The current economic climate has led to a gloomy few months for the recruitment industry but the green job sector has so far remained strong. Leading green recruitment firm Acre Resources is a success story underlining the growth of the “green collar” job market.
Established in 2003 the company has grown steadily as the demand for experts in the environmental, climate change and corporate responsibility fields has expanded around the world. This week, Acre announces the opening of a new office based in Chicago, USA.
Acre has seen the UK climate change job market grow by over 50% in the last year as companies start to take action to reduce their impact. A similar boom is set to take place in the US.
This is supported by the pledge of 5 million new “green collar” jobs by President Obama and Acre believe they have already felt the impact of such statements on the ground.
Acre’s Managing Director Andy Cartland says “We’ve been working with companies in the U.S. since 2006 on climate change and sustainability roles.
These are huge issues for all companies, and with sustainability becoming even more key in the U.S, support is needed for companies wanting to source the best talent and experience.”
Acre’s choice of Chicago for its first US office reflects the city’s own commitment to become “the hub of the green economy”. Mayor Daley’s Climate Action Plan aims to create a revamped, sustainable city attracting renewable energy and green technology companies as well as creating thousands of green collar jobs.
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Martin Killeen, Acre’s chief representative in the US comments “It’s great to be based in a city which is making active changes to lower its carbon output. But the commitment to emissions reduction is a feature across the US. With clients across the country looking for renewable energy and clean tech professionals, we’re looking forward to a busy year – despite the economy.”
As ‘green’ becomes common place in companies of all shapes and sizes, Andy Cartland is positive about Acre’s growth and the opportunities that lie in the U.S. “We are aware that expansion holds risks amid a downturn of this scale. However we believe that there are many forces acting in our favour – particularly green legislation and a demand from consumers for ethical products”.
