Parents can play a key role in guiding their child's focus on the future and education.

Canada's workforce can't keep up with a burgeoning demand for Green careers.  Specializations including oceanographers, toxicologists and environmental lawyers accounted for over 500,000 jobs in Canada in 2006. 

According ECO Canada, Labour Market Transition: A Remedy for Labour Shortages in the Environment, Environmental Labor Market Research (Calgary, Alberta: ECO Canada, 2007)., the environmental sector faces an 8.1% increase in demand for skilled professional by 2011. 

Eco Canada states that while demand increases, the number of graduates from environmental post-secondary programs has declined in recent years ,reporting a drop of 9% in graduates between 1999 and 2005.  This compared to a 24% increase in the overall number of university graduates in Canada.

Eco Canada estimates that 3,195 job vacancies will remain unfilled this year in the meteorological field alone.  Shortages will continue unless student enrolment increases.  The Canadian Council on Learning  (CCL) report entitled Meeting the demand for trained personnel in Canada’s environmental sector suggests the way to stimulate interest in the environmental sector is to appeal to personal beliefs.  "Individuals who pursue careers in the environmental sector are driven not by money or power... but rather  because of personal interest in environmental issues, strong emotional connection towards the environment and passion about the environment and environmental issues,” the report states.

The CCL recommends in order to meet Canada’s growing need for trained personnel in the environmental sector, importance needs to be placed on meaningful environmental experiences.  To facilitate informed career decision-making among young Canadians, the CCL recommends increasing the focus in schools by:

• Developing engagement and deep connection to the environment
• Developing a better understanding of the environmental sector and its career opportunities
• Educating students about the process of career decision-making
• Focus on elementary- and middle-school years

Last year, CCL in collaboration with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESC0) and the International Economic Forum of the Americas released Education, Training and Sustainability Conditions for success in a changing world. The book covers three elements—education, training and sustainability—from the perspective of their interdependence.