Pathways

Preparing Students to Succeed in Natural Resource Careers

Natural resource career opportunities are expected to continue increasing in coming years, and many employers already struggle to find applicants with the skills needed for current job openings. Industry and education partners must work together to help the next generation enter and succeed in natural resource industries.

A Highline School District student removes invasive scotch broom through a Restoration Ecology class in partnership with Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust (MTSGT).

Nearly all occupational fields provide green job opportunities, including the following sectors:

  • Agriculture and food systems
  • Aquaculture and fisheries
  • Education (formal and non-formal)
  • Forest Management
  • Green Building Technology
  • Renewable energy
  • Restoration ecology

Natural resource employers seek applicants with occupation-specific training as well as problem solving, critical thinking, technical, organization, and teamwork skills. 

PEI addresses this growing employment gap by building:

  • Career Connected High School Frameworks – PEI has developed career-connected courses that strengthen youth job skills and interest in natural resource careers.
  • Teacher Resources – Downloadable resources to professional learning workshops help teachers bring green job pathways to life in the classroom and beyond.
  • Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS) – This summer high school program provides hands-on experience for students as they work with employers and earn a participation stipend.
  • Workforce Development – PEI helps natural resource employers, statewide agencies, and postsecondary programs understand industry needs. We work together to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of employees.
PEI is an immensely valuable translator and advocate in that space between industry and employer and the schools. They have credibility in that space and they know how to operate there. They're terrific intermediaries.
— Workforce Development Director

Resources:

Glenwood School District YESS students visit an active logging site with partners from the US Forest Service.

Educating for a Green Economy Report (PEI, 2019)
Outdoor Industry Report (PEI, 2018)

My experience in this program was amazing and I’m really grateful I was a part of it. I learned about many careers in natural resources, and it opened my eyes to what career I could do in the future. I also expanded my knowledge of native, invasive, noxious weeds, and non-native plants in Washington ecosystem and how it affects the world around us which I never would’ve been able to learn on my own. This class taught me more than expected and I loved it.” 

– Yakima School District student participant