Green Jobs- Two Opportunities to Get Some Answers

By Vestina Crayton, Extension Specialist



English novelist Charles Dickens said it best in the Tale of Two Cities ‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.’ With unemployment at an all time high, the emerging green job industry has persevered and brings entrepreneurial and employment opportunities"

On July 22nd, the Tampa Branch of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter U.S. Green Building Council will sponsor a panelist discussion about green jobs. Local business, academia and community leaders will be on-hand to provide information and answer questions about the various training programs and employment opportunities that are available. Students and the general public are encouraged to attend. For details and to register, click here.

If you are unable to attend this event, register for the upcoming Pinellas County Extension’s Green Jobs Webinar Tuesday July 27th, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Green Retrofit: Good Business in a Bad Economy

Tarpon Springs - January 20, 2010 - Capitalism usually trumps environmentalism in hard times but this time a confluence of the two is driving a wave of interest in green building improvements.

To learn more join us Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 4:30p – 6:30p at the Palm Harbor Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Herzog for "Green Retrofit: Good Business in a Bad Economy."

The business case for green retrofits is undeniable. Property owners are slashing building-operating costs and even collecting higher rents in some areas as a result of green upgrades. Find out who, where, how, and why financing might not be the obstacle you think it is.

The meeting is free of charge and open to commercial property owners, managers and contractors. Attendance is limited to 25 and space is reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. So, please, RSVP ASAP.

Because North American buildings account for about 40 percent of the continent’s greenhouse gas emissions, inefficient older buildings don’t just pollute. They waste money.

Property owners who install green retrofits today can cut operating costs by as much 50 percent and limit future costs for years to come. Meantime, President Obama has proposed big green-retrofit rebates in an effort to create jobs and drive economic growth.

For details about what this could mean for you join us Feb 16.

Lacey Willard, 2009 Treasurer of BOMA Greater Tampa Bay, will discuss a recent study by CB Richard Ellis that lays out a business rationale for green building construction and refurbishment.

Advait Mantri, LEED Certification Auditor for the Green Building Certification Institute, will discuss LEED prerequisites, utility incentives and specific, cost-cutting retrofits.

Ed Crawford, a consultant for Soltility, Inc. will discuss tax credits and financing options, including a means by which Florida buildings can be converted to photovoltaic power with a minimal initial investment.

To RSVP contact David Hackett at RAM Insurance Services by calling 727-942-9363 or send email to DHackett@RamInsuranceCo.com

CONTACT:
David Hackett
email: DHackett@RamInsuranceCo.com
RAM Insurance Services
210 S. Pinellas Avenue
Suite 195
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
727-942-9363

Grants for ‘Green’ Job Training

Vestina F. Crayton, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability.

On January 6th the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of approximately $100 million dollars in grant funds for ‘green’ training. $28 million is earmarked for the communities that were impacted by the auto industry reorganization. These funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The DOL has made ‘green’ jobs a primary focus. To show their commitment, in November 2009, the DOL awarded $55 million dollars in grant funds to various organizations for workforce training.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis “believes that strong partnerships are the key to the country’s success in strengthening not just training programs but also employers and industries. That’s why the training initiatives at the Department of Labor frequently involve strong partnerships with community colleges, local businesses, and workforce development boards.” Source: Department of Labor

These DOL grant funds will assist unemployed individuals with acquiring the critical skills needed to take advantage of emerging green industries. Areas of opportunities can be found in energy efficiency and the development of clean and renewable energy sources. Some of the careers of interest include but are not limited to solar panel installers, weatherization specialists, energy and wind workers and hybrid/electric auto specialists.

What does this mean for Florida? Join Vestina F. Crayton, Urban Sustainability Extension Specialist for Pinellas County Extension’s Solutions in 30 Webinar Green Jobs on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 12:15pm- 12:45pm to learn more.

References:

Department of Labor ‘Good Jobs, Safe Jobs, Green Jobs’ online article 2010 January 6

Solutions in 30 – What is a Green Job?

With concerns about pollution, climate change and energy dependence, green industries – those businesses that focus on sustainability - will become more important in the future economy. This will ultimately lead to more jobs in these new and exciting fields.

Join Pinellas County Extension Services at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20 for a 30-minute introductory webinar addressing these newly-emerging green jobs.

Vestina Crayton, Extension Urban Sustainability Specialist, will describe what a green job is, what training is required, where to apply for employment and what experts are predicting for the industry.

A webinar is an audio and visual seminar transmitted over the Internet through the computer so internal or external speakers are necessary to get the full benefit. Webinars also allow visitors to interact with the presenter and the content. Solutions in 30 seminars also make sense because the format offers time saving results by eliminating travel, looking for parking spaces and the hassles of scheduling. Participation is fast, convenient, easy and ideal for multiple listeners.

To register and learn more about this free webinar, visit www.pinellascountyextension.org, click on the “Online Class Registration” button and click on the Solutions in 30 button or call (727) 582-2100.

Green Jobs for Florida

Vestina Crayton Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability

With the adoption of clean energy legislation and policies, Florida will not only reap the benefits of less pollution, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency but also the creation of up to 78,000 jobs over the next ten years.

To discuss some of these policies and legislation, the Green Jobs for Florida delegation will be participating in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen Denmark December 7th-18th. International leaders will be discussing the limiting of greenhouse gas emissions. These discussions are critical to creating jobs and boosting our economy. Participating in the conference are representatives from Raymond James, St. Petersburg and Hogan Law Group, Tampa who are among the 25 members of the Green Jobs for Florida delegation.

With the introduction of green jobs in the coming years, this is the perfect opportunity to educate yourself on the green economy. To help you get started, sign up for Pinellas County Extension’s Solutions in 30 Webinar Green Jobs on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 12:15pm- 12:45pm. This presentation will describe what a green job is, what training is required, and where to apply.

For more information on this news item click here

President Obama’s Job Summit

On December 3rd, over 100 leaders from across the nation representing the business community, educational system, local governments and others met at the White House to discuss new and innovative ways to create jobs. There is still much work to be done to get people back to work even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a decline in the unemployment rate of 10.2 to 10. Although slight, this is one of the most encouraging reports since the economic decline in December 2007.

After the half-day workshop, although many ideas were discussed, the following six areas of opportunities were compiled and presented to the Obama Administration:

• Give employers incentives to hire
• Create green energy jobs with a “cash for caulkers” program
• Boost credit availability for small firms
• Boost infrastructure spending or aid to states
• Expanding exports
• Use the TARP fund as a pool of jobs money. (source: CSMonitor.com)

President Obama is encouraging leaders at the local level to organize forums in their own communities to discuss ways the business community can expand and create jobs. The President emphasized the need to include local academic and training institutions in these discussions. This will ensure there are resources in place to prepare individuals to fill the positions as they become available.

STEM, Science, Technology Engineering and Math, is one initiative that connects the workforce community with the educational community. Created by Workforce Florida and Enterprise Florida, this program was designed to provide students with the skills to meet the needs of some of today’s fastest growing industries such as alternative energy, aerospace engineering and information technology. “This collaboration is the right opportunity at the right time for Florida,” said Allan Bense, Vice Chairman of Enterprise Florida. “Florida’s success in the 21st Century economy will depend greatly on our ability to train, retain and retrain a ready workforce of problem solvers and innovators who are well skilled in STEM fields.”

Visit this blog frequently to receive timely information on what is happening in our community.

Florida Awarded $1.25 M Grant

Courtesy of the American Reinvestment Recovery Act 2009 (ARRA), Florida has received a grant for $1.25 million to conduct a statewide survey to identify green job opportunities. Once this information is compiled, the jobs will be listed on Florida’s online job bank Web site. This is just one of the many ways the stimulus dollars will be used to move Florida toward being more sustainable. Click here for more details on this story.

For more information about what is happening with ‘green’ jobs locally, register for the Green Job Market in Pinellas County Webinar at www.pinellascountyextension.org.

Pinellas Green Business Partnership: Writing Your Green Policy

Mary Campbell, Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

It is an exciting time for green businesses. Green building is on the rise, the auto industry is racing to produce electric cars and major corporations are starting to assess the environmental impacts of their products and operations. Businesses are setting goals on waste reduction- Wal-Mart pledges to reduce global plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33% per store by 2013; use of alternative energy is on the rise and businesses are tracking their carbon footprint.
Greenbiz.com does an annual report on green business efforts and the progress towards more sustainable business models. The report provides some optimism, but also indicates we have a long way to go. For businesses that are working to be greener, there can be many benefits, such as attracting customers, reducing costs, and providing healthier working conditions for employees. So how does a business move forward on a plan to be green? There needs to be a long-range view of the overall mission for the business. Some businesses are creating positions for a Sustainability Coordinator that can be a point person to move the effort forward and provide resources. St. Petersburg College offers a degree program in Sustainability Management. If a new position is not created, companies are forming employee teams to promote activities like recycling, waste reduction, green purchasing and energy conservation.

A good place to start is by writing a company environmental policy statement. This statement is a set of goals that helps a company put its commitment into practice. Sound environmental policies can reduce overhead and be a valuable tool in efficiency. A policy statement should be developed with the participation of employees and include legal compliance, product stewardship, continual improvement and involvement with employees and customers.

To support local efforts for businesses to go green and provide recognition to companies that meet specific criteria, Pinellas County Extension has developed a Green Business Partnership assessment. Over the next few months, a series of articles will outline that program and how any business can begin the exciting process of being a green business. The new website provides information and resources.
Sign up for the Introduction to the Green Business Partnership, December 15, 2009 to learn more: www.pinellascountyextension.org On Line Registration
Resources:
Walmart’s Sustainability Efforts

State of Green Business 2009

St. Petersburg College Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainability Management

Business.gov Green Business Guide

Business.gov Environmental Planning

Pinellas County Extension’s Green Business Partnership

Developing an Environmental Policy Statement

Green Jobs

Vestina F. Crayton, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability.

What exactly is a ‘green’ job? There has been much debate about this question. Workforce Florida, Inc. defines a green job as ‘” a green job increases the conservation and sustainability of natural resources for the benefit of Floridians. This includes jobs that reduce energy usage or lower carbon emissions, and protect Florida’s natural resources. Green jobs should provide worker-friendly conditions, pay sustainable wages and offer opportunities for continued skill training and career growth.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was created and nearly 800 billion dollars were allocated to help reenergize the economy and to support the need for our nation to become more sustainable.

Employers are diligently working to secure funds from these stimulus dollars to create jobs as well as design and implement training programs that will develop and enhance the skills of existing employees in targeted industries such as energy efficiency and renewable energy.

To learn more about the ‘green’ job industry, such as where are the stimulus dollars going, what jobs are being created, what training is required, and what the experts are saying about the employment forecast for this industry, register for the “Green Jobs” Webinar on Thursday, October 22, from 12:15 pm – 12:45 pm.

Green Funds Available, But Hurry!

Construction & Alternative Energy (Green): Funding To Promote Career Ladder, Business Retention & Skills Upgrade Training For Employed Workers

Deadline: Ongoing Until Funds Obligated Or Oct 15, 2009

WorkNet Pinellas, Inc. is requesting sealed proposals from qualified construction and alternative energy (green) employers for the provision of training for their existing workforce. WorkNet’s Employed/ Incumbent Worker Training programs are designed to assist employees in developing higher skills and receiving increased wages along with promoting business retention for existing Pinellas County businesses.

Download RFP
Construction & Alternative Energy RFP

Contact email: kdailey@worknetpinellas.org