Careers in green building and jobs requiring sustainability skills of all kinds are growing...but the demand still outpaces the supply. How can we expand the ways people can enter the green workforce?

In their 2023 Greenbuild panel session, Workforce Development Brought to You by USGBC Partners, moderated by USGBC's Monique Owens, four experts in sustainability education and community growth shared their perspectives on the importance of developing innovative and equitable approaches to supporting the future green economy.

Michelle Benavides, Michaela Boren, Ellen Honigstock and Neil Qusba represent four different organizations dedicated to training future sustainability professionals in a way that aligns with the standards and best practices of green building education programs. Here, they each share their thoughts on the challenges before the industry and the steps that we can all take to create more opportunities.

A panelist speaks as the moderator and other panelists listen. — The workforce development panel session at Greenbuild 2023. Photo courtesy of Michelle Benavides.

Michelle Benavides

LEED AP BD+C, SEA
USGBC Faculty
Executive director, International Society of Sustainability Professionals

What skills, mindsets and areas of expertise will be most important for the green workforce of the future?

The most critical mindset a green professional can have to accelerate sustainability is stubborn optimism—a deep understanding of the critical worth of their role in protecting and advancing progress in the face of adversity.

The green workforce sets itself apart by valuing natural resources as finite capital, which should be carefully managed and regenerated. Yet we are consistently fighting the mindset that natural resources or physical goods are primarily sources of profit. Across the board, the future workforce must be retrained to think of their work in terms of the circular economy, rather than exponential growth. This trickles down to almost every area of expertise, but at its core, this relies on key skills like measurement and management of resources. That’s why organizations are investing billions in reporting and regulating processes right now. My hope is that the workforce continues to evolve and embrace this responsibility to leave the planet better than we found it.

In 2024, what are the most important steps the green building industry can take to create more equitable training opportunities?

We are now at the point of climate urgency where every job should be a green job, yet a recent jobs study from LinkedIn revealed that only one in eight workers have green skills. Too often, we focus professional development on leadership, but this knowledge doesn’t spread across the workforce. Next time you’re allocating funding for employees, consider also how you’re investing in green training for entry-level and mid-level employees and how they are incorporated as stakeholders in the sustainability journey as well. By involving more employees in decision-making processes, companies will be able to more efficiently execute new practices in a realistic way. Alongside this, it’s also crucial to establish mentorship programs to provide guidance to employees from underrepresented backgrounds.

What programs or initiatives have you worked on to help communities in supporting future sustainability professionals?

Currently, I am focused on the growth and impact of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), which aims to empower sustainability professionals across the workforce and around the world. We take on this challenge by providing community, tools and training to help them meet their sustainability goals. As a global community with members spanning 94 countries, we’re unusual in this space because we have such an incredibly wide range of skills and backgrounds involved. This pushes us every day to create more equitable pathways into the field, which we do by accommodating differences in regional economies and cultural expectations. For example, we offer discounts to professionals in low- or middle-income economies as defined by the World Bank to ensure access to all professionals pushing forward this critical work.

Michaela Boren

LEED Green Associate
Manager, green programs, Local 32BJ Thomas Shortman Training Fund

What skills, mindsets and areas of expertise will be most important for the green workforce of the future?

A life cycle assessment (LCA) mindset is important to practice. This enables us to have a holistic approach toward our activities, programs, jobs or everyday life, which is essential for everyone to have a greener future. All industries, not just the building industry, are becoming "greener," and environmental science teaches us that everything is connected, one way or another. Signs of the times indicate that a whole building approach with resilient operations and maintenance (O+M) is becoming imperative in the building industry, if we are to meet our 2050 goals.

The concept of LCA and resiliency, and the importance of good O+M, were not popular 14 years ago, when I first started. The amount and rate of change that is happening makes training essential for everyone in the industry to keep up, be on the same page and be able to communicate and work together to ensure successful and adaptive long-term projects and retain a strong green workforce.

In 2024, what are the most important steps the green building industry can take to create more equitable training opportunities?

The green building industry can require training opportunities as a job benefit. In this age when the industry has daunting goals and is changing quickly on all fronts (policy, technology, best practices, funding, materials, etc.), training should be a requirement, and preferably done during company or working hours. Some organizations require green building training as part of their hiring or onboarding process. Another opportunity is to require training when complying with green building standards or certifications.

In existing buildings, one of the best ways to ensure that these standards are met and maintained is through training building operators. Companies can also have training as part of their contract when working on a building project. Funding training opportunities and support for incumbent workers, and not just for new hires, can make a vital difference, since every job in the building industry can be a green job even if it doesn't have the word "green" in it.

For many workforce development grants, the success of the training is usually measured by the count of new hires, promotions and/or bonuses. I feel that we should also consider lateral movement as one of the ways to measure success. Examples would be having the same title, but moving to a larger or a more prestigious building or neighborhood, or moving to the day shift that requires more interaction with tenants.

Three people look on intently as an instructor demonstrates a maintenance activity. — Rubin Caraballo, building resident manager and 32BJ union member, LEED AP O+M, BPI MFBO and MFBA, GPRO O&M, teaches fellow building operators on strategies to address and quantify heat loss through a hands-on air sealing activity in a green building course at 32BJ Training Fund's Green Laboratory in New York City. Photo courtesy of Michaela Boren.

What programs or initiatives have you worked on to help communities in supporting future sustainability professionals?

Environmental education has always been my passion and advocacy. When I was in college in the Philippines, we helped train farmers from Mt. 387, a group of volunteers committed to save the 387 hectares of forestland within the Talavera Watershed, on how to use soil test kits and analyze the results. I was also part of the Coral Reef Champions project that worked with fishing communities to reduce dynamite fishing and practice more sustainable activities.

In the building industry, I started with the 1,000 Green Supers Program in 2010. The U.S. Department of Labor granted 32BJ Training Fund $2.8 million to train 1,000 New York City building superintendents in one year in energy efficiency through better O+M strategies. This was the first of its kind in the city and was supported by then Mayor Michael Bloomberg, real estate industry leaders, 32BJ SEIU and Urban Green Council. The Green Ladders and Green Jobs programs at LaGuardia Community College allowed me to work very closely with adults in disadvantaged communities and priority populations and help them enter the green workforce, and the New York City Department of Administrative Services allowed me to train and manage energy efficiency courses for city building operators.

Today, I continue to support 32BJ building operators through the 25+ green courses and various career tracks that we offer at the Training Fund to help them build a green environment where we want to live and work.

Ellen Honigstock

Senior director, education, Urban Green Council

What skills, mindsets and areas of expertise will be most important for the green workforce of the future?

New workers will have opportunities to engage in jobs that no one could have conceived of five or 10 years ago. For example, as cities and states ramp up laws related to building performance, there will be growing demand for jobs like energy auditors and construction managers with retrofit experience that we’ve not seen in the past. Similarly, ESG reporting wasn't a thing just a few years ago, and now, most large companies have people dedicated to paying attention to sustainability and carbon reporting.

As new workers follow paths to hone their skills, they should know that there will be many options for success. While it may be difficult to anticipate exactly where the growth will be, there will be an enormous demand for people who incorporate sustainability into their work. I also think it's important to stress to students and younger workers that they should gravitate toward developing skills that they enjoy and are good at. It's easier to achieve expertise in a field if you enjoy the journey.

Experienced workers may need to learn new practices or explore how new technologies work. For example, the installation of a heat pump water heater in a new construction project will likely go smoothly, but that same unit installed in a retrofit may require an expanded skill set to deal with existing conditions. Green designers, builders and operators are systems thinkers, which means that many future jobs will require a broader and more integrated knowledge base. Workers will need to understand what other trades are doing and how that work affects their trade. Projects will require more collaboration, so workers may also need to learn to become conversant with new communication tools.

In 2024, what are the most important steps the green building industry can take to create more equitable training opportunities?

The industry can help provide access to jobs and careers that have historically been generational. It's hard for young workers to know "Where am I going?" or "What am I aiming toward?" without seeing those possibilities. A young person may be smart and do great in school, but if they don't have a neighbor who's an architect or a cousin who's a contractor, they may not even be exposed to possible job opportunities in our industry. Through mentorship programs, experienced professionals can help provide that access, and the industry can proactively offer career days to reach larger groups of students.

Apprenticeships are great ways to enter the building construction trades as well. For trades that don't have formal apprenticeships, companies can provide training for workers. Many people think that workers don't have time for training, or that training slows work down, but in reality, training enables workers and teams to work more effectively.

The majority of leaders and executives in our industry are white and male, so we need to actively search out new voices and perspectives, and build internal structures that will support diversity in positions of leadership. I've been in this industry my entire life, and even now, in some situations, I'm still the only woman in the room. Leaders need to step back and listen to diverse voices, even if it may feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Creativity from unique perspectives is critical to moving the industry forward.

One panelists speaks while three others listen at a conference session. — Urban Green's November 2023 Workforce Solutions for Decarbonizing Buildings HPWH Training. Photo courtesy of Ellen Honigstock.

What programs or initiatives have you worked on to help communities in supporting future sustainability professionals?

Urban Green focuses on filling training gaps in the industry. Currently, we are working on launching a mentorship program where we connect emerging workers who have an interest in sustainable construction with experienced professionals who can provide guidance and help them navigate their early years in the field.

Our Green Professional Training (GPRO) enables operators, construction managers and tradespeople to apply systems thinking to their jobs and better understand their role in the context of advancing sustainability. We are also launching a new course, called "GPRO: Getting Started with Green Building" that we will offer through workforce development partners. It covers the wide array of different career paths across green design, construction and operations, which can be challenging to understand and navigate from the outside.

In New York, our energy code training teaches designers, contractors and code officials how to understand the structure and rationale behind the energy code. The course covers new and mandatory provisions, including how to select the right compliance pathway and how to ensure that all required tests and documentation are complete.

Sometimes, training and workforce development are treated like an afterthought. The industry is in a position of transition, and education is key. Urban Green is working to develop a culture of training industrywide. Training takes time and intention—but it’s worth it!

Neil Qusba

Director of construction and green industries, YouthBuild USA

What skills, mindsets and areas of expertise will be most important for the green workforce of the future?

In order to meet both expectations and demand for a sustainable future, it is paramount that the green workforce of the future develops expertise around PV installation, stormwater management and low-impact development. The mindsets need to be developed at an early age through the integration of these concepts into the classroom. Building awareness around the issues of fossil fuel extraction and stormwater management is critical to our future…and furthermore, our planet. Our high schools need to bring back those “shop” classes where hand and power tool training are introduced and demystified, as the trades are losing ground with the current generation, and these types of skill sets are key to filling these high-demand positions.

In 2024, what are the most important steps the green building industry can take to create more equitable training opportunities?

The green building industry needs to have more of a presence inside underserved communities, where green training centers are normalized and become as ubiquitous as check-cashing stations and convenience stores. These are also the communities that suffer the most from the heat island effect and where these types of skills and training are needed the most.

What programs or initiatives have you worked on to help communities in supporting future sustainability professionals?

As someone who has spent 20 years with the YouthBuild (YB) model, I have dedicated a good portion of my life to building capacity, both domestically and internationally, in the areas of weatherization, energy auditing, green roof construction and stormwater management/capture. Most of this work has taken place in underserved communities around the world, where this capacity is most needed.

Two instructors work on a solar panel installation. — YouthBuild's recent Unirac Master Installer certification, which will allow the organization to build out the training and certification pathway for both its trainers and its trainees. Photo courtesy of Neil Qusba.

Two instructors smile seated next to a solar panel. — YouthBuild's recent Unirac Master Installer certification, which will allow the organization to build out the training and certification pathway for both its trainers and its trainees. Photo courtesy of Neil Qusba.

Currently, I am working on bringing PV Installation training to our programs through the development of a dedicated Solar Career Pathway, where we will be building “Solar Labs” at strategically located YouthBuild programs around the U.S., enabling other YB programs in the area to access the customized solar training and certification opportunities.

Perspectives on workforce development