green jobs at Texas State

"Green" job fair offers students new options
by Larisa Tate

Texas State University gave students a chance to meet with potential employers and learn more about internships, in what career center associate director Josie Garret said is a niche job fair, on Tuesday Nov. 10 in the LBJ Center Ballroom.

"I think the number of people seeking environmental jobs, and companies offering them, is going to increase," Garret said. "We're excited to have these employers here."

Organizations attending the 2009 Environmental Job and Internship Fair included the Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Commission on Environmental Equality, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Water Development Board.

Some companies like Edward's Aquifer Research and Data Center and Westcave Preserve, presented internships for students in a variety of majors such as biology and geography.

Interns for Edward's Aquifer Research would work in a laboratory analyzing water quality.

Texas Tech's Institute of Environmental and Human Health offered a graduate program in environmental toxicology, which involves studying the effects of pollutants on the environment and water quality, said graduate program coordinator Stephanie Franco.

She said economic downturn may encourage many people to seek the competitive edge of having a master's degree.

"I think (the economy) is pushing more people towards graduate programs, where having a bachelor's degree is sort of the norm now," Franco said. "Lately our field has been more coveted."

She also said the program has a 100 percent rate of success in job placement.

The EPA of Texas' Environmental Career Placement program offers a way for graduates to enter full-time employment.

The program is a two-year career development course which focuses on increasing participant's success within the agency.

The EPA mainly regulates air and water quality according to local need, but they sometimes have to deal with "environmental emergencies", said EPA recruiter Ray Rodriguez.

"We're having a large turnover in our workforce," Rodriguez said,"and there's been a surge in the need for emergency respondents."

Many environmentally based companies are struggling to find qualified applicants, such as the EPA's need for specialized workers with academic expertise in fields like biological science and environmental engineering.

"A lot of employers are saying it's hard to find qualified people despite the large amount of people needing jobs," said career center employee Matt Williams.

Career center assistant director Karen Jillian said students should be aware of this, and should participate in job shadowing and work on internships.

"It's very important to research the field you want to enter, and try to gain some experience," Jillian said. "There's a lot of different directions to go. Many industries are turning to green solutions."

She said that students and recent graduates need to be aware that they may be competing with older, more experienced applicants who have been laid off or want to change careers.

Although this was the first event of its kind, Jillian said they will hold another environmental job fair next year.

Students interested in career opportunities should visit the career center, or go to the career center website and join the Jobs for Cats online service.