CAPITOL BRIEFING MATCHES GREEN JOBS RHETORIC WITH REALITY (AND OPPORTUNITY)
President Obama, Governor Schwarzenegger, the federal stimulus package, and state policymakers have pinned a lot of hopes on
the "green economy" as the next engine for innovation and growth. But what are realistic expectations for green job
growth and the impact on our existing workforce? And how can we best upgrade the skills of thousands of
Californians — including displaced workers and those who are low-skilled and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds
— in order to truly reap the economic benefits of these investments?
On March 26, EDGE and a diverse group of co-sponsoring organizations presented a briefing event inside the Capitol to provide nearly 50 top legislative and agency staffers with answers to these questions. During the briefing, titled “Building a Strong, Inclusive Green Economy in California,” expert speakers presented new data on the job creation potential of the green economy and model workforce education and training programs.
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Key information from the briefing:
- Based on empirical research, solar energy and energy efficiency have proven to produce the highest number of new jobs of
all energy technologies. (Dan Kammen — [recording (mp3)] [presentation (PDF)])
- The industries that will face the most challenges as we move to a low-carbon economy — those that emit the most
carbon dioxide during the full product cycle — include construction, manufacturing, logistics and transportation, and
agriculture/food. These industries total about 2.9 million jobs. Some pay relatively high median wages, and most are
concentrated in certain parts of the state. (Carol Zabin — [recording
(mp3)] [presentation (PDF)])
- There are more than 70 green career degrees and certificates in the California Community Colleges. (Linda Collins — [recording (mp3)] [presentation (PDF)])
Model programs:
- Asian Neighborhood Design [link] [fact sheet (PDF)] — Award-winning
construction training program for low-income youth and young adults that incorporates an environmental education component.
- Butte College Energy Training [slides (PDF)] —
Contract training program at community college, funded by partnership with workforce boards and employers, that builds
energy-efficiency career pathway curricula including a middle/high school experience, a bridge program, beginning auditor
training, and skill-building for experienced contractors.
- Career Advancement Academies [fact sheet (PDF)] [Linda Collins presentation (PDF)] — Cohort-based, learning communities in the California Community
Colleges that transition students with the most barriers into high-wage, high-demand careers and address basic skills
deficits in the context of career training.
- Community Fuels [link] [article (PDF)] — Start-up
company that operates the largest biodiesel processing facility in California while employing workers at a high wage and
hiring through partnerships with local agencies.
- I-BEST (WA) [link]
[Linda Collins presentation (PDF)]
[4/08 presentation by
Israel Mendoza] — “Contextualized” education program in the State of Washington that pairs a basic skills
instructor with a technical instructor in the same classroom at the same time with full support services, resulting in much
higher completion rates.
- Northern California WIRED Project [link] [chart (PDF)] — Federally-funded public/private partnership that is developing a renewable energy
sector over seventeen counties, including funding courses at several community colleges.
- Oakland Green Jobs Corps [link] [Linda Collins
presentation (PDF)] — A collaboration among community-based organizations, unions, Laney College, the City of
Oakland, the state, and private employers that offers classroom and on-the-job training, provides wraparound services, and
culminates in paid apprenticeships on renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for Oakland residents with barriers to
employment.
- RichmondBUILD [link] [fact sheet (PDF)] [timeline (PDF)] — Pre-
apprenticeship construction skills & solar installation training program offering intensive short-term training through a
partnership between the city, housing authority, adult education program, workforce board, community college, private
employers and sponsors, and community-based organizations.
- Stackable Certificates (OH) [report (PDF)] [Linda
Collins presentation (PDF)] — State framework implemented by Ohio to align a full progression of standards and
certifications available from an array of providers and developed by regions for locally important industries.
- Local Workforce Investment Board Green Programs [programs matrix (PDF)]
Capitol Briefing:
BUILDING A STRONG, INCLUSIVE
GREEN ECONOMY IN CALIFORNIA
Thursday, March 26
Eureka Room, State Capitol Basement
Agenda
[Speaker bios (PDF)]
Interim Executive Director, California EDGE Campaign
Brief Remarks
Assemblymember V. Manuel Perez [recording (mp3)]
Chair, Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy
What is the Job Creation Potential of the Green Economy?
Introduction of Dan Kammen: Nwamaka Agbo [recording (mp3)]
Green-Collar Jobs Campaign Policy Director, Ella Baker Center
Dan Kammen [recording (mp3)] [presentation (PDF)]
Director, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, UC Berkeley
Professor Kammen will highlight new, empirical green jobs numbers and discuss sectors that have real opportunity for growth in the short term, especially with expected federal stimulus investment.
Carol Zabin [recording (mp3)] [presentation (PDF)]
Senior Labor Policy Specialist, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education
Dr. Zabin will present her recent research about the impact of AB 32 on jobs, especially the need to upgrade the skills of incumbent workers.
Q&A with Dan Kammen and Carol Zabin [recording (mp3)]
Model Programs to Educate & Train the Green Workforce
A panel of expert speakers from California's community colleges, workforce boards, and the Apollo Alliance will share information about successful model “green worker” training and education programs from around the state and nation that will need to be taken to scale to enable the development of the new green economy.
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With thanks to the following funders: |