These areas are expected to fuel significant economic growth and job creation over the next decade, rivaling that of the late 1990s dot.com boom and the housing boom of the early 2000s, according to the workplace authorities at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the global outplacement and executive coaching consultancy.

As $4.00-per-gallon gasoline and growing concern over global warming spark calls for short-term and long-term solutions, more and more companies are going "green," not only with their products but also with operations. The movement is creating increased demand for workers in so-called "green-collar" jobs in the form of engineers, architects, project managers, and consultants. As this trend continues, more workers will be needed to implement designs and build projects, potentially creating thousands of jobs.
 
A recent forecast issued by the American Solar Energy Society reported that renewable energy and energy-efficient industries were responsible for the creation of nearly 8.5 million jobs in 2006, a figure which includes about 4.8 million indirect jobs such as accountants, computer analysts and truck drivers.

By 2030, the number of direct and indirect jobs related to renewable energy and energy efficiency is expected to reach 40 million, according to the organization's outlook.

With an expected growth rate of about 1.3 million new jobs per year through 2030, "green collar" jobs could present the best career opportunities for a generation of college graduates. The demand for workers is already evident. In a brief review of a few Web sites specializing in environmental and alternative energy jobs, Challenger, Gray & Christmas uncovered about 1,500 job listings.

Green Dream Jobs (www.sustainablebusiness.com) lists 380 opportunities, including communications director, field energy consultant, project specialist, operation director, program information analyst, green information technology coordinator and director of business development.

"Additional openings can be found through traditional job sites, such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder, as well as through state and federal employment sites. Furthermore, the push toward increased environmental responsibility is creating new ‘green collar' jobs in a number of industries and companies where these positions previously did not exist," said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray and Christmas.
 
"For example, more and more building design firms are seeking architects and engineers with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation as their clients seek environmentally friendly offices. Other companies, such as Wal-Mart, are hiring people to achieve its goals of decreasing its impact on the environment," said Challenger.
"Then, of course, there are the growing number of jobs that will be created by companies researching and developing alternative sources of energy."
 
The biggest obstacle in the growth of green-collar jobs could be the lack of skilled workers. However, as demand increases for workers in these fields, colleges and universities are instituting specialized degree programs to supply the future green-collar workforce.
 
Dominican University of California offers graduate students the option to receive a Master of Business Administration in Sustainable Enterprise. Antioch University New England, Bainbridge Graduate Institute and New College are offering similar programs. Vermont Law School has begun offering a J.D. and a Masters of Studies in Environmental Law.

"The degrees offer job seekers an additional market value. Not only do they possess the knowledge of traditional MBA holders, they hold fresh ideas, enabling the business world to increase their environmental responsibility," said Challenger.