OEH - supporting green jobs for the future
The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) is working with other agencies and stakeholders to find ways to stimulate 'green' jobs and economic growth in the environment arena.
The NSW Government's response to the opportunities presented by a low-carbon, sustainable society includes a number of major initiatives to work with business and the community to drive investment in infrastructure and create green jobs. These have been articulated in the NSW State plan.
NSW has the biggest workforce in Australia and OEH is committed to helping ensure they have the necessary green skills for a low carbon economy.
There is great potential in NSW to stimulate new green jobs in areas such as renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as in more traditional fields like construction, building management, planning, finance and the law.
To facilitate the growth of new green jobs, industry 'go to' people have been appointed to speed up the application and approvals process of suitable projects. The 'go to' person will liaise with business and government departments to minimise delays and roadblocks. The 'go to' person for Green Industries is Simon Smith - Deputy Chief Executive, OEH.
If you or somebody you know has a project that is ready to go and has job creation potential that needs Government assistance, contact the appropriate 'go to person' to discuss ways the NSW Government can support the process.
The NSW Government is also promoting green jobs and green skills by:
- implementing the NSW Green Skills Strategy to help deliver important training opportunities to workers;
- creating the Energy Efficiency Training Program to meet the growing demand for a skilled workforce necessary to improve business management and practice in a low carbon economy. The program addresses skills gaps to support the energy efficiency and sustainability of products, services and practices in industry, government and the community.
- establishing the NSW Energy Saving Scheme - expected to support at least 1000 jobs;
- appointing a Green Skills Taskforce to advise on new training in green skills for tradespeople, engineers and designers
- promoting Sydney as the Asia Pacific Hub for carbon trading and finance, building on the city's strength as the region's financial services centre.
Page last updated: 20 July 2011
