The Residential Energy Efficiency Retrofit and Weatherization Industry is among the fastest-growing segments of the green collar workforce.
The following data is from the Austin Chamber of Commerce Green Job Task Force Initiative Report June 2009
According to Workforce Solutions ‐ Capital Area Workforce Board, green jobs are attractive for a number of reasons which have a broad appeal:
• They are good jobs offering good wages. Like blue‐collar jobs they offer an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen the nation’s middle class.
• Many green jobs require some level of post‐secondary education and/or training, but many also require less than a bachelor’s degree. They provide career pathways that can help lead low‐income individuals out of poverty and into self‐sufficiency as well as move our economy forward through convergence with our regional high tech industry sector to produce opportunities for those with advanced education.
• Green jobs are local jobs. They tend to be jobs that cannot be off‐shored which has happened to much of the country’s manufacturing sector.
• Green jobs contribute to preserving and protecting the environment and enhancing the quality of life in general.
There is currently a central Texas taskforce working to train/retrain up to 25,000 Central Texas residents for green jobs. To quantify what value these 25,000 jobs would have for the region, if an average weekly wage of $1158 is projected for 2016 (2008 weekly wage is $914 a year, and assuming a 3% per year increase) These 25,000 jobs would constitute a yearly payroll of $1.5B for the region.
12 different categories of jobs have been identified as possible as a result of the growing green industry:
• Grid Design and Modeling
• Network and Communication Engineers
• Professional Engineers – Large Scale industrial PV
• Design and Layout Technicians
• Solar Technicians
• Solar Installers
• Electric Grid Technicians
• Mechanics and Technicians
• Journeyman Trades Skills
• Accredited Trainers
• Certified Energy Auditors and Inspectors
• Sustainability Managers
• Solar Manufacturing
• Sales and Distribution
The following jobs have been identified as those most likely to grow as a result of the Green Industry
• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Carpenters
• HVAC Technicians/Installers
• Weatherization Technicians
• Building Inspectors/Energy Auditors
• Roofers
• Construction Managers
• Project Managers*
• Energy Analysts*
• PV Solar Installers/Technicians
• Welders
• Engineers (civil, electrical, and mechanical)*
• Engineering Technicians
• Instrumentation/Control Technicians
• Grid Design & Modeling Engineers*
• Power Plan Operators
• Electric Grid Technicians
• Power‐Line Installers & Repairers
• Manufacturing Technicians
• Maintenance & Repair Workers
*Indicates a job that requires a Bachelor’s degree or higher.
But before anyone can take advantage of these new jobs they must be trained in the latest Green Building science.
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