Objective 1 Results: University Interviews

We conducted interviews with university contacts to gain an understanding of current green job training programs that exist in Costa Rican universities. We asked questions regarding the curricula at the universities and training programs for green jobs and fields. Table 13 below shows the universities and positions of the interviewees and then a summary of each interview completed.

Table 13: University Descriptions and Contacts’ Positions.

University Description Number of

Students Enrolled

Position of Interviewee

A General public university with

various majors such as general sciences, social sciences, agro sciences, engineering, health.

39,000 Lawyer in

Environmental Issues/ Eco- consultant

B Private university that offers a

four-year undergraduate

program in agricultural sciences and natural resources

management to promote sustainable development.

4.1.1 University A

On November 26th, we received the responses to university interview questions in Spanish via email correspondence with University A. Our contact is a professor, course coordinator, and faculty chair for environmental law at her university. Her responsibilities include designing and updating the syllabus, coordinating the activities of the chair, and inviting experts to speak on issues related to course material. A majority of law professors at this

university were educated in Costa Rica at the undergraduate level but then pursued higher education and specializations abroad. Additionally, she defined a green job as one that

contributes to the sustainable development of the country. She thinks that the need for green jobs is developing because certain companies want to gain an advantage over and differentiate

themselves from their competition by incorporating sustainability. To be prepared for green sectors, she feels that students should become more environmentally aware and be willing to take on the challenges associated with establishing sustainable development in Costa Rica. She had no knowledge of how the university chose courses to train students for green jobs or if it has training programs.

The professor mentioned that in relation to green skills the environmental law curriculum focuses on themes such as corporate social responsibility, environmental performance and efficiency. She believes students find work after graduation in green jobs in the areas of biology, biotechnology, science, and engineering, and that in the next five years, green jobs will be generated in Costa Rica in the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, chemistry, and engineering. Additionally, she thinks that teaching green skills will provide more qualified professionals to satisfy the demand for green jobs. The interviewee indicated that the university is not responding to the country's needs for educating future leaders in sustainable development or to industry demands. She writes that the university has limited motivation for teaching green skills. Furthermore, she did not know if the university had connection to companies for green training programs but she foresees it will in the future. The interviewee suggests that the CICR should promote policies for investment in green job development. Her recommendation to facilitate the generation of green jobs with the development of training programs is a joint effort between the universities and the industrial sector as well as government policy for investment in this area.

4.1.2 University B

On November 30th_{, we received an email response to university interview questions in} Spanish from the Director of Human Resources at University B. He defined a green job as one that is environmentally friendly, helps develop sustainable economies, and utilizes the proper management of natural resources. The interviewee believes that skills for green jobs include having environmental awareness, ethics, and a sense of social responsibility in order to balance the needs of the community with protecting the natural resources available. In his opinion, employees in green jobs should be knowledgeable in new sustainable practices and technologies that they can integrate into industrial practices. In acquisition of green skills at University B, students can pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Sciences. The university is also

developing a plan to create a graduate program related to this major. During the first and second years of study, students work twice a week in different academic farms on campus in the areas of sustainable farming, crop modulation, forestry, organic farming, natural resource management, agriculture engineering, and waste management. Furthermore, in the third year, they are required to complete a 15 week internship concerning agriculture, community development and

entrepreneurship in Costa Rica or abroad in collaboration with the Office of International Academic Programs to apply knowledge they have learned at University B to solve real world problems and gain work experience to help them in their future employment. Students

complete this module experience in their senior year by developing and implementing a work plan or project related to their personal career goals.

The faculty at this international institution for learning is comprised of educators from 19 different nations with previous experience in agriculture and promoting sustainable practices around the world. The interviewee feels that because Costa Rica made a commitment to become the world's first carbon neutral economy by 2021, there needs to be a joint effort between the government, industry, and private citizens to strive towards this goal. In turn, the need for green jobs stems from the fact that this challenge means that companies require employees with the knowledge and green skills to achieve carbon neutrality. He went on to elaborate that Costa Rica needs green employees mainly in the production (agriculture, livestock) and tourism sectors. The interviewee thinks there is a lack of a framework present in industry for environmental

management that is limiting the development of green jobs. In the next five years, he thinks that green jobs will be created in the tourism and manufacturing industries. University B tracks

student progress after graduation via the Graduate Office. Periodically, the school sends out a survey to learn about the current employment and career progress of its graduates in order to establish networking with alumni and help them advance in the professional world.

The Director of Human Resources shares that University B educates agents of change and creates leaders that promote positive change in society. In order to respond to industry demand, the university helps students acquire the capacity to exercise leadership, social

responsibility, practical reasoning and analysis to solve problems, and technical and managerial skills. He says they also learn to communicate effectively, work in teams, learn independently, and promote the development of agriculture and sustainable management of natural resources. The university will continue being an innovator in environmental studies and social

responsibility in order to satisfy the demand for green jobs and continue being a green employer. Furthermore, he explained that because climate change is affecting the development of

communities, agriculture, and economy, University B has been motivated to establish projects in sustainability that allow students to acquire green skills and experience in how to effectively resolve problems associated with this phenomenon. He recommends that training professionals in green practices in order to build an environmentally aware workforce with a sense of social responsibility is the key to generating and preparing workers for green jobs. Furthermore, he thinks companies with the help of the CICR need to modify the way they do business to be more sustainable and thus create new opportunities for green jobs and training.