Students Want Green Jobs, Businesses Want Green Credentials, Business Schools Race to Bridge the Gap

According to survey results of college graduates just released by KRI, "80 percent of those surveyed said they are interested in a job that has a positive impact on the environment and a whopping 92 percent would choose working for an environmentally friendly company." In response to the survey findings, MonsterTRAK has created GreenCareers, which focuses exclusively on green employment.

Yet as more businesses attempt to "go green," it is a struggle to find employees with a combination of the functional and technical skills needed AND who also have knowledge and understanding of sustainability, according to an article in the Boston Business Journal.

When Oakland's Community Bank of the Bay couldn't find a candidate with both loan experience and sustainability knowledge, they decided to hire someone who knew sustainability and teach them about banking. They are expecting that adding "green loan officers" will help them obtain a competitive advantage.

In an effort to bridge this gap, the number of classes and degree programs in sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are rapidly growing at business schools across the nation as the demand for green business skills is increasing. This blog maintains a list of colleges and universities with certificate and degree programs in sustainability and/or CSR (see our list of links for Business Education in CSR & Sustainability).

Are you ready for the future?