Green Jobs Training

The Recovery Act allocates $500 million for grant funding for job training projects to prepare people for careers in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other green jobs1. These career training programs cut across the education spectrum, from graduate-level and four-year bachelor’s degree programs at universities and colleges to certificate programs at community colleges and vocational technical training at the local level2,3. Nonprofit organizations and for-profit work force development companies are also entering this arena, as unemployed workers retrain for green careers4.

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Universities and Colleges

The number of college and university courses addressing environmental issues, renewable energy and sustainability practices has surged since 20075,6,7. Ivy League schools such as Harvard are greening their curriculums. At Harvard students can take courses with titles such as “Planning for Carbon Neutrality,” “Bicycle Environments and Public Health,” “Strategies for Sustainability Management” and “Environmental Politics [14].” Enrollment in environment courses at Harvard’s extension school increased a whopping 70 percent between 2007 and 20098. Harvard’s Law School has retooled its curriculum for the 2009-2010 academic year to include a wide array of environmental law courses9.

Many universities, such as the University of Toledo, offer new undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. courses in environmental economics, climate change and environmental impacts of alternative energy, among many other programs. At the University of Texas, El Paso, students can take courses in leadership in energy and environmental design10. At the University of California at Berkeley, the sustainability studies program in 2006 included just five courses. For the 2009-2010 academic year, it offers 60 11. In addition to new courses, whole new majors are also appearing on campuses. Vermont Technical College in 2009 added a new bachelor of science degree program in Sustainable Design & Technology 12. John Brown University in Arkansas added a new bachelor of science degree in renewable energy, one of only a few institutions offering a four- year degree in this field13.

Graduate professional programs, too, are addressing green jobs. Full-time Master of Business Administration programs are increasingly offering green courses14.  Teaching entrepreneurs in MBA programs to become environmentally conscious as well as profit-savvy has sparked growth in that field 15,16,17,18.

At the undergraduate level, students are moving toward green careers. In 2009, enrollment of freshmen selecting environmental studies as a major soared 19. The American Geological Institute reported an 8 percent increase in geoscience enrollment between 2008 and 2009 [26]. At the same time, universities have also expanded renewable energy research programs,  the result of massive funding from the Department of Energy 20 and investment from state, public and private sectors 21.

Vocational Training

Vocational training for careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency ranges from vocational training in high schools to courses at work force development centers and nonprofit vocational centers. These programs include multi-day training or months-long programs for more skilled positions. As work force development programs have sharpened their focus on the clean energy economy, states and private industry are working together to assess local and regional needs in the labor market.

One example of this is New Jersey. The Garden State has grown to become a leader in solar energy22, but it has only recently sought new ways to focus vocational training of workers in clean energy fields. New Jersey was among five states chosen by the Department of Energy in July 2009 to develop vocational training for clean energy, conservation and energy efficiency programs23. The DOE initiative is led by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. The other states involved are:

• Oregon, which will focus on the wind, solar and construction sectors;
• Ohio, where green jobs training will be devoted to energy, biotech and agriculture sectors;
• Illinois, to develop programs for workers in energy, utilities and waste management;
• Georgia, whose focus is energy, construction and transportation.

Community Colleges

While universities are educating students for management and professional careers, community colleges are seeing a boom in training for high-growth jobs like renewable energy technicians 24, energy efficiency and transportation, 25. Many green jobs don’t require a four-year degree, and that’s why community colleges, with funding from the Recovery Act, are training students and retraining unemployed workers for careers in the alternative energy sector. In 2009, 100 community college training programs existed in the renewable energy field. Eighty of those were created in the last two years26.

No firm numbers currently exist on the total number of green jobs training programs available at at community colleges nationally, but many colleges are adding degrees for wind turbine, geothermal and solar-voltaic installation, maintenance and repair; green construction and energy efficient building design and maintenance; biomass, and alternative and biofuel production; battery and hydrogen fuel cell technologies; and sustainable energy27. In Texas, enrollment in higher education grew by 114,000 students last year, and community colleges drove much of that growth28.

Community colleges are focusing on work force development, working closely with local and regional labor markets to quickly respond to emerging industries. As demand for workers trained with green jobs skills increases, community colleges should continue to see a spike in applications29. Hal Higdon, president of Ozarks Technical Community College in Missouri, spoke on the radio program, “The Takeaway,” in October 2009, about retraining workers for green jobs. He addressed how federal legislation and funding factors into training for green jobs. Listen to the interview here: [http://www.thetakeaway.org/contributors/hal-higdon/

Certifications

As interest in greening the work force spurs new training programs30, states and industry leaders have been promoting certification programs to ensure high standards. Leaders in the renewable energy industry have helped shape voluntary national certification programs to assure quality work31.This was also one of the key recommendations of the September 2009 meeting of the National Association of State Energy Officials32.

 As of September 2009, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners certified 1,048 photovoltaic and solar thermal installers33. New York has been the leading state in promoting Institute for Sustainable Power Quality accreditation for training programs funded by that state’s Energy Research and Development Authority34.

 The Interstate Renewable Energy Council lists a database of training programs that are accredited35. Providers listed as “ISPQ Accredited” by the Institute for Sustainable Power Quality have undergone a rigorous application and audit process36. Their course content makes sure trainers follow industry standards. 

External links

• The Association for Career and Technical Education
• Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)
• Institute for Sustainable Power Quality (ISPQ)
• US Dept of Education - Office of Vocational and Adult Education
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• Employment & Training Administration (ETA)
• U.S. Community Colleges

References

1. 1. Jessica Fender (26 May 2009). “$500 million in green jobs training announced at Biden event.” The Denver Post. http://www.denverpost.com/greenbusiness/ci_12453837. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
2. 2. "Map - Green Jobs Training Programs.” UMich.edu. <http://meldi.snre.umich.edu/green_jobs_center/training_programs/map>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
3. 3. Directory of University Courses in Renewable Energy.  Interstate Renewable Energy Council.  <http://irecusa.org/universityDirectory/. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
4. 4. ”Map - Green Jobs Training Programs.” UMich.edu. <http://meldi.snre.umich.edu/green_jobs_center/training_programs/map>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
5. 5. “The Aspen Institute Announces Alternative Business School Rankings” (21 October 2009).  The Aspen Institute. <http://www.aspeninstitute.org/news/2009/10/21/aspen-institute-announces-alternative-business-school-rankings> Retrieved 12 November  2009.
6. 6. Kate Galbraith (24 February 2009). “Environmental Studies Enrollment Soars.” NYTimes.com. The New York Times. <http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/environmental-studies-enrollments-soar/>.  Retrieved 12 November 2009.
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9. 9. “Environmental Law Programming.” Harvard Law School.  <http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/about/elp/>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
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11. 11. Kate Galbraith. “Sustainability Field Booms on Campus.” (19 August 2009). NYTimes.com. The New York Times. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/education/20GREEN.html>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
12. 12. “Sustainable Design and Technology at Vermont Tech.” Vermont Technical College. <http://www.vtc.edu/section_academic_programs/sustainable_design/>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
13. 13. “John Brown University Announces Renewable Energy Major” (28 October 2008). John Brown University. <http://www.jbu.edu/news/press_releases/release.asp?id=3050>.  Retrieved 13 November 2009.
14. 14. “The Aspen Institute Announces Alternative Business School Rankings” (21 October 2009).  The Aspen Institute. <http://www.aspeninstitute.org/news/2009/10/21/aspen-institute-announces-alternative-business-school-rankings> Retrieved 12 November  2009.
15. 15. Martha Brant and Miyoko Ohtake (14 April 2009). “A Growth Industry.”  Newsweek.com. http://www.newsweek.com/id/130591.  Retrieved 10 November 2009.
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17. 17. Elisa Wood (2 April 2008). “Growing up green: US colleges witness an environmental groundswell.” Renewable Energy World. <http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea//news/article/2008/04/growing-up-green-us-colleges-witness-an-environmental-grou.... Retrieved 12 November 2009.
18. 18. Prashant Gopal (23 July 2009). “Now Hiring: Green-Collar Workers.” BusinessWeek.com. <http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jul2009/ca20090721_381476.htm>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
19. 19. Kate Galbraith (24 February 2009). “Environmental Studies Enrollment Soars.” NYTimes.com. The New York Times. <http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/environmental-studies-enrollments-soar/>.  Retrieved 12 November 2009.
20. 20. “Secretary Chu Announces New Investments in Cutting-Edge Wind Energy Research Facilities.” (15 October 2009).  Energy.gov.  <http://www.energy.gov/news2009/8135.htm>.  Retrieved 12 November 2009.
21. 21. Dylan Rivera (31 March 2009). “Solar research gets boost at OSU, UO.” OregonLive.com. http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/03/solar_research_money_coming_to.html.  Retrieved 12 November 2009.
22. 22. Jon R. Luoma (9 November 2009). “The Pursuit of New Ways to Boost Solar Development.” Yale Environment 360.  <http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2208>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
23. 23. Jessica Beym (26 July 2009). “New Jersey on short green job list.” NJ.com.  <http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1248590415263330.xml&coll=8>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
24. 24. Kate Galbraith. “Sustainability Field Booms on Campus.” (19 August 2009). NYTimes.com. The New York Times. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/education/20GREEN.html>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
25. 25. George Daleiden (3 June 2009). “Community Colleges Expand Green Job Training.” Suite101.com.  http://techjobstraining.suite101.com/article.cfm/community_colleges_expand_green_job_training.  Retrieved 13 November 2009.
26. 26. Kate Galbraith (31 July 2009). “For Community Colleges, Wind Technician Training Is a Growth Business.”  Green Inc. NYTimes.com. The New York Times. <http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/for-community-colleges-wind-technician-training-is-a-growth-business/?scp=1.... Retrieved 13 November 2009.
27. 27. George Daleiden (3 June 2009). “Community Colleges Expand Green Job Training.” Suite101.com.  http://techjobstraining.suite101.com/article.cfm/community_colleges_expand_green_job_training.  Retrieved 13 November 2009.
28. 28. Sam Baker (9 November 2009). “Economy Project: Community Colleges (2009-11-09).” Publicbroadcasting.net.  <http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1575143/North.Texas/.  Retrieved 13 November 2009.
29. 29. Sam Baker (9 November 2009). “Economy Project: Community Colleges (2009-11-09).” Publicbroadcasting.net.  <http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1575143/North.Texas/.  Retrieved 13 November 2009.
30. 30. Kimes, Mina. "9 green certification programs." CNNMoney.com. 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. <http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/fortune/0911/gallery.community_college_green.fortune/index.html>.
31. 31. Wendy L. Park, Ward Bower, and Jane Weissman (May 2002). “Costs and benefits of practitioner certification or licensure for the solar industry.” Interstate Renewable Energy Council. <http://irecusa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/WorkforceDevelopmentDocs/CertificationorLicensure.pdf>.  Retrieved 13 November 2009.
32. 32. National Association of State Energy Officials. NASEO.org. http://www.naseo.org/events/annual/2009/presentations/Werner.pdf.
33. 33. “Certification Goes Over the 1,000 Mark.” (12 September 2009).  NABCEP. <http://www.nabcep.org/news/nabcep-certification-goes-over-the-1000-mark>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
34. 34. “Certification Goes Over the 1,000 Mark.” (12 September 2009).  NABCEP. <http://www.nabcep.org/news/nabcep-certification-goes-over-the-1000-mark>. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
35. 35. Directory of University Courses in Renewable Energy.  Interstate Renewable Energy Council.  <http://irecusa.org/universityDirectory/. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
36. 36. Directory of University Courses in Renewable Energy.  Interstate Renewable Energy Council.  <http://irecusa.org/universityDirectory/. Retrieved 15 November 2009.