Green Skills
Occupations on this site are based on O*NET. This occupational coding system identifies 35 categories or descriptors related to skills needed on a job. The structure is grouped into six overarching groups. They are Basic Skills, Complex Problem Solving Skills, Resource Management Skills, Social skills, Systems Skills, and Technical Skills. Each occupation in the O*NET is graded on how important a specific skill is to that occupation and on the level of proficiency needed within the occupation. A cool way to get a handle on skills is to use the O*NET Browse feature at http://www.onetonline.org/find/descriptor/browse/Skills/ .
So what might be considered green skills? It's based on the occupations identified as green. New Mexico has adopted a broad definition of a green job which is any job where at least a portion of the tasks have a focus on environmental quality, energy and resource efficiency, or sustainable practices. Below is a table showing the most important skills for the Top 25 Green Occupations and the level of proficiency needed in that skill. Here is a list of all green jobs and skills in a pdf file format.
Top 25 Green Occupations
Most important skills by proficiency level.
| Construction Laborers | Customer Service Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Coordination | 55% | Active Listening | 64% |
| Equipment Selection | 52% | Reading Comprehension | 67% |
| Speaking | 44% | Speaking | 56% |
| Instructing | 51% | Time Management | 57% |
| Monitoring | 45% | Monitoring | 65% |
| Equipment Maintenance | 53% | Service Orientation | 66% |
| Active Learning | 61% | ||
| General and Operations Managers | Plumbers | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Reading Comprehension | 55% | Critical Thinking | 50% |
| Speaking | 54% | Active Listening | 46% |
| Active Listening | 52% | Complex Problem Solving | 45% |
| Critical Thinking | 55% | Reading Comprehension | 46% |
| Monitoring | 55% | Speaking | 43% |
| Social Perceptiveness | 52% | Judgment and Decision Making | 43% |
| Coordination | 57% | Quality Control Analysis | 45% |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 50% | Operation Monitoring | 48% |
| Time Management | 50% | Monitoring | 43% |
| Complex Problem Solving | 50% | ||
| Active Learning | 50% | ||
| Negotiation | 50% | ||
| Electricians | Construction Carpenters | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Troubleshooting | 57% | Mathematics | 73% |
| Repairing | 55% | Time Management | 70% |
| Critical Thinking | 50% | Critical Thinking | 73% |
| Active Listening | 48% | Active Listening | 62% |
| Quality Control Analysis | 54% | Judgment and Decision Making | 66% |
| Operation Monitoring | 50% | Quality Control Analysis | 68% |
| Complex Problem Solving | 46% | Management of Material Resources | 69% |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 50% | Active Learning | 70% |
| Active Learning | 50% | Installation | 54% |
| Equipment Maintenance | 52% | Management of Financial Resources | 67% |
| Installation | 48% | Equipment Maintenance | 68% |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 78% | ||
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Grenhouse | Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Active Listening | 47% | Equipment Maintenance | 63% |
| Equipment Maintenance | 56% | Active Listening | 46% |
| Coordination | 54% | Time Management | 50% |
| Speaking | 44% | Coordination | 51% |
| Repairing | 44% | Judgment and Decision Making | 45% |
| Reading Comprehension | 58% | ||
| Troubleshooting | 52% | ||
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Equipment Maintenance | 69% | Complex Problem Solving | 85% |
| Repairing | 61% | Technology Design | 81% |
| Troubleshooting | 63% | Troubleshooting | 83% |
| Installation | 63% | Critical Thinking | 83% |
| Active Listening | 53% | Active Learning | 84% |
| Equipment Selection | 62% | Programming | 79% |
| Reading Comprehension | 60% | Reading Comprehension | 81% |
| Critical Thinking | 62% | Systems Analysis | 78% |
| Operation Monitoring | 53% | Mathematics | 80% |
| Operations Analysis | 75% | ||
| Active Listening | 70% | ||
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Active Listening | 40% | Reading Comprehension | 84% |
| Reading Comprehension | 42% | Troubleshooting | 81% |
| Instructing | 44% | Complex Problem Solving | 76% |
| Learning Strategies | 45% | Equipment Selection | 77% |
| Coordination | 45% | Active Learning | 79% |
| Critical Thinking | 73% | ||
| Mathematics | 77% | ||
| Coordination | 76% | ||
| Active Listening | 75% | ||
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Equipment Maintenance | 74% | Active Listening | 63% |
| Troubleshooting | 67% | Equipment Selection | 60% |
| Operation Monitoring | 72% | Reading Comprehension | 55% |
| Reading Comprehension | 63% | Coordination | 66% |
| Quality Control Analysis | 73% | Equipment Maintenance | 58% |
| Instructing | 62% | ||
| Installation | 59% | ||
| Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters | Engineering Managers | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Active Listening | 42% | Active Listening | 57% |
| Mathematics | 45% | Reading Comprehension | 64% |
| Equipment Selection | 51% | Speaking | 59% |
| Time Management | 42% | Writing | 59% |
| Reading Comprehension | 49% | Monitoring | 52% |
| Critical Thinking | 45% | Time Management | 57% |
| Speaking | 41% | Judgment and Decision Making | 55% |
| Equipment Maintenance | 48% | Complex Problem Solving | 59% |
| Critical Thinking | 57% | ||
| Team Assemblers | Management of Personnel Resources | 54% | |
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Coordination | 61% |
| Learning Strategies | 55% | Social Perceptiveness | 54% |
| Active Listening | 41% | Negotiation | 48% |
| Quality Control Analysis | 53% | Systems Analysis | 52% |
| Instructing | 52% | Mathematics | 59% |
| Active Learning | 49% | ||
| Operation Monitoring | 50% | ||
| Reading Comprehension | 39% | ||
| Equipment Selection | 51% | ||
| Roofers | Machinists | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Installation | 59% | Operation Monitoring | 55% |
| Coordination | 70% | Quality Control Analysis | 59% |
| Speaking | 55% | Operation and Control | 52% |
| Instructing | 58% | Troubleshooting | 48% |
| Active Listening | 49% | Critical Thinking | 46% |
| Critical Thinking | 62% | Monitoring | 52% |
| Active Learning | 53% | ||
| Computer Software Engineers, Applications | Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Programming | 90% | Equipment Maintenance | 65% |
| Critical Thinking | 84% | Repairing | 79% |
| Complex Problem Solving | 80% | Troubleshooting | 73% |
| Troubleshooting | 91% | Active Learning | 75% |
| Active Learning | 81% | Reading Comprehension | 56% |
| Technology Design | 76% | Critical Thinking | 63% |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 74% | Active Listening | 57% |
| Reading Comprehension | 82% | Installation | 58% |
| Operations Analysis | 72% | Equipment Selection | 68% |
| Systems Analysis | 75% | ||
| Quality Control Analysis | 75% | ||
| Active Listening | 73% | ||
| Speaking | 69% | ||
| First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Production and Operating Workers | Construction Managers | ||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | Skill Category | Level of proficiency |
| Active Listening | 66% | Time Management | 55% |
| Reading Comprehension | 63% | Management of Personnel Resources | 59% |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 68% | Active Listening | 55% |
| Instructing | 64% | Speaking | 57% |
| Monitoring | 72% | Critical Thinking | 57% |
| Speaking | 62% | Coordination | 61% |
| Time Management | 63% | Monitoring | 61% |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 59% | Complex Problem Solving | 57% |
| Critical Thinking | 60% | Negotiation | 57% |
| Coordination | 69% | Active Learning | 50% |
| Troubleshooting | 56% | Judgment and Decision Making | 54% |
| Quality Control Analysis | 58% | Management of Financial Resources | 59% |
| Active Learning | 64% | Reading Comprehension | 57% |
| Electro-Mechanical Technicians | |||
| Skill Category | Level of proficiency | ||
| Equipment Maintenance | 74% | ||
| Troubleshooting | 67% | ||
| Operation Monitoring | 72% | ||
| Reading Comprehension | 63% | ||
| Quality Control Analysis | 73% | ||
| Instructing | 63% | ||
List is based on O*NET v 14.0
Source New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions
