Go Greener Tips

div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=Insulation Installer / iStockPhoto height=300 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/the_conscious_consumer/the_conscious_consumer-997475944-1243971249.jpg?ymxKxWBDBRnsVHvU width=200//divpWe’ve all been hearing about the benefits of green jobs lately. A a href=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-average-green-employee-makes-76000-2009-6new Reuters survey/a found that green workers like the work they do, feel secure in their jobs, and are paid well, earning an average salary of $76,000.  /ppThere’s no doubt that creating a substantial number of new green jobs has the potential to help revive the economy and solve environmental problems. The government stimulus package alone is expected to create millions of green jobs. Climate change legislation, if passed, will likely add even more./ppThe jury is still out on whether the reality of green jobs will live up to all the hype. But for now, here are answers to some very basic questions about what kinds of green jobs are being created and how to land one./ppstrongWhat exactly is a green job?/strong/ppThere’s no official definition, but the a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/StrongMiddleClass/Middle Class Task Force/a, which recently announced more funding for training and the a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/White-House-Enviro-Council-Accepts-Biden-Challenge-Help-Retrofit-America/creation of green jobs/a, loosely defines it as jobs that help to improve the environment in some way./ppThe a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Blogging-to-the-Middle/task force says/a the term includes:/pulliBlue-collar workers building out the smart grid to efficiently move the wind power (green, renewable energy) across the land. /libr /li’Weatherizers’ who can diagnose and repair the energy inefficiencies in your house or business. /libr /liThe green manufacturers who made those wind turbines or the scientists and lab technicians who developed those renewable energy sources and weatherization materials./li/ulpYou’ve also probably heard the term a href=http://www.greenforall.org/blog/what-are-green-collar-jobsgreen-collar jobs/a.The clean energy jobs organization a href=http://www.greenforall.org/Green for All/a describes this work as blue-collar jobs that contribute to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. /ppstrongWhat kinds of jobs are being created? /strong/ppHere is Green for All’s short list:/pulliEnergy auditors/liliGreen carpenters/liliInsulation installers/liliCivil engineers/liliRail-track layers/liliBus and train systems operators/liliWind turbine machinists/liliSolar panel installers/liliIron and steel workers/liliRecycling center operators/liliWater quality consultants/li/ulpIt’s not all about the face of the green economy, says a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=24698Timothy O’Connor/a, at the Environmental Defense Fund. New companies are starting up because of the stimulus package, and those companies are going to need accountants, managers, human resources folks, and other professionals. As a result, high-end salaries are increasing. We now see
more jobs a href=http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUKTRE5523OD20090603?pageNumber=3virtualBrandChannel=10482paying six figure salaries/a, particularly as climate change
has started to pull in senior managers from other areas of business,
says Andy Cartland, managing director at a href=http://www.acre-resources.co.uk/Acre Resources/a./ppstrongHow do you go about finding green training opportunities and jobs? /strong/ppIt depends on where you live. Where to get green job training and which economic sectors are growing will vary from community to community. Here are some general tips to get you get started, but keep in mind that there are sure to be more resources as the government money trickles down. /pulliThe Department of Labor recently committed a href=http://www.doleta.gov/$500 million to train green workers/a. Check with your local a href=http://www.careeronestop.org/One-Stop Career Center/a to see if they have any green training programs. a href=http://www.americangreenjobs.net/wikiAmerican Green Jobs/a, supported by the EPA and the DOL, has extensive information on training, education, and other aspects of green employment. Or look for service-learning opportunities through the a href=http://www.nascc.org/Corps Network/a, which can put you on the path to a green career, says Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins at a href=http://www.greenforall.org/resourcesGreen for All/a. /libr /liYour local community college can be a great resource. Community colleges often have links to green vocational agencies, according to Ellis-Lamkins. It’s also a good way to find local union apprenticeship programs. It’s competitive to land a place in one of these programs, says O’Connor, but once you’re in, you have access to well-developed support and job placement networks. /libr /liCheck for a href=http://green.yahoo.com/living-green/finding-a-green-job.htmlgreen career opportunities/a at a href=http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobs-k-GreenYahoo! Hot Jobs/a. Here’s a a href=http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/123/finding-the-green-job-of-your-dreams.htmllist of some good websites for green job listings/a. Additional job boards include: a href=http://www.greenjobs.net/Green Jobs Network/a, a href=http://www.greenjobs.com/public/index.aspxGreenjobs/a, and a href=http://www.ecojobs.com/index.phpEnvironmental Career Opportunities/a. /libr /liKeeping track of where a href=http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-stimulus_job_watch-794stimulus money is going/a is a great way to help find opportunities in your city or town./libr /liEnvironmental Defense Fund mapped out a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=33427potential job opportunities/a in 14 states (if Congress passes a cap on carbon). See if your state is listed and, if so, which companies in your area are in the best position to start hiring.   /libr /liThe Natural Resources Defense council has a href=http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/jobs/index.aspfact sheets/a outlining a href=http://www.nrdc.org/enterprise/greenjobs.aspgreen job opportunities/a in about a dozen states./libr /liThe a href=http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/09/26/green_jobs_guide/Green Jobs Guidebook /afocuses on where to get training and find good-paying a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=37047redirect=cagreengreen jobs in California/a, but O’Connor, a co-author, says the info is applicable anywhere in the country.  /li/ulbr /pemEnvironmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green’s users. Send Lori a a href=http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/green/forms/consciousconsumerblog.htmlquestion or suggestion/a for potential use in a future column. Her book,/em Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life emis available on a href=http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Green%2C%20Greener%2C%20Greenest%3A%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Making%20Eco-Smart%20Choices%20a%20Part%20of%20Your%20Life:3005209514;_ylt=AsLkIJyzfMD4G3Gl2OYYt_gbFt0A?clink=dmps/lori_bongiorno/ctx=mid:1,pid:3005209514,pdid:1,pos:1,spc:14489115,date:20081009,srch:kw,x:Yahoo! Shopping/a and a href=http://www.amazon.com/Green-Greener-Greenest-Practical-Eco-Smart/dp/0399534032/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1228865081sr=8-1Amazon.com/a./em/p

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