'Green collar' job market set to boom

Dubai: As the world increases services, products and technologies that are considered environmentally sustainable, "green economies" are set to blossom quickly and with that "green collar" jobs.

Speaking at an Emirates Environmental Group workshop titled "From Green Education to Green Jobs — Opportunities in a Low Carbon World" at Dubai Women's College, chairperson Habiba Al Marashi told more than 200 students from the Higher Colleges of Technology about job opportunities that will arise in various sectors in the UAE.

"The green job market is thriving. Consulting firms are all targeting this juicy market and hiring to serve it," said Habiba.

She said the demand for environmental or atmospheric scientists, urban planners, landscape architects, sustainable designers and environmental teachers outstripped the average economic growth rate.

However, this meant that universities and colleges would have to revise their programmes and educate with a different philosophy said guest speaker Ken Webster, an author and Education for Sustainable Development consultant from the UK.

"If a design student was designing a chair, for example, he wouldn't just be thinking about the customer but also designing for what happens afterwards [when it is discarded]."

Webster said green education was quite different from what people perceived it to be. He said it meant looking again at programmes such as engineering and architecture in a less narrow and more comprehensive way.