.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
Green careers
POSSIBILITIES OF A
GREEN
CAREER, WHAT ARE THEY?
The possibilities for pursuing a green career is ever expanding. What used to be the domain of bespectacled natural scientists in lab coats, now expands to all disciplines and fields of work, from the COURTROOM, to BUILDING DESIGNS, purchasing stock for RETAILERS and installing SOLAR HEATING and GREY WATER SYSTEMS.
THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF
GREEN
CAREERS, CONTINUES TO EXPAND
Typically, we think of green careers out in nature, running with leopards, swimming with dolphins, studying centipedes under a microscope or in a field of colourful flowers looking closely at nature’s bounty and marvel. In recent years, especially in South Africa the nature (what people do) and scope (where and how they do it), of green careers continue to expand. Our constitution enshrines the right of every person to a healthy environment.
And a suite of related environmental legislation, like the National Environmental Management Act of 1998, the National Water Act of 1998 and the Small Scale Fisheries policy in South Africa, as some examples, outline the legal framework for ensuring ecological wellbeing, while simultaneously enable access to resources for human livelihoods, health and wellbeing.
We use the analogy of a landscape of possibilities to introduce you to the many
OPTIONS
FOR PURSUING A GREEN CAREER:
TEACHERS, LECTURERS, CAREER COUNSELLORS AND HR PRACTITIONERS
For teachers, lecturers, career counsellors, human resources (HR) practitioners we have a set of resources, consisting of banners, worksheets, posters and cards to use in helping your learners, students and employees to make decisions about their green careers.
LEARNERS, STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES
For learners, students and employees, we have an interactive tool to use in exploring more details about specific careers, like what is the typical work environment, what learning pathways you could follow, what skills are needed, what tasks will you typically do and who might employ you in this career field.
THE GREEN SKILLS
PORTAL
AIMS OF THE PORTAL
The portal aims to share information and resources to inform green careers decision making and opportunities for pursuing green careers. It offers:
Green careers information to SUPPORT GREEN CAREER GUIDANCE activities and initiatives in schools, colleges, university and the workplace and provides information on green careers to inform decision making. | TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES to strengthen skills, reskilling and supporting talent management and staff retention. | BURSARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS through which to pursue formal training for green skills. | INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS in the environment sector where learners, students, graduates, unemployed youth and employees can apply online for various opportunities. | Green skills RESEARCH on green skills planning, sector education and training authority (SETAs) skills plans and integrating environment in to existing and emerging skills, as well as access to peer–reviewed journals, books, scientific journals, e-books and databases.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The green skills portal is offered to the general public and is intended to benefit learners at schools, students at colleges and universities, unemployed youth and adults and employees. It is also intended to support those who mediate green careers information and support others in career decision making like teachers, lecturers, career counsellors, parents and human resource development (HRD) professionals.
PARTNERSHIPS AND REFERENCING
The green skills portal is linked to websites of government departments, education and training institutions, private sector organisations, professional associations, CBOs and NGOs, to enable you to access a broad suite of information on careers, training, bursaries and scholarships, internships and jobs and research.
This information and resources are open source and should be referenced to the National Environmental Skills Planning Forum of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.
Suggested reference: National Environmental Skills Planning Forum (2021) Green Careers, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Pretoria, South Africa.
TRAINING
AND COURSES
Green careers are dynamic, fast moving and requires innovation and creativity. Whether you're already in a green career and are looking for more and changing skills in this career field, see yourself moving across from one green career field to another, or if you come from a completely different career field and want to pursue your passion in working for the environment and its people, many training programmes and courses can support your pursuit of a green career.
EXPLORE SOME
TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND COURSES
BURSARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Explore some bursary and scholarship opportunities to pursue learning pathways that will lead to your green career.
INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS
(WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING)
Just finished your studies? Looking to expand your experience? Explore various internship opportunities and jobs to grow your green career.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
OF GREEN SKILLS
RESEARCH
Are you involved with analysis, planning and development of green skills? Through the National Environmental Skills Planning Forum, the Green Skills Research Project co-ordinated various research studies, in partnership with various SETAs to inform the planning and development of green skills in the TVET college and university environments.
SEND QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, FEEDBACK, COMMENTS OR
CONTACT:
DR. SIBUSISIWE HLELA
Tel: 012 399-9322
Email address: shlela@dffe.gov.za
PANDELANI DZHUGUDZHA (MR)
Tel: 012 399-9923
E-mail: pdzhugudzha@dffe.gov.za
PALESA MASHIGO (MS)
Tel: 012 399-9925
E-mail: pmashigo@dffe.gov.za