Participating fully in the future of work requires developing skills related to green jobs. As existing jobs become greener and new green jobs emerge, the workforce will need skills, attitudes, and forms of resilience related to understanding complexity, innovation, problem-finding and problem-solving—all while maintaining a healthy and resilient population. Further, as jobs continue to change with a changing workforce landscape, people need to know how to do their best learning as they re-invent the configuration of skills and attitudes that support their best work in a complex world. In order to support a healthy population, we believe that a broader vision for green life and employment is needed.
Many green jobs inventories offer configurations of skills that together represent the best of current knowledge about what skills are needed. We are taking a new look at what is known and what new approaches may be needed for a healthy green future. This involves rethinking the meaning of design, resilience, and sustainable practices. This work includes developing and testing a learning sciences and climate resilience-informed inventory of skills and attitudes related to innovation and the capacity to work in jobs that support sustainability. It includes research about experiences of awe and routine-breaking experiences and how they contribute to a sense of purpose and meaning at work, particularly in fields related to STEM and sustainability.
Research Projects:
Publications:
- Gandolph, A. & Capeci, I. (2023). Developing Critical Hope: A Necessary Component for an Environmentally Conscious Workforce
- Grotzer, T. & Cao, L. (2023). EarthXDesign for a Sustainable World: Moving from Human-Centered to Earth-Centered Design – PDF
- Cuzzolino, M. P. (2021). “The Awe is in the Process”: The Nature and Impact of Professional Scientists’ Experiences of Awe