The Green Economy: How College and Career Success Fuel a Sustainable Future

By Lauren Kim, Philanthropy Fellow (Winter 2026)

The Crimsonbridge Foundation invests in four areas – Education, Leadership, Catholic Initiatives, and the Environment. Though these may seem distinct from each other, an investment in one program area can directly benefit another.

College degrees and other valued postsecondary credentials remain a consistent pathway towards career success. Several of our grantee partners are at the forefront of expanding these pathways. Specifically, community colleges across the country are offering career training that leaves graduates prepared for quality jobs in a variety of sectors.

Today, community colleges play a key role in preparing graduates for jobs in the green economy. Crimsonbridge has supported research by the Community College Research Center ("CCRC") to explore how investments in education can translate into investments in environmental sustainability.

What is the green economy? 

Investing in the green economy means investing in economic activities, infrastructure, and assets that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity.  

The CCRC’s new Advanced Infrastructure, Energy, Agriculture Energy, and Infrastructure (AIREA) framework captures a conglomerate of jobs in the green economy and comes with a tool to explore AIREA hiring trends and how community colleges are awarding AIREA credentials. This framework includes traditional green economy jobs, such as wind turbine technicians, solar photovoltaic installers, and environmental engineers, as well as jobs created by our economy’s evolving energy and infrastructure needs like electrical line workers, construction managers, agriculture technicians, industrial machinery mechanics, and more. 

Where does education come into play?

In the next ten years, CCRC predicts that as many as 9 million high-quality jobs could be created in the green economy. While these jobs require a trained workforce, over 70 percent will not require a bachelor’s degree. These jobs are in occupational fields where community colleges have long been the dominant provider of education.

Community colleges are uniquely positioned to provide training for a career in the green economy. Community colleges emphasize workforce education, as they often have strong connections to local industries. The CCRC’s AIREA tool provides data visualizations on what kinds of jobs are appearing, and we see the key role that community colleges are playing in shepherding new talent into the green economy.

What are the implications?

Growing the green economy does not need to come at the expense of revenue growth. Promoting circular and regenerative models of economic growth reflects an opportunity to care for our planet so that we can inhabit it for generations to come.

On an individual level, green jobs provide high quality, meaningful work, in a growing sector. The CCRC found that the average annual wages of AIREA jobs were $15,000 more than non-AIREA jobs ($61,000 vs. $46,000). Not only do green jobs leave a lasting social and environmental impact, but they also provide workers with economic upward mobility.

When community colleges encourage people to enter the green economy, they help address inequities in education. In the US, community colleges enroll over 40 percent of undergraduates annually, and serve the largest proportion of low-income, racially minoritized, and first-generation college students.

Achieving sustainability requires entrepreneurial, creative solutions. Through strategic partnerships with nonprofit organizations, research institutions, and the Catholic Church, Crimsonbridge supports the positive momentum of this work. An investment in education and career training is a meaningful first step in fostering employment in sustainable opportunities.

Explore CCRC’s AIREA Data Explorer tool and learn more about Crimsonbridge’s work in Career Pathways, Environmental Sustainability, and Laudato Si’ initiative.