Energizing the Workforce
January 21st, 2021

What is a “Climate Adaptive Career”
A term coined by SJVCEO’s ED, Courtney Kalashian, on Thursday, January 14th, 2021.

For the last year, Energizing the Workforce has focused primarily on the Clean Energy industry and how the barriers of employment exist for so many communities- whether that is for disadvantaged communities, people of color, women, previously incarcerated individuals, and many more- people need career opportunities and this industry is failing them. Now, the term “clean energy” is broad within itself and is often used to describe countless careers and access point of entry within the energy workforce sphere. However, as we continue our journey through climate change, policy adjustments, social and environmental justice, we need an expansion. Looking beyond clean energy careers, we need to create and promote “climate adaptive careers” that will serve at the forefront of an equitable workforce.

Now, what is a climate adaptive career? As mentioned, this term was coined by SJVCEO’s ED, Courtney Kalashian, while we were on a call with SCE’s Public Affairs team member, Joseph Williams. We were discussing topics such as workforce development, environmental justice, clean energy curriculum in schools, and community engagement (trying to conquer the ALL the things)- then all of these topics came to a head in the phrase “climate adaptive career.” Seeing the vast changes happening to communities, and our industry, the scope is beyond clean energy now. A climate adaptive career is essentially exactly as it sounds. A career (not a job, but we will discuss that later) that actively works to combat climate related issues (from energy to ag) through equitable and meaningful practices. It is imperative that we educate all communities on the benefits that climate adaptive careers offer, but most of all that the opportunities for employment are accessible.

Why now? It is no surprise that workforces across California, particularly in disadvantaged/rural communities, are changing. Power plants that have been open and operating for decades are closing due to automated technology systems taking over, agriculture companies now utilize new mitigation technologies to enhance sustainability, or processing tactics at wastewater treatment plants are being challenged because of climate change. Just based on the handful of examples here, we are clearly going beyond energy efficiency. New technology and other system advancements are going to leave many either jobless or in need of new career trainings to keep up with the constant changes. Furthermore, industries that may have not been at the threshold of climate change now find themselves modifying operations and even their employee makeup. Because of these changes, it is important for us to emphasize not only the importance, but the prevalence of climate adaptive careers.

In all of this, it is important to make a clear distinction between a job and a career. While we have discussed this previously, “a job is work you perform to earn money to support your basic needs. It can be full-time or part-time and may be short-term” while “a career is a long-term professional journey you may determine based on your passions. It is the path you embark upon to fulfill your professional goals and ambitions” (Indeed, 2020). Furthermore, “a career benefits beyond money, such as personal pride, work satisfaction and self-worth” (Indeed, 2020). We want to reiterate that a climate adaptive career can bring a sense of stability to individuals who have not experienced this in previous work. Our industry is growing at an exponential rate which means we are going to need individuals to begin their climate adaptive careers to keep up with the constant growth that we are experiencing.

The SJVCEO (and whomever wants to conquer this issue with us) is looking forward to the coming years of educating groups on climate adaptive careers and advocating for underrepresented communities. While this story is not ours to tell, we will continue to be a voice to those that we serve and beyond. Climate Adaptive Careers are a way of our present and our future- and we look forward to seeing it all in action.

Sources:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/difference-between-a-job-and-a-career
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-10467-6_10