The Careers of Tomorrow: Green Jobs Showcase brought the whole year’s worth of programming together, said David Sittenfeld, the director of the Center for the Environment at the museum, because it’s the people in these jobs who make a difference.
The fair was the closing event of the museum’s “Year of the Earthshot,” a 12-month-long initiative featuring exhibits, programs, and events exploring climate solutions and seeking to inspire hope for a greener future.
Boston’s Museum of Science held its first green job fair on Saturday, offering visitors an opportunity to explore work in the field and engage with professionals dedicated to improving the environment and conserving natural resources.
“Everything that we’ve heard is that there’s a lot to be hopeful about when we think about the energy transition,” he said. “That future is powered by people, and we need people who can do the jobs that we need to make our future a low-carbon and a resilient one.”
Besides the 25 organizations that participated in the job fair, the day also featured panel discussions with innovators in clean energy and food systems and a mentorship hour when visitors met with professionals to learn about how to become a part of the green workforce.
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“This is the first experience I can think of where we have opened up to the museum for free and said ‘Come bring your resume, take your headshots, talk with a mentor,’ in this way that’s really focused on equitable workforce development,” Sittenfeld said.
Since the job fair was the first event of its kind, Sittenfeld said planners were unsure how many people to expect but were pleasantly surprised by the “fantastic” turnout.
“It was a really positive and reaffirming day, and we’re looking forward to a greener workforce and a greener future,” Sittenfeld said. “To see the collaboration and great work that’s happening across these sectors has really been affirming and exciting, and for me, a point of hope.”
Boston is considered a national leader and an “inspiration” to other cities in adopting green technology and moving toward a cleaner future, Sittenfeld said.
“There is so much innovation happening in a place like Boston, and so much collaboration across industry, academic, government, and community sectors, and today’s event was really a great demonstration of that,” Sittenfeld said.
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Sittenfeld said there are a large variety of jobs within the green industry and he hopes the fair inspired people to get involved.
“It requires people starting from wherever they are and every kind of job to help us both adapt to the impacts of climate change and become more resilient to those,” he said.
Talia Lissauer can be reached at talia.lissauer@globe.com. Follow her on Instgram @_ttphotos.