7th November 2022

Find out why sustainable fashion is the fastest growing green skill globally!

Green Careers Week, coinciding with Cop27 in Egypt, is focusing on promoting occupations that contribute to preserving or restoring our environment and planet. Many students that we speak to are passionate about sustainability, and will often be looking at jobs in ecosystem management, renewable energy and sustainable development. However, did you know that according to LinkedIn, the fastest growing green skill required by companies is sustainability in fashion, growing 91% between 2016 and 2020 and being adopted by a wide range of professions, including designers, sourcers, manufacturers, stylists and merchandisers.

Perhaps the most crucial role is that of the Sustainability Manager, a vital job in all industries (according to LinkedIn these roles have grown 40% over the last four years). Sustainability Managers take control of the development, implementation, promotion and monitoring of environmental strategies within a fashion company. They need knowledge of sustainable sourcing for fabric and accessories, of animal welfare rights and raw material policies, of fabric technical management including chemical compliance, testing and performance standards.

A quick look on www.indeed.com found Sustainability Manager roles at New Look, Uniqulo, Wallis, Nike and JD Sport.
Let’s see what they are looking for:

 

NEW LOOK

As part of the Sustainability team, incorporating Social and Environmental sustainability aims, well integrated with impacts across the wider business you will help to drive impacts through our value chain to protect people and the planet.
You`ll be working with the Senior Manager in contributing to targets, reporting and data management, all in line with our Kind to Our Core Sustainability Strategy.

 

UNIQULO

You will be responsible for promoting awareness of Fast Retailing’s Global Carbon Management Plan, Energy and Zero Waste Policy, promoting best practice in all activities and ensuring compliance with current and emerging energy and environmental legislation. You will define, implement and deliver an effective energy, water and waste consumption monitoring and reduction plan, working closely with internal and external partners to ensure successful outcomes.

 

NIKE

You will embrace Nike's unique culture of innovation, disruption and dynamism to break new boundaries in the creation of a truly great working environment that has sustainability embedded at the core of everything we design for today and tomorrow. This will involve a deep understanding of the needs of the business, the local community, and the positive impact that Nike can bring.

 

Sound like you? So how can you become a Sustainability Manager in fashion? Level 4, 5 and 6 courses in fashion management are available, which will certainly cover these issues, but we also recommend considering environmental sustainability in a broader sense before specialising, as these skills can take you into many industries. Check out courses on www.whatuni.com in Environmental Science, Global Sustainable Development, and Sustainability & Environmental Management to name a few.

Good Level 3 courses would be Environmental Sustainability BTEC or Geography, Biology, Chemistry and Economics A Levels.

Learn more about careers in sustainability on eCLIPS, and see which TV shows and Podcasts could teach you more on our See Your Future page.