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Following on from its successful launch last year, the second edition of Green Futures took place on the 16 April.

This flagship event is designed to provide students with a better understanding of the green jobs market, and the opportunity to meet inspirational speakers and gain real-world experience. 100 students from degree subjects across the entire university – from law and journalism to life sciences and engineering – took part.

We welcomed 12 incredible speakers from organisations including FareShare Sussex & Surrey, Brighton & Hove City Council, Knepp Wildland Foundation, South Downs National Park Authority, Rampion Offshore Wind and more. Many of our speakers were Sussex Alumni, and it was wonderful to welcome them back to share their experiences and insights into the growing green jobs market.

Below is an event recap including insights into the green jobs market, and opportunities and resources for students. This information can also be accessed in the form of an Insights Booklet via CareerHub.

Industry Insights

We welcomed a panel of professionals from across several diverse organisations to discuss opportunities in the growing green jobs market. Below are the main takeaways from the panel:

Routes into green jobs

Our panellists shared insights into how they built their careers in sustainability.Libby Drew, Director of the Knepp Wildland Foundation, studied English and Philosophy at university, and spent twenty years working in humanitarian aid, development and climate journalism before moving into rewilding. Meanwhile, Laura Ong studied Chemical Engineering at university, then joined the RWE graduate programme which led to her current role as Operations Engineer at Rampion Offshore Wind.

From developing your volunteering experience, to applying for graduate schemes – there are a diverse range of routes into sustainability-focused careers. However, there is one common thread: there is no requirement to study a sustainability-focused degree to have a green career.

“Soon, all jobs will have a green aspect. At some point, everyone here will work on a job that at least touches on the green transition” – Jasper Ladd, Analyst, Genesis Analytics

The future is bright, and green jobs are proliferating in every industry. Sustainable thinkers are needed in every single job function. Franziska Petersen, who manages marketing and communications for Edwards Vacuum in the semiconductor industry, noted that sustainability goals are needed not just in how products are sourced and manufactured, but also in how they are marketed.

“A lot of employers are hiring sustainability managers for the first time. I would see that as an opportunity to come into their environment with the attitude of making that role your own, and bringing your personal expertise to the table" – Cheyenne Plant, Sustainability Project Officer, Brighton and Hove City Council

Skills needed for green jobs

The green jobs market is constantly expanding and evolving. As a result, Jan Knowlson, Biodiversity officer at South Downs National Park Authority, emphasise the importance of “super generalists” in addition to people with specialisms. Engineers and process thinkers are important, but equally so are people with a general appetite for experimentation, risk, and a solutions-focussed attitude.

Our panellists agreed that transferable skills such as versatility, adaptability and creativity are vital to green jobs. Adaptability is essential, as the industry is fast-changing. Another important skill is stakeholder management, which involves being confident with people, making connections, and collaborating.

Interesting areas to research

• Climate adaption is a huge part of the burgeoning green jobs market. Industries are increasingly looking at the climate crisis with the knowledge that some of its effects cannot be reverse, and therefore they are increasingly looking at how cities and industry practices can be adapted to the changes that are already locked in.
• Local knowledge is also becoming increasingly important to biodiversity-related roles. There are many job opportunities in rural areas outside of cities to help preserve and protect local wildlife and biodiversity.
• Law is an exciting area where lots of change is taking place. From ‘polluter pays’ legislation and carbon pricing legal frameworks, to ensuring nature is granted rights and protection, there are many ways in which law practitioners are increasingly focusing on sustainability.

Summary

No matter your degree discipline, you have the power to make an impact in the green jobs market. New opportunities are increasingly available, and soon, most or all jobs will have a green element to them. There are many diverse career entry routes to choose from: graduate schemes, volunteering, and building your experience in a multitude of areas can all help you break into the sector. Transferable skills, such as creativity and adaptability, are just as important as specialist knowledge.

“My group worked on the Knepp Wildland Foundation challenge to aid the development of the real-life Weald to Waves initiative which is facilitating a connected corridor of farms, gardens, and green spaces over 100 miles of Sussex landscape.

“Our team discussed the challenges and opportunities to get a variety of stakeholders to join and remain part of the corridor scheme, along with what measurable social and environmental indicators could be used to track the success of the corridor. Some of our suggestions focused on younger generations and how we could harness the power of social media and partner up with an interactive app to develop a community of nature lovers.

"We also focused on the growing issue regarding the lack of opportunity for young farmers and devised support groups and pen-pal programmes that could strengthen future operations of green farming within the South Downs.”

A key takeaway from the panel was the importance of making the most of LinkedIn. You can use your LinkedIn profile to connect and network with people in green jobs that are of interest to you; to follow green businesses; and to keep up to date on news and trends in the sector. Building your LinkedIn profile can also be really important for creating a positive impression - consider writing posts reflecting on news stories, or sharing information about events you've attended (such as Green Futures!).

Here are some other key pieces of advice from our student panellists:

“Networking can be scary, but I found my current job through networking. You also don’t need to find your dream job on the first try”- Sandra Juan (Sustainable Development MSc)

“I was elected to the sustainability committee at the Students Union and did a lot of other jobs, like working in a bookstore and being a student connector. All of these contributed and helped me to build my skills to help me get my current role. All kinds of experiences count: it’s about having a holistic experience” - Urja Choudhury (Environment, Development and Policy MA)

“If you want to join any sector, the easiest way if through volunteering or internships. Even if you have a lot of experience already, you can get a different perspective” - Anand Darshan (Project Management BSc)

“When I was at university I worked doing calling campaigns, and before I started with my current company, I was volunteering with the Brighton refugee and trauma service. Both helped me to build experience and work with teams. It can be tough to find jobs currently, but try to gain experience in any sector and start from there” - Phumiphat Prapakamol (International Relations and Chinese BA)

“Career Lab programmes helped me to work out what I wanted to do. I spent four years at university writing reports and doing research for my degree. After the Student Consultancy Programme, I stepped into a professional consultancy and research-based role”- Emily Albon (Business and Management Studies BSc with a professional placement year)

• Foundation and first year undergraduatescan attend insight visits at different organisations, including theKnepp Estate.
• Second, third and final year undergraduatescan apply for exclusive, paid UK Summer Internships or Online Global Summer Internships. Vacancies are available across a range of sectors, many including green skills and contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Online Global Summer Internships applications close on the 30 April. UK Summer Internship vacancies may close at short notice, so early applications are advised.
• Postgraduate studentscan apply to our inaugural Green Futures student consultancy programme.We are delighted to launch this opportunity to tackle a live sustainability challenge set by an organisation with a bursary included. Applications close 30 April 2024.

All students can also access Sussex Connect, a platform to connect with Sussex alumni where you can research and reach out to people working at organisations of interest to you; and LinkedIn Learning, where you can make the most of free online courses in green and transferable skills.

• Green Jobs
• Green Careers Hub
• Environment Job
• Green Jobs for Nature
• Renewable Energy Jobs UK
• 80,000 Hours

Resources to help you access information about the green jobs market:

• The Green Edge:a substack collating, reviewing and synthesising the fast-expanding array of green workforce and skills reports
• Office for National Statistics:experimental estimates of green jobs, UK (2024)
• Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit:report on the UK’s net zero economy (2024)
• LinkedIn:global screen skills report (2023)
• PWC:Green Jobs Barometer (2024)
• KPMG:climate quitting – younger workers voting with their feet on employer’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) commitments (2023)
• Yale Centre for Business and Environment:a global survey of business students (2022)
• UK Gov independent report:UK green jobs taskforce report (2021)
• UN International Labour Organisation:skills for a greener future, a global view (2019)

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