The recent manufacturing boom in the United States is boosting opportunities for green jobs. Encouraged by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the CHIPS and Science Act and a drive to increase U.S. manufacturing capacity, spending for construction in the manufacturing realm reached an annual rate of $190 billion, according to Bloomberg—double the rate from a year ago and the highest seen since the government began collecting data on it in 1990.

Key areas benefiting from construction increases include semiconductor fabrication plants and facilities that make electric vehicles, batteries and clean energy equipment such as solar panels.

 Already, the engineering and electrical sectors are experiencing record employment levels. In addition, heavy and civil engineering have witnessed employment reaching more than 1.1 million. According to the Green Daily newsletter from Bloomberg, there were more than a million electrical contractors in the workforce in April this year.

Thanks to a potential investment by the federal government of $1 trillion under the energy and climate provisions of the IRA, employment in engineering and electrical jobs, as well as skilled construction, is expected to continue to rise.

With so much growth in the green segment of the construction industry, additional opportunities abound for employees with the right skills, education and experience. For example, training in the latest energy-efficient building techniques—including use of the most efficient materials and the best installation methods to reduce the heating or cooling needs of manufacturing facilities—is in high demand.

Knowledge of heat pump installation and integration is also important, because they can be used for some industrial purposes, not just residential or commercial applications. 

Critical training in integrating renewable power into tomorrow’s factories can also open up job opportunities. For instance, construction sites with large, flat-roof warehouses are ideal for solar panel placement. 

Training civil engineers how to design and build for a drier, warmer, more volatile climate that can experience periods of severe cold and extreme wetness is critical. As land is gobbled up for development, site selection and prep in areas experiencing extreme conditions will become more important. Engineers and construction crews must understand how to anticipate and accommodate issues.

One issue often considered out of their control is the permitting process. Thus, it’s also crucial to develop a workforce that can streamline the planning and approval process. As Bloomberg reports, contractors are eager to begin building “new energy and climate assets,” but are often delayed by a slow permitting process. Speeding up the interconnection queue for power grid projects requires cooperation of lawmakers, regulators and other government officials with engineers and contractors.

As today’s workforce acquires additional skills, it will become adept at dealing with rapidly changing conditions in construction for the manufacturing industry, with the hope of developing efficient project timelines and the promise of creating more jobs.