What’s a Green Job?

Green money is pouring into Austin, Texas, which now has to decide how to spend it. Sandra Zaragoza, writing in Portfolio.com, looks into what to do with it:
Last week, American Youthworks, a nonprofit aimed at at-risk youth, received $1.4 million in federal funds to build a green charter high school that will prepare students for jobs in solar-panel installation, green facilities management, and other jobs.

In the last few years, Austin Community College received $99,031 from Workforce Solutions for solar and weatherization training and, more recently, $59,800 from the Department of Labor to increase the number of women in green job training programs.

And ACC is hoping to bring more funding to Central Texas in federal grants. ACC is part of a group of Texas community colleges that have applied for $3.5 million in funding to build solar-energy training programs.

Education, solar, weatherization; who could argue with those things?

But do those functions create new jobs?

What these entities have discovered so far is that green jobs won’t likely come in the form of new occupations, but rather a new shade of green for existing ones. Roofers, plumbers, HVAC repairmen, electricians, and others will likely have to learn new skills and earn certifications that will position them for tomorrow’s jobs.

“We really view it as a greening of existing jobs, which will require people to develop new skills,” said B.J. Stanbery, chairman of the Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities and chief strategy officer and chairman of HelioVolt Corp. “For many people, this is a long-term retraining effort.”

So in addition to refitting existing buildings, just build them green in the first place.
Stanbery of the Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities agrees that Austin’s workforce training resources will help draw green industries to the area.

“As we train people, it removes the risk to new business coming into the market to know they won’t have to import talent and the people that are here are already networked with local businesses,” Stanbery said.

Hm, green training could draw in green industries.