by New professions or even old ones with a new role have appeared. These are the new so-called “green professions”. In addition to effects on environmentin the quality of life and the air we breathe, the climate change it creates new conditions in a number of sectors, such as work.
The Orientation and Professional Career Sciences Laboratory of the Faculty of Philosophy of EKPA has prepared a new career orientation guide with the aim of helping students to “navigate” in the new professional reality such as she formed. The director of the Laboratory, Katerina Argyropoulou, confides to the APE-MPE that “green professions” are the new trend but also the most traditional professions can become more “Green“.
But what are these new professions for which demand has already started to increase? It is a “range of professions that have emerged as a result of climate change, such as environmental engineers, geologistshydrologists or specialists in the study of the atmosphere, designers of “smart” houses or even “smart cities”, farmers of hydroponic/biological crops, specialists in textiles and paint, technicians installing pollution control systems, operators of material recycling facilities/maintenance of photovoltaic and solar systems,” says Ms. Argyropoulou.
He also adds that there are also “new paths” from older professions, “such as environmental protection lawyers, artists with non-toxic materials, climate protection ambassadors, scientists specializing in artificial intelligence, environmental development specialists, sustainable entrepreneurship consultantscreating professions that move away from overconsumption and that contribute to a healthier planet.”
This does not necessarily mean that other more “classic” occupations they are going to be lost, as long as they adjust to the new reality that has formed.
“The sustainability of these professions is linked to the choices we make and this also concerns our professional life. Ecological well-being tends to become a common pursuit as we see eg companies that represent fast fashion and have been criticized for their tactics, to demonstrate their environmental concerns by creating clothing from recycled materials.There are certainly ways for every professional to act in a more environmentally friendly way, either by recycling the materials they use, or by choosing materials that are less restrictive for the environment”, emphasizes Ms. Argyropoulou, referring to the redistribution of both economic and natural resources. Wealth, as it will result from new professional choices, as well as from a new hierarchy of needs. ” Think about the issue of energy or the issue of overconsumption, if our way of life changes, our priorities will certainly change, which will affect all professions and the economy in general. Over the years, of course, and after establishing a healthier, eco-friendly mentality – eg. if we get to the point where we stop running on gas – some professions are at risk of falling into oblivion, as happens with any major socio-economic change.”
EKPA’s Guidance and Career Science Laboratory, given the environmental impacts by tracing the career path of individuals has developed a consulting intervention entitled: “Career in… green”, aimed at cultivating ecological awareness of careers.
“The intervention uses the 4 main pillars of career guidance (self-knowledge, career information, decision-making, transition) and links them to environmental aspects. The intervention is implemented either as part of an information collective vocational guidance or through the provision of individual vocational guidance services. In other words, the specific intervention helps the beneficiaries to understand what is happening in the environment, what this means for their own career and the careers of others, and to reflect on the way in which they could react and capitalize on this phenomenon in relation to a “”green future”, underlines the director of the Laboratory of the sciences of the orientation and the professional career of the Faculty of Philosophy EKPA.
The good news is that in Greece there are already educational institutions that award degrees in the fields mentioned above. “Currently, in the computerized report of the 2nd area, there are two departments of environmental engineering in Thessaloniki and Xanthi as well as environmental departments in Larissa, Mytilini and Zakynthos which can be accessed from both the 2nd and the 3rd and 4th scientific domain.
In fact, these are departments with a very weak base, which is partly explained by the fact that they are outside Athens but, above all, because, unfortunately, still in Greece, we don’t have not fully realized the importance of these professions to our future. In fact, a recent survey shows that only 1% of national professionals work in this field, which is the lowest percentage in Europe.
Of course, there are other sections related to them anti-fouling technologies And environmental protection, such as, indicatively, the departments of Geology and Geoenvironment, Oceanography and Marine Life Sciences, Mineral Resources Engineering, Agriculture, Materials Science, Physics and Chemical Engineering, with appropriate specializations. However, a mathematician, chemist, civil engineer, architect or computer scientist can, well, with the proper mastery, join this very interesting and critically important professional field which concerns the welfare of the community. world”, notes Ms. Argyropoulou. .
In conclusion, he emphasizes that young people, whatever professional path they choose to follow, must redefine their values with environmental sensitivity, aiming at quality of life, “green” development and “ecological” skills (environmental awareness, promotion of sustainable development, green technologies) who cultivate a new “green” role, familiarize themselves with modern professions and try to find their aspects related to sustainability, seek information on climate change and work sensitive to challenges.
