EPA Awards $7.8 Million in Grants to Combat Greenhouse Gases/Twenty communities receive funds to combat climate change, save consumers money
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that 20 U.S. communities, including two Indian Tribes, will receive $7.8 million in grants for projects that will reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs). The funds will help Climate Showcase Communities increase energy efficiency, saving consumers money and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Click here for full article.


Secretary Chu Announces Over $8 Million to Support Local Energy Assurance Planning Initiatives
Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on February 19 that the Department of Energy is making selection of awards for more than $8 million to 43 cities and towns across the country to develop or expand local energy assurance plans that will improve electricity reliability and energy security in these communities.  These emergency preparedness plans, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will help ensure local governments can recover and restore power quickly following any energy supply disruptions. Click here for full article.


Obama Administration Launches $130 Million Building Energy Efficiency Effort
The Obama Administration has announced a multi-agency funding opportunity to support an Energy Regional Innovation Cluster (E-RIC). This pilot initiative will spur regional economic growth while developing innovative energy efficient building technologies, designs, and systems. Seven federal agencies released a combined Funding Opportunity Announcement making up to $129.7 million available over five years to support the cluster.  . Click here for more information.


HUD Secretary Donovan Announces New Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
During a sustainability forum (February 4) at Portland State University and a speech to the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Seattle, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the launch of HUD’s new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC). The office will be overseen by HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims who won national recognition for turning King County, Washington into a model for sustainable communities. OSHC is designed to help build stronger, more sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy. Funded by Congress for the first time in HUD’s 2010 Budget, OSHC is a key component of the Obama Administration’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities.  Click here for the full article.

  Dave Rivkin and Phil Lewis are Project Directors at the National Center for O*NET Development. 



Recently, we held a webinar featuring the O*NET Report, "Greening the World of Work: Implications for O*NET SOC and New and Emerging Occupations." The webinar generated a number of questions. Today’s blog features some questions and answers from the webinar. Future blogs (Fridays throughout March) will feature other questions and answers from the O*NET webinar. If you have additional questions, please add them to the comments section and we will try to answer them on future blogs.

1.    What is required to secure a “green occupation” status?
In our research on the green economy, we captured three types of green occupations: Green Increased Demand, Green Enhanced Skills, and Green New and Emerging (N&E) occupations. The definitions of these three categories of green occupations are provided below:

Green Increased Demand Occupations: The impact of green economy activities and technologies is an increase in the employment demand for an existing occupation. However, this impact does not entail significant changes in the work and worker requirements of the occupation. The work context may change, but the tasks themselves do not.

Green Enhanced Skills Occupations: The impact of green economy activities and technologies results in a significant change to the work and worker requirements of an existing O*NET-SOC occupation. This impact may or may not result in an increase in employment demand for the occupation. The essential purposes of the occupation remain the same, but tasks, skills, knowledge, and external elements, such as credentials, have been altered.

Green New and Emerging Occupations: The impact of green economy activities and technologies is sufficient to create the need for unique work and worker requirements, which results in the generation of a new occupation relative to the O*NET taxonomy. This new occupation could be entirely novel or "born" from an existing occupation.

For a complete guide of our definition of the green economy and how we researched green occupations, see our Greening of the World of Work Report.


2.    Are all 159 new and emerging (N&E) occupations green, or only some of them?
Out of a total of 159 new and emerging (N&E) occupations, 78 of them are green. Note there are also 13 waitlisted green N&E occupations.


3.    Where can we find a list of the 13 waitlisted (non-published) green new and emerging (N&E) occupations?
The 13 waitlisted occupations can be found in the list of green new and emerging (N&E) occupations on the O*NET Resource Center site. Those occupations with an “n/a” for the O*NET-SOC 2009 code represent the 13 waitlisted green N&E occupations. The 13 occupations received a “waitlist” status because the occupation is so new that employment and/or projected growth numbers are uncertain at this time. We will re-visit these 13 occupations in the future to determine if sufficient employment and projected growth numbers are present to recommend them as occupations to be included in the O*NET-SOC taxonomy.


4.    Early in the presentation, it was stated that 33 green new and emerging (N&E) occupations were identified; but later it was stated that 91 green N&E occupations were identified. Please clarify.
Thirty-three green new and emerging (N&E) occupations were identified out of our research on the green economy. In addition to these 33 occupations, we identified 13 waitlisted occupations out of our research on the green economy, for a total of 46 green N&E occupations. In addition, 45 existing N&E occupations previously identified through research on in-demand industry clusters were found to qualify as green N&E occupations. Therefore, in total, 91 (46 green economy 45 previously identified N&E occupations) occupations are included as being green N&E occupations.


5.    Can green be integrated with other emerging industries (e.g., energy)?
Yes, in fact, half of our list of green new and emerging (N&E) occupations were previously identified in other in-demand industries (such as the energy and automotive industries). For a complete list of green N&E occupations, including those covering other industries, please see our link on the O*NET Resource Center site.


6.    How do we access the 91 green new and emerging (N&E) occupations?
The 91 green new and emerging (N&E) occupations can be accessed in a number of places: in our Greening of the World of Work report, on the O*NET Resource Center site, and in O*NET OnLine.


7.    Is there a list or identifier that differentiates “regular” skills from green enhanced skills in the task statements for an occupation?
Our definition of “green enhanced skills” occupations are occupations where the essential purpose of the occupation remains the same, but tasks, skills, knowledge, and external elements, such as credentials, have been altered due to the impact of green economy activities and technologies.

We are currently updating our task lists for green enhanced skills occupations and green new and emerging (N&E) occupations to reflect new green tasks. Once this project is complete, we will add a green identifier to occupational tasks that are considered green.


8.    Were any green jobs identified from association partners?
We used associations both directly and indirectly while researching the green economy. As an example of indirect use, some reports we gathered information from about the green economy cited numerous associations they used as primary sources of information (making them secondary sources for us).  We directly used a number of association resources in compiling a list of proposed new and emerging (N&E) occupations to help us gain information about types of green occupations, employment numbers, industry trends, projected growth, and training and association membership. We also referenced a number of our 450 partner associations for information on the green economy.  In our ongoing research on the green economy, we will continue to research associations related to green economic activities and technologies to identify potential new green occupations.


9.    Many organizations are interested in competencies for green occupations; however some of the O*NET occupations do not yet have KSAs. What is the time frame for getting information for KSAs on green occupations?
All green increased demand and green enhanced skills occupations have KSA data available. For green new and emerging (N&E) occupations, we will have 15 occupations that will have KSA data by June 2010. Data collection efforts are ongoing and we will have KSA data available for all green occupations in the future.


10.    Why was an “Education” sector not included as green if a teacher teaches deconstruction, for example?
When conducting our initial research on the green economy, we reviewed existing lists of major green economy sectors. The 12 sectors that were chosen for inclusion in our report of the green economy were chosen based on those areas typically discussed in green economy literature. At the time of our research, the education sector was not prevalent enough for inclusion; however, we will consider additional sectors in our ongoing research on the green economy.


11.    Have you included any water/wastewater management occupations?
Yes, we have a couple of green new and emerging (N&E) occupations related to water and wastewater: 17-2051.02 Water/Wastewater Engineers and 11-9121.02 Water Resource Specialists. We also have a green enhanced skills occupation related to water: 19-1031.01 Soil and Water Conservationists. As we continue our research on the green economy, more occupations may be added to the list in the future.


12.    Energy Auditors, Raters, etc. are called many different names. Also, the required education and certification can be confusing. Since there are projected massive retrofits, will this category by more clearly highlighted and discussed?
We have a number of green new and emerging (N&E) occupations related to energy: Energy Auditors, Energy Engineers, Energy Brokers, and numerous Wind and Solar Energy occupations. As we continue to monitor the green economy, we may include more energy occupations.

Please see our Greening of the World of Work report and green economy information on the O*NET Resource Center site for more information and lists of all green N&E occupations.

Check back next Friday for additional answers to questions from the O*NET webinar.

Recovering the Region 5 economy

Don't miss the opportunity to connect with Heartland 2010 presenters and participants!

We will be posting many of our upcoming Conference sessions. Share your ideas and best practices, post your comments and help build an interactive learning community.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA) Region 5, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Employment and Training Association (GLETA), is hosting the Heartland Conference to be held April 7-9, 2010 in Chicago, IL at the downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel.

What is the Heartland Conference?
The Heartland Conference is a comprehensive technical assistance and training event to support reemployment and economic growth in the Midwest through the exchange of innovative ideas and practices; the display of cutting-edge tools and technology; and the sharing and analysis of the latest information from the Administration. Sessions, guest speakers, and activities have been developed to assist the workforce system in improving customer services and improving program performance.  Today’s economy presents the workforce and economic development world with challenges it has not faced in decades. This event will present a wide array of strategies to assist with meeting and overcoming today’s challenges. It will provide a forum for partnering and networking with leaders from all facets of workforce and economic development.

Green Related Workshop (feel free to ask questions specific to the workshop):
Forming Partnerships in a Green World 
(DOL- ETA, Institute for Career Development, OAI, Inc., McClean County YouthBuild)

With the introduction of green job investments across the region, workforce investment boards and their partners have been charged with redefining existing partnerships and forming new ones.  This session will provide an overview of DOLETA green investments in the region and will provide the audience with knowledge that will allow them to form partnerships among education, workforce and green industry to improve customer service and performance.  Three DOLETA Grren Job Initiative grantees will discuss innovative ways to forge new relationships and identify challenges and successes in green job training.


STAY TUNED, TAKE PART IN THE DISCUSSION & REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE TODAY!

Karen Hornstein Shapiro is a Program Analyst in the Women’s Bureau’s national office.  She is currently the team lead for “A Woman’s Guide to Green Jobs,” a publication being created to provide women workers and workforce professionals with resources and information on how women can take advantage of opportunities in the green economy.

Based on yesterday's question: what needs to be done to encourage women to enter these fields?--The Women’s Bureau decided to ask its constituents.

In a series of nationwide roundtable discussions, we asked over 1,200 participants including federal, state and local officials, women business owners, union leaders, tradeswomen and other women’s organizations, educators, green industry representatives, and workforce development professionals.  We learned a lot from these events – ideas like how important it is for interested women to have mentors and role models, linking training programs with employment, and educating women on all kinds of jobs available – “blue-collar,” white-collar” and entrepreneurship opportunities.  We heard that if we don’t outreach and market green jobs to women, they aren’t likely to consider them as job options.

As a result of these roundtables, the Bureau developed nine green training projects around the country and we’re also in the process of developing “A Woman’s Guide to Green Jobs.”  Keep an eye on the Women’s Bureau’s website for more information about the green guide soon.

If you are interested in learning more about green jobs for women visit our website for our upcoming teleconference on March 15 from 12:00-1:30 PM EST on “Why is Green Good for Women?”

Karen Hornstein Shapiro is a Program Analyst in the Women’s Bureau’s national office.  She is currently the team lead for “A Woman’s Guide to Green Jobs,” a publication being created to provide women workers and workforce professionals with resources and information on how women can take advantage of opportunities in the green economy.

When government first started talking about green jobs about a year ago, my first thought was – what exactly is a green job?   And since I work for the Women’s Bureau, my second thought was – are green jobs good for women?  Since March is Women’s History Month, we thought it would be a good time to share some of what’s going on with women and green jobs.

The first question has been a tough one to answer, but you see a lot of references on this site, like the Occupational Information Network’s (O*NET) research on the green economy, Greening of the World of Work: Implications for O*NET-SOC and New and Emerging Occupations.

You may be asking why there needs to be a specific focus on women and green jobs, which is a fair question.  Secretary Solis and the Women’s Bureau believe that it’s important to help create good jobs for all women.  Many green jobs pay well, such as environmental engineering technicians and those in green construction.  But plenty of these are also considered nontraditional for women, meaning there are less than 25% women in them.  Good green jobs also allow workers to start at different skill levels and offer opportunities for advancement.  With women now representing almost 50% of the workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the real question becomes - what needs to be done to encourage women to enter these fields?  What are your thoughts? Please comment below.

Here are some new resources available on the Green CoP:

New Mexico Green Jobs Cabinet Report

New Mexico has released the Green Jobs Cabinet Report which identified five major goals necessary for maximizing the state’s green economy potential, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and green workforce education. The Governor also issued an executive order which directs state agencies to help meet these goals. For example, the Department of Workforce Solutions will be asked to convene a Green Industry Council to help establish curricula in the public education system, among other tasks. The governor has also announced the release of a Green Jobs Guidebook, which provides information on green careers, education requirements and opportunities as well as other resources for those seeking green economy jobs.

Mapping Green Career Pathways: Job Training Opportunities and Infrastructure
The Apollo Alliance and the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce have teamed up to identify components of Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin's workforce development infrastructure that can be better integrated and scaled up to help fill jobs in the clean energy sector. The reports, Mapping Green Career Pathways: Job Training Opportunities and Infrastructure, recommend strengthening existing training infrastructures to build workers’ skills to fill green-collar jobs that are being created in the construction and manufacturing sectors, which are projected to account for 55 percent of all new jobs in the emerging renewable energy and efficiency industries. According to the reports, many of the elements of a green training infrastructure already exist in each state, but there are still gaps along the green career pathway that must be filled through stronger, more integrated training programs.

This blog is from Jane Weissman who has been the Executive Director of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) since 1994.  IREC is a nonprofit organization celebrating its 28th anniversary.  IREC is the North American Licensee for the ISPQ Accreditation of Renewable Energy Training Programs and the Certification of Trainers. 

Many of us who have been in the trenches pushing hard for clean and renewable energy resources might have finally gotten what we've wished for.  Public and political will are supportive of a "green" economy.  New companies and organizations are fast to enter the market.  There is anticipation of many new green jobs.  Enrollment for green training is at an all-time high.  Great.  Now, let's not jump off a cliff in our rush to train the green workforce.

We need to move quickly but with caution, efficiency and attention to detail.

We held the third national conference on Workforce Education for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency two months ago in Albany.  Large crowd.  High energy.  We heard from community colleges, skill centers, training organizations, the trades, and other educational providers.  We came away with some clear themes and challenges.  There needs to be a reasonable  balance between training  and job opportunities -- let's not glut the market with trained practitioners but few jobs.  Critical to success are regular interactions between employers and training providers  -- let's make sure we're teaching the courses for the jobs that are out there.  More instructors are needed -- those who are good teachers with practical experience.  Train-the-trainer programs are gaining traction while hands-on training needs more time at the job site.  And, quality assurance and competency standards are the underpinning for a strong, green workforce.

This last point is really important.  Third-party verification through licensing and well-developed credentialing schemes provide objective assurances of competency.  With the proliferation of training programs, there needs to be guarantees that the right skill sets are being taught.  Poor workmanship becomes a safety issue and erodes consumer confidence.  Students should have a realistic understanding of what kinds of jobs they are being trained for and what additional  jurisdictional requirements they might need.

The planets are pretty much aligned -- public support, good policies, funding sources, and momentum.  Moving forward, how do we make sure that the green economy doesn't get a black eye?

Recently, a webinar was held, featuring the O*NET Report, "Greening the World of Work: Implications for O*NET SOC and New and Emerging Occupations." This Webinar highlights findings from the O*NET Program's report Greening the World of Work: Implications for O*NET- SOC and New and Emerging Occupations. The report describes the O*NET program's efforts to define the green economy; describe green industry sectors and identify different types of green occupations including green new and emerging occupations. The Webinar also presents how this new green information has been incorporated into O*NET products and tools to help workforce development professionals, educators, and individuals learn about and use the most current information on the green economy and green occupations.

Here are some links to the materials:

O*NET Report

O*NET Report Webinar

Discussion thread about the Report and Webinar

O*NET Online

This is a blog written by Kerry L. Smyser, Redevelopment Project Manager for DCHA, Office of Planning & Development.

In March 2008 the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) was notified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that its application for a HOPE VI grant to revitalize the former public housing site, Sheridan Terrace (renamed Sheridan Station), located in Washington DC’s Ward 8 community, was  accepted.

At the time of its application, DCHA stated the project would meet all of the Enterprise Green Community standards and would seek, if feasible, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. DCHA also committed to construct 344 units of which 229 will be affordable (rental and homeownership).  As the project began seeking financing commitments, the credit market changed drastically and cast doubt on our ability to complete the project as originally intended – an energy efficient and green housing community.  It was at this time that HUD announced a competitive process for constructing energy efficient and green sustainable projects.  DCHA was confident that Sheridan Station was such a project and submitted an application.  In September 2009 HUD awarded a $5.8 million grant for Sheridan Station Phase I (104 unit multi-family building and 10 single-family rental units).

DCHA is working with the community to establish a Community Benefits and Labor Agreement.  The goal of all parties involved is to secure careers in construction, not just a job on this project, for former residents of Sheridan Terrace as well as residents of Ward 8.  Currently, DCHA is working with the Brick & Allied Crafts Local Union 1 to provide weatherization and green training at their international training center in Bowie, MD.

Through its Community and Supportive Services Program (CSSP) provider, Wheeler Creek, DCHA works closely with the District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services (DOES).  The DOES provides job training, resume building and placement services for residents.  DCHA is committed to providing 75 Section 3 positions in the HOPE VI application and expects to meet the goal. 

Under the current system for hiring District residents at Sheridan Station, the developer notifies DCHA and Wheeler Creek a position is available.  Wheeler Creek then contacts qualified former residents of Sheridan Station, (those qualified by previous job experience or training); if there are no qualified former residents then Wheeler Creek will look for qualified applicants in other HOPE VI projects.  If Wheeler Creek can not find a qualified applicant, DCHA will then look through its pool of qualified residents and make a referral; if no referral is made from the DCHA pool the sub-contractor can then reach out to DOES.

Phase I of Sheridan Station is scheduled to break ground in April 2010.  It is expected that all positions required by sub-contractors will be identified by the end of February 2010 and we can then begin to work with Wheeler Creek and the community to hire former residents and residents of Ward 8 to work on the project.  

In subsequent blogs, we will hear from staff at the District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services (DOES) and receive periodic updates on the efforts to “green” Sheridan Station and the interaction between the housing authority and employment services as they work together to recruit, train and place residents in good, sustainable jobs.