Transcript What is going on with growing this green economy?

Climate Change, Green Jobs What are the Connections for
Adult Learners and
ABE/GED/ESOL Programs?
Alex Risley Schroeder, Finding Earth Works, 2008
“Occasionally something different happens,
a collective awakening to new possibilities
that changes everything over time – how
people see the world, what they value,
how society defines progress and
organizes itself, and how institutions
operate. The Renaissance was such a
shift, as was the Industrial Revolution. So,
too, is what is starting to happen around
the world today.”
Peter Senge, The Necessary Revolution
Finding Earth Works,
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Three points today:
1. Something is happening that is more
than green jobs – it’s a big opportunity
2. Green jobs can happen and ABE
students need to be ready – there’s a
‘green edge’
3. ABE programs have a key role to play –
its an invitation, we’ll be part of making it
happen
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The New Dream – The
Third Wave of
Environmentalism
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Green For All
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So what’s going on with
the climate?
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What is our energy
situation today?
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How’s our economy
doing?
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What are ‘green’ jobs?
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Apollo Alliance’s definition:
Green-collar jobs are well paid, career track jobs
that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing
environmental quality.
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range from low-skill, entry-level positions to
high-skill, higher-paid jobs
include opportunities for advancement in both
skills and wages.
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Green-Collar Jobs…
• Rebuild a strong middle class
• Provide pathways out of poverty
• Require some new skills (and some new
thinking about old skills)
• Tend to be local jobs
• Strengthen urban and rural communities
• Protect our health and the health of the
planet
definition from Green For All
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CA definition of green jobs
Green or clean is any activity or service that
performs at least one of the following:
• Generating renewable energy
• Recycling existing materials
• Energy efficient product manufacturing,
construction, installation, and maintenance
• Education, compliance and awareness
• Natural and sustainable product
manufacturing
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Industry sectors
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Energy
Construction
Transportation
Material waste / Recycling /Deconstruction
Toxicity
Food / Agriculture
Water
Local production
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Job Projections
MA Clean Energy Sector:
• 14,400 jobs in clean energy cluster
• Now 10th largest industry in the state
• Surveyed executives expect 30% job
growth in renewable energy firms and 25%
for energy efficiency firms over the next
year.
Mass Clean Energy Industry Census Report, August 2007, Mass
Technology Collaborative
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U.S. Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Industries in 2030
Source: Management Information Services, Inc. and American Solar Energy
Society, 2008.
Revenues
(Billions of 2006 Dollars)
Total Jobs Created
(Direct Plus Indirect –
Thousands)
Base
Case
Moderate
Scenario
Advanced Base
Scenario Case
Moderate
Scenario
Advanced
Scenario
RE
$98
$212
$560
1,305
3,138
7,918
EE
$1,818
$2,152
$3,933
14,953
17,825
32,185
Total
$1,913
$2,379
$4,530
16,258
20,963
40,103
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Industry greening potential and
future job potential
Following sectors have both excellent ‘greening
potential’ and excellent long-term green job creation
potential:
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Renewable energy
Mass transit / rail
Green buildings
Energy retrofit
Lighting retrofit
Recycling
Small scale agriculture / organic production
Sustainable forest management
Green Jobs report, UNEP, Sept 2008
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“We have to seriously look at fundamentally
rebuilding the economy. You’ve got to use
this moment to retrain for jobs.”
Andrew Stettner, National Employment Law Project
• Stimulus bill includes $4.5 billion for job
training
• “In current dollars, the nation devoted the
equivalent of $20 billion to job training in
1979, compared with only $6 billion last
year.”
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Impact of the Stimulus Package
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Funding for job training in clean energy
and energy efficiency industries
Incentives to support the growth of clean
energy industries
Investments in clean energy industries
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What kinds of jobs?
There will be some new jobs
others will be refocused
Pollin, Green Recovery
Identified jobs in
• Building retrofit
• Mass Transit/Freight Rail
• Smart Grid
• Wind and Solar
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Retrofitting
These include:
• insulation
• air sealing
• lighting
• window replacement,
boiler and HVAC
system replacement
• energy audit/analyst
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Renewable energy
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Solar power
Wind power
Hydropower
Biomass
Geothermal power
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Installers
Maintainers
Designers
Manufacturing –
machining, sheet
metal, lab tech
• Power plant operators
• Research and
development
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R. Pinderhughes green jobs case study
Identified 22 jobs with low bars to entry in
the Bay Area, CA
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Building a competitive and
equitable green economy
means investing in the
backbone of America’s labor
force: workers with more than
high school, but less than a
four-year degree.
Green Collar Jobs in America’s Cities
…the new energy economy will
be built and sustained by
middle-skill workers in
traditional occupations.
Green Collar Jobs in America’s Cities
Sure specific skills are needed, but
• Readiness to work
• Basic skills in math, writing,
communication, and analysis
• Facility with computers
• Concern about the environment and the
community
• Ability to communicate technically and
plainly with customers
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to change
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And,
• There is a premium on understanding the
situation, systems thinking, making
connections
• Because this is a watershed time in our
global economy/structure, a lot isn’t yet
known
• Key is being ready
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Given this, what is the big
opportunity for abe/esol/ged
learners?
To understand the ‘real’ real world
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environment
society
economy
society
economy
environment
How we have seen the world
quote: E.O. Wilson
The ‘real’ real world
graphic: Senge, The Necessary Revolution
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It fits across the curriculum
Social
justice
Economic
justice
GREEN
ECONOM
Y
Environmental
justice
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Science and Math
• What is the carbon cycle? Why do we care
about it, especially right now?
• What is climate change? Peak oil?
• World geography – what is happening now
as a result of climate change?
• Energy usage calculations, gas mileage,
energy cost comparisons
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Individual Preparedness
• Practical preparedness
– Determining appropriate energy,
resource conservation strategies
– Being an informed consumer of
products and information
• Emotional preparedness
– Dealing with uncertainty, fear, grief
– Helping others
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Work Readiness / Career Prep
• Being work ready
• Knowledge of how the economy is
changing
• Understanding local green industries
• Understanding training and advancement
possibilities
• Being able to articulate the importance of
‘green’ work
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Civics and Community
Preparedness
• Understanding community solutions, like
local energy production
• Building collaborative responses
• Advocacy and activism with elected
officials
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What are some jobs?
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Industry greening potential and
future job potential
Following sectors have both excellent ‘greening
potential’ and excellent long-term green job creation
potential:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Renewable energy
Mass transit / rail
Green buildings
Energy retrofit
Lighting retrofit
Recycling
Small scale agriculture / organic production
Sustainable forest management
Green Jobs report, UNEP, Sept 2008
Finding Earth Works,
findingearthworks.org
Small group questions
• Is this job attainable for your students?
• What are the curricular gaps you could fill?
• Can you think of a local employer in this
field?
• Can you think of a local training entity that
you might partner with to better prepare
students?
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What kinds of knowledge
and skills are needed?
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Examples of training
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Greenfield Community College
Cape Cod Community College
Other CCs
Other training programs/vendors
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Standards & Certifications
Energy Efficiency
• BPI – Building Performance Institute
• HERS Rater
Solar Energy
• NABCEP
Others…
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Activities and resources
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What can learners do…
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Gain a ‘green edge’
Be ready for (coming) jobs
Be ready for training and certification
Help address environmental challenges
Finding Earth Works,
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What can programs do…
• Integrate the ‘real’ real world into curricula
• Teach systems thinking
• Articulate and build partnerships for
training and employment
• Help address environmental challenges
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What can help grow this economy?
• National and state policy and regulation
• Municipal policy and regulation; municipal
purchasing
• Industry investment
• Market demand
• Citizen education and activism and
advocacy
Finding Earth Works,
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MA picture
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Green Jobs bill – Pathways out of Poverty
NE Clean Energy Council
Mass Technology Collaborative
Clean Tech Agenda
Community energy committees
Massachusetts Workforce Alliance
Mass Green Jobs Coalition
Mass Climate Action Network
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Questions programs need to ask
• How do we bring an understanding of the
real ‘real’ world into curricula?
• How can we build connections to training
for learners?
• What other ways can we support students
to get a ‘green edge’?
Finding Earth Works,
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Finding Earth Works
• Staff training on the green economy
• Workshops for students
• Facilitation for program/employer
partnerships
• Online resources –
www.findingearthworks.org
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