related 2,437 1,827 -610 -25% Total 51,402 58,811 7,409 14%

Employer Projections of Green Jobs by Occupation

Oregon’s Green LMI Improvement Grant

• December 2009 – May 2011 (18 months)• $1.25 million• Provided by national Employment and Training

Administration (ETA)• Working with many partners

• Oregon Workforce Investment Board (OWIB)• Department of Community Colleges and Workforce

Development (DCCWD)• Oregon Career Information System (CIS)• Other workforce, education, and training entities

Goals of the Green LMI Improvement Grant

• To build on Oregon’s initial green jobs survey to get detailed information on green occupations and industries of particular interest

• To provide direct labor market information with a strong focus on making that information usable for developing training programs and for career planning

• To invest in system information and infrastructure that will provide long term benefits to Oregon’s workers and employers

The Green LMI Grant has Five Major Components

1. In-depth Study of Green Occupations

2. Employment Analysis of Companies in Specific Green Sectors

3. Analysis of Agricultural and Self-Employed Green Jobs

4. Special Reports and Publications

5. AutoCoder and Green Jobs Extractor for WorkSource Oregon Management Information System (WOMIS)

• DCCWD & CIS will also complete other major components

In-depth Study of Occupations

• Developed criteria for selecting occupations to studyBuild on findings from The Greening of Oregon’s

WorkforceFocus on occupations with green jobs that require

some education beyond high schoolFocus on occupations where green jobs may have a

need for new or additional skillsFocus on occupations that are “high-demand” –

projected to have at least 254 openings over the next 10 years

2010SOC Code Occupation Title

17-2051 Civil Engineers19-3051 Urban and Regional Planners37-3011 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers45-2092 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse47-2031 Carpenters47-2061 Construction Laborers47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters47-2231 Solar Photovoltaic Installers47-4011 Construction and Building Inspectors49-3031 Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers49-9081 Wind Turbine Service Technicians51-8031 Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators

Green Occupations to be Studied inOregon's Green Jobs LMI Improvement Grant

In-depth Study of Occupations

1. Compilation of already-known information

2. Gather information through surveys and focus groups

3. Identify skills associated with occupations that have green jobs

4. Analyze the specific skill requirements for green jobs in selected occupations

5. Identify other unique characteristics of an occupation’s green jobs

6. Identify the skill ladders that form green career pathways

7. Conduct WorkKeys assessments on green job tasks in selected occupations

Known Employment, Projections, and Wages

SOCCode SOC Title

2008Employment

2018Employment

NetChange

PercentChange

TotalOpenings

AnnualMean Wage

17-2051 Civil Engineers 3,208 3,517 309 9.6% 877 $74,350

19-3051 Urban and Regional Planners 1,250 1,405 155 12.4% 411 $64,066

37-3011Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

11,031 12,427 1,396 12.7% 2,807 $26,128

45-2092Farmworkers and Laborers for Crops, Nurseries, and Greenhouses

18,715 19,941 1,226 6.6% 6,438 $20,687

47-2031 Carpenters 13,637 13,864 227 1.7% 1,939 $41,602

47-2061 Construction Laborers 10,215 10,461 246 2.4% 937 $33,683

47-2152Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

4,514 4,543 29 0.6% 942 $58,899

47-4011 Construction and Building Inspectors 1,370 1,543 173 12.6% 472 $58,515

49-3031Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists

4,247 4,591 344 8.1% 1,358 $42,379

49-9021Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

2,771 2,867 96 3.5% 550 $44,902

51-8031Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators

1,186 1,305 119 10.0% 387 $45,220

Total 72,144 76,464 4,320 6.0% 17,118 -

Source: Oregon Employment Department

Employment, Projections and Wages for Selected Occupations with Green Jobs

Compiled Skill Sets from iMatchSkills.org

Skill Requested Occupations Job Openings

follow safety procedures 9 1,465 use basic mathematics 8 732 use algebra 8 173 maneuver heavy objects 7 958 read schematics and specifications 7 360 use geometry 6 123 read repair work orders 5 448 read blueprints and technical drawings 5 256 perform basic carpentry 4 459 understand, use, and communicate technical information

4 138

Source: iMatchSk ills.org, 3/2009 - 3/2010

10 Skills Employers Want for Selected Occupations with Green Jobs

Requested In

Employment Analyses of Companies in Green Sectors

• Select green sectors for analysis (overlap with recommendations of Green Jobs Council)

• Identify firms working in each sector• Conduct analyses of Unemployment Insurance wage

records for those firms• Which industries did workers come from?• How have workers’ wages and hours changed over

time?• What are the employment trends of green

companies?

Renewable Energy Production and Generation

• Sector selected based on ease of identifying firms• Oregon Department of Energy provided firm lists• Much more complicated than expected

• 200+ firms producing renewable energy – but most consume all of the energy produced

• Many firms produce and use renewable energy that is not electricity

• For most firms renewable energy production is not the primary business

Renewable Energy Production and Generation – Preliminary Findings

• Limited to 13 firms selling renewable energy (electricity) back to the grid

• Employment dominated by other economic trends – particularly related to wood and paper products manufacturing

• Private employment down 12% from 2004Q3 to 2009Q3 compared to 2% across the entire economy

• Median wage in 3Q2009 was $30.01 ($16.34 for all private employees)

• Median hours worked in 3Q2009 was 517 (409 for all private employees)

Special Reports and Publications

• 10 stand-alone reports focused on green occupations• 12 green jobs-related articles• 20,000 brochures• 2,000 posters• 2 survey reports

• New dedicated page (soon): www.QualityInfo.org/Green• Also posted to our blog and twitter accounts

Oregon’s Career Information System (CIS)

• Determine career planners’ needs for information related to green jobs

• Incorporate needed data into the CIS • New occupations and industries files detailing

required skills, training, and credentials• Updated FAQs• Overview articles of new information

• Develop curriculum to help students understand green jobs

• Collaborate with national CIS office

DCCWD - WorkKeys

• Conduct 30 WorkKeys profiles for 10 occupations Identify green jobsEvaluate foundational skillsEvaluate green skillsEstablish a standardized green job task analysisCompile green job dataShare information with public and other agencies

DCCWD – Career Pathways

• Identify and map career paths and skill progressions that lead to green jobs Identify industry and occupation-specific technical

competencies Design career roadmaps (and certificates if appropriate) for

entry-level positions and progressive job advancement

• This project will use a new, statewide approach which links available occupational training at multiple community colleges throughout Oregon

DCCWD – Green Training Performance System

• Code and “mine” data from Oregon’s 17 community colleges to identifyGreen training participation ratesJob placementJob wages and wage progressionJob advancement and worker success

• Determine if green training programs are successful

• Businesses surveyed to identify needed skills and competencies

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) taxonomy has been updated…

• Two new occupations in the 2010 SOC:• 47-2231 Solar photovoltaic installers• 49-9081 Wind turbine service technicians

• Data collection on these starts in late 2009

• First estimates likely to be in 2013 (for 2012)

Thanks … from the Employment Department’s “Green Team”

Our “Greening” report is available on-line:http://www.qualityinfo.org/pubs/green/greening.pdf