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The Green Collar Educational Continuum
Utilizing the existing agencies and our higher education structure, Connecticut could create a continuum of educational programs and certification training to prepare participants with the skills necessary to tackle tomorrow’s energy and sustainability career opportunities.
Christina Romer, Jared Bernstein; “Green Recovery” http://otrans.3cdn.net/ee40602f9a7d8172b8_ozm6bt5oi.pdf (January 9, 2009)
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Welfare-to-Work / Job Core / Recently Incarcerated Individuals
Traditionally CAP agencies and urban renewal organizations have held the responsibility for creating job training for unemployed and under employed individuals. The Recovery Plan provides opportunities for these individuals to learn trades that could evolve into “family supporting career tracking jobs that directly contribute to preserving or enhancing environmental quality,”* such as:
- Building retrofit and weatherization specialists
- Automobile retrofitters (to reduce emissions and raise mpg)
- Brownfield remediation and urban forestry specialists
Apprentice in construction trades for green buildings
*Van Jones, “The Green Collar Economy”, Harper One Publishing, 2008
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The Connecticut Technical High School System
The technical high school system has held the responsibility of preparing students for post-secondary education, including apprenticeships, as well as immediate productive employment. The system responds to employers' and industries' current and emerging workforce needs and expectations identified through business/school partnerships. This system of seventeen high schools could ensure that youth graduating their programs are knowledgeable in high performance building standards, alternative fuel systems and green manufacturing techniques as well as fully trained in their trades. They would be prepared to enter occupations such as:
- Tradesman for energy efficiency construction
- Installers of energy efficiency HVAC and lighting systems
- Renewable energy systems installers
- Service providers for alternative fuel vehicles
- Machinists for sustainable manufacturing and producing “Green” products
- Residential energy auditing
- Building automation installer and service personnel
- Construction and service workers for the transmission and distribution of green energy systems.
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Connecticut’s Community Colleges
Traditionally, community colleges have been the vehicle to train and redeploy workers when the workforce has experienced sudden changes, where a new job field had undergone a sudden expansion or where technology has created the necessity to retrain the existing workers. Program should be launched to prepare the local workforce for green jobs requiring a technical certification and/or associate degree programs related to the building construction management, manufacturing industries, building operations, alternative fuel transportation and the design and installation of alternate energy systems. Jobs include:
- Green building construction and building automation specialist
- Advanced transportation systems technician
- Supervisors and Mechanical Engineers in Green Manufacturing
- Renewable energy systems site assessor and application specialist
- Commercial and Government building energy auditors
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CSUS and UCONN Systems
Many careers in the sustainable energy industry require advanced educational programs and interdisciplinary studies. The field of sustainability involves knowledge of scientific principles, economics and political science. Evaluations of sustainable technology applications utilize a “Triple Bottom Line” analysis, weighing business decision on their economic, social and environmental benefits. Graduates at the university level should be prepared in programs related to the operation of the energy systems, managing sustainable businesses, the formation of sound energy public policy, and the administration of public and private programs that promote a more sustainable Connecticut. Jobs include:
- Power purchasers and carbon traders
- Energy policy specialists and business entrepreneurs
- Energy efficiency application specialists
- Renewable energy application specialists, including geothermal and fuel cells
- Business, campus and community sustainability coordinators
- Researchers for future energy solutions such as fuel cells, biofuels and other renewable energy technologies.
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Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University
Established in 2001 to identify, develop, and implement the means for achieving a sustainable energy future for Connecticut, the Institute focuses on matters relating to energy education, energy policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, protection of environmental resources, and the dissemination of useful information on alternatives and sustainability to users and providers of energy. ISE has expertise in the development of training and educational program development in the sustainable energy field, and proposes facilitating the curriculum changes and additions recommended in the Green Collar Educational Continuum described above.
For more information, contact us.
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