Resources
Read the newest edition of our GREEN Space Newsletter, published on September 7th.
Past GREEN Space Newsletters
Presentations from Boston Green Jobs Conference - May 2011
Supporting Manufacturing Leadership Through Sustainability / E3: Economy, Energy, and Environment
Connecticut Community College and Workforce Investment System Partnerships: A Model for Success
Conducting Apprenticeship Programs and Skill Gap Analyses within a National Framework: A Transit Success Story
Employment & Retention Strategies
Green Jobs Training & Placement: Partners in Workforce Training
Real-Time Data and the Green Sector
Principles of Success for Green Job Training Programs
Weatherization Training Requirements and Key Components
Massachusetts and Clean Energy: Join the "Innovation Revolution"
Reenergizing Reemployment: New Hampshire Works
GREEN Institute - Conference Materials
Blogs, Communities, Organizations
American Green Jobs
www.americangreenjobs.net
AmericanGreenJobs.net is a community-of-practice web site for professionals promoting and creating Green Jobs. Americangreenjobs.net focuses on bringing together government, business, academic, and nonprofit leaders involved in the identification and development of green jobs and the preparation and training of workers needed to support them. This web site serves as the central hub for information dissemination and collaboration among individuals and organizations interested in all aspects of green job development and support. AmericanGreenJobs.net enables users to share information and best practices, search data by state, exchange resources and ideas, and collaborate on new and existing projects as well as other activities.
Career Apple
http://www.careerapple.com/
CareerApple is the comprehensive career resource you have been searching for. CareerApple's mission is to help people transform their lives by helping people discover and excel in their careers. We will help you explore your options, find your calling and excel in a career that you are truly passionate about. Whether you have been long contemplating a career change or the situation has been suddenly sprung upon you, we have the expertise, resources and information to help you move forward. We provide the inspiration and education that will help you find the career that is ideal for you. Above all, we know that if you are happy with what you do, you will be happy doing it.
CareerApple is offering a free webinar, The CleanTech Series, Renewable Energy 101 to give people interested in green careers an introduction to the history and future of renewable energy.
EcoWomen
www.ecowomen.org
EcoWomen is a Washington, DC-based social community of women who care about the environment. The group fosters networking, collaboration, and career-building opportunities at every professional level. EcoWomen host monthly EcoHour events featuring guest speakers who are the pioneers, inspirers and leaders of the environmental movement. They also host book club meetings, potluck dinners, environmental film club gatherings, forums, and EcoHomen presentations. EcoWomen has an announcement email mailing list and an email community discussion group.
Fighting Poverty with Faith: Good Jobs, Green Jobs
www.fightingpovertywithfaith.org
Fighting Poverty with Faith brings together communities of faith to advocate for policies that ensure that this economic recovery yields real poverty- reduction gains. While our nation’s transition to a new, energy efficient economy is already taking shape, it is up to us to ensure that this transition will lead to meaningful poverty-reduction and that communities are not left out of the opportunities presented by the emerging, green sectors. The signing organization call on our government and our communities to seize the opportunity presented by the transition to develop workforce policies that benefit all communities.
Forum of Women in the Environmental Field
http://fwef.org/
The Forum of Women in the Environmental Field is a professional organization for women with careers in the environmental field works to help members to build personal and professional networks and promote a better understanding of an individual’s role in preserving and improving the environment. The Forum sponsors six events a year on topics related to the environment or environmental careers. Speakers are drawn from a pool of local and national figures working in a variety of environmentally-related fields.
The Green Economy Post
www.thegreeneconomypost.com
The Green Economy Post is an informative blog providing green career information and covering the impact of the environment, sustainable building, cleantech and renewable energy on the US economy. Readers are provided with insightful feature stories, checklists, commentary, case studies, practical advice and insight, news and interviews. The blog provides our readers with the information, tools and other resources they need to succeed in these sectors.
Green for All
www.greeenforall.org
Green For All is a national organization working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of povertyGreen For All is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through a clean energy economy. We work in collaboration with the business, government, labor, and grassroots communities to create and implement programs that increase quality jobs and opportunities in green industry – all while holding the most vulnerable people at the center of our agenda.
National Society of Women Environmental Professionals
http://swepweb.com/
The National Society of Women Environmental Professionals is a national non-profit professional association of women involved or interested in environmental law, science, business, and policy. Members include attorneys, consulting scientists and engineers, non-profit organizations, students, educators, government employees, and the regulated community. The group works to encourage education and professional development, exchange of substantive information and work experiences, networking, and public service. There are chapters in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Carolina, Colorado and Massachusetts.
New England Women in Energy & the Environment
http://newiee.wordpress.com/
New England Women in Energy & the Environment was formed a few weeks ago bring together local women interested in clean energy and the environment. The group works to help educate through panel discussions on energy and environmental issues as well as organize outreach activities aimed at young women. New England Women in Energy & the Environment also celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in the energy and environmental sectors.
Nontraditional Employment for Women
www.new-nyc.org
Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them incareers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades, helping women achieve economic independence and a secure future. Nontraditional Employment for Women has developed the ReNEW program, geared towards women with a stated interest in and a proven aptitude for career opportunities in green collar work. The ReNEW program will give women a well-rounded introduction to the building trades and green construction as well as hands on experience with tools and building materials. NEW is working with employers, training providers, certification agencies, public agencies, and unions to develop the ReNEW program training curriculum. The key components of NEW’s core training programs will be included in the ReNEW program. Employers identify trades math, health and safety, hands-on shop training, and job readiness as critical components of worker success in green collar jobs.
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers: Lean to Green Sustainability Tech Group
www.sme.org/leantogreen
This group helps members face the challenges of a sustainable future for global manufacturing using the lessons of lean to advance learning and innovation across industry. Its focus is on people, good jobs, thriving communities and most importantly, greening the economy and environment. Using lean principles, such as continuous improvement, this group will identify what is valuable, eliminate waste and embed learning cycles that can be used in everyday work processes.
Society of Women Engineers
http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering, and to be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders. Founded in 1950, SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women through an exciting array of training and development programs, networking opportunities, scholarships, outreach and advocacy activities, and much more. Please call 312.596.5223 to learn more.
Tradeswomen Inc
http://www.tradeswomen.org/
We are carpenters, electricians, glaziers, ironworkers, laborers, operating engineers, plumbers, pipefitters, masons, surveyors, sheet metal workers, truck drivers and others, acting together to create fair and safe conditions for women working in nontraditional blue collar jobs.
Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment
http://wcee.org/top/about.asp
The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment is a Washington, DC-based organization that works to dialogue on cutting-edge energy and environmental issues and to foster the personal and professional growth and leadership abilities of its members. They do this by providing educational and networking opportunities in an open, cooperative and supportive environment. The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment has the following Special Interest Groups: Air, Energy, International, Natural and Cultural Resource Prevention, Pollution Prevention, RCRA/Solid Waste, Superfund, and Water. The group hosts regular brown bag lunches, breakfasts, meetings, happy hours, forums, and conferences with high profile panels and speakers.
Women’s Environmental Council
http://www.wecweb.org/
The Women’s Environmental Council (WEC) is a California-based, non-profit association of women professionals in various environmental fields. The group strives to enrich the experiences of our members, the impact of the environmental industry, and the well-being of our communities. WEC works to plays a vital role in providing leadership on environmental issues, encouraging diversity in environmental careers, enhancing the professional skills of their members and educating our communities about environmental topics. The mission of the Women’s Environmental Council is to make a difference in the community through leadership, education, communication, and environmental activities. Through a forum which facilitates dialogue, interaction, and exploration, we strive for the growth of our professions and the betterment of the environment. Through membership, community outreach programs, educational activities, and promotion of environmental careers, WEC provides opportunities for women to be involved, grow personally and professionally, and gain knowledge and skills critical for their success. The group has chapter in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. The San Diego Chapter uses Yahoo Groups to send out meeting reminders.
Women in Renewable Energy and Development (WIRED) http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenInRenewableEnergyandDevelopment/
WIRED is a professional organization for women in the Washington, DC area, who work in renewable energy, and energy-related international development. The purpose of WIRED is for members to meet other women involved in the renewable energy industry to develop professional and social relationships; share information on mutual interests in renewable energy and development; promote the use of renewable energy technologies which improve people’s quality of life everywhere in the world, with particular attention to improving the lives of women; promote the involvement of women in the renewable energy field; and learn about other companies, organizations, careers and employment opportunities in the domestic and international energy sectors.
Women in Technology International (WITI)
http://www.witi.com/
Carolyn Leighton founded WITI to help women advance by providing access to - and support from - other professional women working in all sectors of technology. WITI started in 1989 as The International Network of Women in Technology and, in 2001, evolved into The WITI Professional Association, the nation's leading trade association for tech-savvy women. Today, WITI is the premiere global organization empowering women in business and technology to achieve unimagined possibilities.
With a global network of smart, talented women and a market reach exceeding 2 million, WITI has powerful programs and partnerships that provide connections, resources, opportunities and a supportive environment of women committed to helping each other. Along with its professional association of Networks throughout the U.S. and worldwide, including Hong Kong, Great Britain, Australia, and Mexico, WITI delivers value for individuals that work for a company, the government or academia, as well as small business owners.
WITI products and services include: Networking, WITI Marketplace, Career Services/Search, National Conferences and Regional Events, Publications and Resources, Small Business Programs, Research, Bulletin Boards and more.
Women of Wind Energy
www.windustry.org/womenofwindustry
Women of Wind Energy (WoWE) is a group of individuals who support and encourage the participation and advancement of professional women in the wind energy industry. It promotes greater involvement and employment of women in the wind energy industry, and provides a unique professional networking forum. Women of Wind Energy host annual scholarship luncheons, and regular event meet ups and chapter meetings across the country. They have chapters in Boston, Denver, Canada, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, New Jersey, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Texas and Vermont. They are working to organize more chapters. The Women of Wind Energy also maintain an email announcement list that distributes periodic announcements of events, networking opportunities, job openings, and other resources.
Workforce Strategies Initiative
http://www.aspenwsi.org/about-WSI.asp
The Workforce Strategies Initiative (WSI), a project of the Washington, D.C.-based Aspen Institute, seeks to identify and advance strategies that help low-income Americans gain ground in today's labor market. WSI’s projects have been designed to evaluate and advance sectoral employment development approaches to connecting low-income workers to both employment and advancement opportunities within targeted industry sectors.
Webinars and Presentations
Green Jobs: What They Are and How to Find Them
AARP
In this webinar, green jobs career consultant and author Jim Cassio and Kathy Beyleu, Manager of Industry Information Services at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), discuss:
- What a green job is
- Which industries and jobs have the most growth potential
- Where to find online resources on green jobs and careers
- What education and training opportunities are available
View the webinar (no recording key required) or download a copy of the presentation.
Green Jobs: Reaching TANF and Low-Income Populations
Welfare Peer TA
March 10, 2010
The Welfare Peer TA Network is hosted a Webinar entitled, "Green Jobs: Reaching TANF and Low-Income Populations" on March 10, 2010 from 2:00 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST. The audiorecording, transcript, and PowerPoints are now available! This webinar included information on green jobs, job placement, workforce development, economic recovery, training, and job creation, specifically for low-income populations. Brent Orrell from ICF moderated this Webinar, and speakers included Jennifer Cleary from the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, Elena Foshay from the Apollo Alliance, and Michele McGeoy, Founder and Executive Director, SolarRichmond.
For materials and more information click here.
Greening Government: Best Practices For a More Sustainable Community
GOVERNING
March 3, 2010
Increasing sustainability and going green are hardly new topics in communities across America. But what strategies have states, cities and counties found most effective in increasing awareness about sustainability and putting a greener future at the forefront for decision-makers? GOVERNING provided a one-hour Web event that spotlighted the strategies government leaders are using to make their communities more sustainable. To get a copy of the presentation, download the pdf. To listen to the archived webinar, click here.
Connections with Employers
Green for All
October 14, 2009
Click here to access audio and resources from this call.
On October 14, Green For All hosted a call on how to develop relationships with employers and unions in order to connect participants of green job training programs with jobs after graduation. On the call were two training providers from their Community of Practice:
Connie Ashbrook, Executive Director of Oregon Tradeswomen, discussed how relationships with employers and unions have provided placement opportunities for the women this program serves.
Patrick Brown, Program Coordinator and Instructor at OAI, Inc. /Greencorps Chicago, talked about how relationships with employers, combined with progressive city policy, has resulted inphenomenal placement rates for Greencorps Chicago, a program that largely serves individuals with criminal records and multiple barriers to employment.
Research
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Weatherization and ARRA - Challenges and Opportunities in Growing a Diverse and Quality Workforce
To understand current weatherization efforts, a scan of written research and relevant web sites was conducted. Complementing this were selected interviews with weatherization programs and professionals in several states. While the research is not exhaustive, a relatively clear picture of weatherization, both past and current, has emerged that can help to inform workforce planning within weatherization, especially as the stimulus bill funding expands the field.
Applied Research Center
Green Jobs Toolkit for Race & Gender Equity
Applied Research Center (ARC) is creating a Toolkit on Equity and the Green Economy that will address the need for a race and gender analysis. The toolkit has three components: an Equity Criteria, Case Studies, and a Model Policy Bank. These tools, described in detail below, will be designed to form a practical and accessible unit that can be applied to many cases where green economy policy efforts are in process. ARC staff is creating this toolkit in consultation with partners Green for All and Policy Link and with the guidance of an advisory committee.
Center for American Progress
Women’s Role in the Clean Energy Economy
Women across the nation are preparing to play an integral role in the green economy, and the United States will need their help if we’re going to pull ourselves out of the recession and compete in the new economy on a global scale.
Taking on the Tool Belt Recession
A memo providing an analysis and data on construction jobs within states,
- The unemployment rate for experienced workers in construction was 24.7 percent in January 2010.
- Total construction payroll employment has dropped by 2.1 million jobs since 2006, with residential construction down by 1.3 million, or 38 percent.
- For 2009, 12.4 percent of all unemployed workers were previously employed in the construction industry.
- There have been 134,000 jobs lost (10 percent) in construction-related retail, such as building supply stores and lumber yards, since December 2007, with 186,000 lost (14 percent) since July 2006.
To read the whole memo on the tool belt recession, and see the construction sector unemployment figures in your state, click here.
Interactive Map: The Tool Belt Recession
A map tool that breaks down declines in construction employment by state from peak levels to December 2009. Scroll over a state to see the percent decline in construction employment in that state, the peak employment, and the current employment.
Clean Energy Corps
Clean Energy Corps, Jobs, Service, and Equal Opportunity in America’s Clean Energy Economy 2008
To address challenges and create solutions on climate, energy and the economy, this report proposes a national Clean Energy Corps (CEC) to combine service, training, and job creation effort to combat global warming, grow local and regional economies and demonstrate the equity and employment promise of the clean energy economy.
Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development
Joan Fitzgerald, Oxford University Press, USA (2010)
In Emerald Cities, Joan Fitzgerald shows how in the absence of a comprehensive national policy, cities like Chicago, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle have taken the lead in addressing the interrelated environmental problems of global warming, pollution, energy dependence, and social justice. Cities are major sources of pollution but because of their population density, reliance on public transportation, and other factors, Fitzgerald argues that they are uniquely suited to promote and benefit from green economic development. For cities facing worsening budget constraints, investing in high-paying green jobs in renewable energy technology, construction, manufacturing, recycling, and other fields will solve two problems at once, sparking economic growth while at the same time dramatically improving quality of life.
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Encore
How Boomers Can Help the Nation Go Green - Emerging Encore Career Opportunities In the Green Economy
This report summarizes how green jobs are a natural fit for many Boomers seeking work in the second half of life that benefits society. The report advocates for shaping jobs that are flexible and capitalizing on the skills and attributes that experienced workers bring in order for employment to benefit boomers in public service oriented careers and employers.
Global Green
Developing Green Building Programs: A Step-by-Step Guide for Local Governments
Green for All
Bringing Home the Green Recovery: A User’s Guide to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Green For All and PolicyLink have prepared this User’s Guide to assist local and state advocates, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and policymakers in making the best use of recovery dollars through recommendations on implementation, advocacy strategies, and an overview of green programs.
A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program
The seemingly insurmountable problems of climate change, poverty, and a nation dependent on dirty or foreign sources of energy are among the most serious challenges facing our country. But like all challenges, these present an opportunity—the opportunity to address all three problems at once—by building a domestic energy economy based on efficiency and renewable energy and focusing the job creation and training efforts that accompany such an economy on low-income communities.
Federal Resources to Enhance and Sustain Green Pathways out Of Poverty Programs
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provides an unprecedented opportunity to implement, enhance, and/or expand green pathways out of poverty programs. The ARRA, however large, presents only temporary or short-term funding and does not necessarily offer the comprehensive set of services that may be necessary for low-income and under-skilled workers to alleviate barriers to employment and to enter into green career pathways that lead to economic self-sufficiency. Therefore, identifying, coordinating, and accessing multiple federal, state, and local resources will be an essential part of developing an effective sustainability strategy and implementing a broader range of programming options for green education and training.
Green Pathways Out of Poverty: Workforce Development Initiatives
The emergence of a new green economy presents a once‐in‐a‐generation opportunity to connect low‐income people to jobs and careers in what will be a key economic sector just as it starts to grow. The authors of this document represent a diverse group of training providers working to make this happen by sharing knowledge and best practices in the field.
International Economic Development Council
Climate Prosperity Handbook
The purpose of this handbook is to reveal the potential of sustainable economic development and provide a map that communities can use to implement such efforts through political, economic and grassroots designs.
Living Cities
Green Cities Report
Living Cities conducted a survey of programs and policies in 40 of the nation’s largest cities, spoke to dozens of experts in the field and studied a series of initiatives at the local level. It’s one of the first-ever assessments of exactly how cities are addressing climate change — and what they need in order to take these efforts to the next level. It is no longer a question of “if” the nation will begin the challenging transition to a greener economy but “how” we will get there. As this report reveals, the answer to that question lies in large part in America’s cities.
National Governors Association
State Green Economy Profiles
With governors across the country looking for ways to help build a "green" economy in their state, the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) has released profiles analyzing each state's efforts in this area. The reports show that to varying degrees, every state is seeing growth in at least one green industry segment, and usually, this business growth stems from existing strengths in the state. The profiles also examine the extent to which each state's business base is poised to meet the coming demand for green technologies and products such as highly efficient appliances, renewable energy generation systems, high-efficiency building materials and low-emission fuels. The profiles provide analyses of green business activity in each state from 2000–2007 (the latest year data is available) and patent activity from 1994–2008.
Pathways Magazine, Fall 2009
Are Green Jobs a Silver Bullet?
- Greening the Pockets of the Poor
Van Jones makes the case for green jobs as a poverty-killer. - Seizing the Energy Opportunity
John Podesta and Sarah Miller discuss how new policies can generate new jobs that will combat climate change and poverty all at once. - A Hazy Shade of Green: Debunking the Myths of the Green Jobs Movement
Max Schulz casts a skeptic's eye on the lofty ambitions of the green jobs movement. - Green Data: What do we Really Know about Jobs in the Green Economy?
Kil Huh and Lori Grange reveal just how many green jobs we have now and who is getting them.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
In Brief: Update on the 10‐50 Solution: Progress Toward a Low‐Carbon Future
In 2004, the Pew Center held a workshop (the “10‐50” Workshop) to understand the technologies likely to enable a low‐carbon future by mid‐century (50 years) and identify policy options for the coming decade (10 years) to help “push” and “pull” these technologies into the market. This brief reviews some of the key policies and actions deemed important five years ago and reports on progress against those goals to date; it finds significant progress in pushing low‐carbon technologies and underscores the critical remaining need for a policy, such as cap and trade, that puts a price on carbon and “pulls” those technologies into the marketplace.
Policy Link
An Engine of Opportunity
PolicyLink and the Transportation Equity Network prepared this guide to offer advocates and decision makers, at the local and state level, specific strategies for maximizing economic opportunity for our nation’s vulnerable communities through the transportation components of the Recovery Act.
Political Economy Research Institute
Job Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-By-State Picture of Occupations That Gain From Green Investments
This report provides a snapshot of what kinds of jobs are needed to build a green economy in the United States. We focus on six key strategies for attacking global warming and highlight some of the major “green jobs” associated with each of these approaches. The six green strategies we examine here are: building retrofitting, mass transit, energy-efficient automobiles, wind power, solar power, and cellulosic biomass fuels.
Transportation for America
The Route to Reform
A look at current transportation structure in the United States, from the 1956 National Interstate and Defense Highways Act to today’s infrastructure needs, and examining the needs to modernize systems by developing a new national transportation vision, restructuring federal transportation programs and revising transportation finance to pay for needed investments.
Urban Agenda
FACT SHEET: The Green Collar Jobs Roundtable Campaign
Women's Economic Security Campaign and Wider Opportunities for Women
Creating Opportunities for Low Income Women in the Green Economy
Women Transporting the World
An ITF resource book for trade union negotiators in the transport sector
Workforce Strategy Center
Employers, Low-Income Young Adults, and Postsecondary Credentials: A Practical Typology For Business, Education, and Community Leaders
Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this report investigates a number of education and training programs involving employers in efforts to help disadvantaged young adults attain postsecondary credentials leading to career track employment.
Guides and Training
Green Careers Resource Guide (Free E-Book)
Jim Cassio, author of Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future
, has published the Green Careers Resource Guide, and he is offering the ebook for free. It began life as one of Jim Cassio’s research bibliographies. By 2007 it had evolved into a handout for the International Career Development Conference, and now it continues to evolve as a living e-book publication with several updates per year. This Fall 2009 Edition is the most significant update yet. With the infusion of jobs from cleantech industries, this resource guide now identifies over 300 occupations that can lead to green jobs and green careers.
The resource guide answers basic green career questions such as: What is a green job? What is sustainability? Where are the green jobs? What occupations can lead to green jobs? What are the best online resources for people who want a green job or career? Includes links to hundreds of industry and occupation-specific resources as well as descriptions of all major green niche job boards. Download the Green Careers Resource Guide
Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career
This free ebook by Carol McClelland PhD is a step-by-step process helping green career seekers use their passions, interests, experience, and training to plug into the green economy.
The Complete Green Job Guide 2009: Secrets for getting the job you want
Discover How To Unlock The Booming Green Economy For Your Job Search And Future Financial Security with the 10 Breakthrough Steps You Need To Know To Find And Land A Green Job Quickly.
Green Generalist Online
The Purdue Research Foundation and Oxygen Education, LLC
The Green Generalist Online training is designed as an awareness and culture change program for all positions and all business sectors and will take 2-4 hours to complete it. It introduces the many concepts and issues that are part of sustainability or "green" and teaches you how to apply environmentally friendly practices in the workplace.
This is the first level of training in a suite of training available from the Purdue Technical Assistance Program called Green Enterprise Development. It provides for specialist training in the areas mentioned above and can lead to a Green Specialist Certificate accredited by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. For more information on these programs visit http://www.mep.purdue.edu/prod_services/green/default.aspx