By Rebecca Walberg, Financial Post
March 23, 2010

While Canada's unemployment rate is high, demand for workers with skill and experience in the green sector remains strong. Since 2000, the environmental workforce has grown 60% faster than the rest of the economy. Despite this expansion, the biggest challenge for companies involved in environmental research and operations has been finding staff.

"We didn't let go a single employee last year because of the recession," says Jon Hantho, CEO of Maxxam Analytics, a Canadian network of labs that carries out air quality, environmental and trace analysis.
 

"We took a hit in the recession, but we know we'll bounce back, and in fact if we saw people with the right qualities, we hired them right away. Our No. 1 issue right now is having sufficient talent to meet the growing demand for environmental services. My big fear is that we've underestimated the bounce back in the green sector, and we'll be hunting for qualified people."
 

Working to match supply to demand is ECO Canada, one of many sector councils set up by the federal government to manage human resource challenges. By drawing upon industry, government, academia and NGOs, ECO Canada identifies labour market trends and serves as a clearing house for jobs and potential employees. Now it's launching an initiative to provide credentials for green workers that reflect their training and experience, the first program of its kind in the world.

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