Green-collar Job Training: The Future’s Hope
All around the country we are seeing community colleges expanding their course roster to include training in energy efficient and sustainable jobs. Classes in solar panel installation, wind turbine repair, and bio-fuel production are just some of the areas that students are pursuing as they recognize the future of green-collar work.
In Michigan, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country (at 12%), many workers laid off from the automotive industry are enrolling in community colleges to train for green jobs. At Lansing Community College, the enrollment for an Alternative Energy degree has risen from 42 students in 2005 to 252 students in 2008. Many of these students are getting their certificates as technicians in the solar, wind turbine, geo-thermal, and energy efficient sectors, often with the backing of the state program that provides $10,000 to unemployed workers for this type of training.
Because many two-year colleges along with students around the country are receiving aid from the federal stimulation package, the investment in green-collar job training is encouraging people to pursue careers in what will surely become a major industry in the future. Because a well paying green job does not necessarily require a four-year degree, this also becomes a plus as entry into the workforce can happen much faster. With government buildings needing retrofitting in order to handle renewable energy paradigms and public housing requiring greater energy efficiency, work in these sectors alone should guarantee green-collar jobs.
Even with current economic factors holding the industry back, the American Solar Energy Society reports that renewable energy has generated 8.6 million jobs and $1 trillion in revenue since 2007. Studies show that industries that concentrate on energy efficiency could employ from 16 to 37 million people by 2030, depending on government policy. Clearly, once the economy rebounds, newly trained workers will find positions as demand and necessity increases.
-Michele Kadison
