Workforce Training: Credentials, Pathways and Pipelines to the Green Economy

This is a link to presentations from a workshop given at the "Good Jobs, Green Jobs" National Conference in Washington, DC, in February 2009. Building a green country requires building a skilled workforce. What does that look like in practice? Developing skills standards for green-collar jobs will benefit workers, employers and consumers alike. For workers, a credential provides mobility and bargaining power, and thus higher wages, in the labor market. For employers, it provides assurance that job applicants meet necessary skill standards. And for consumers, it provides critical information for contracting decisions. This panel addresses successes and challenges for certification and training in the emerging clean-energy economy, where most workers will need more than a high-school diploma, but less than a 4-year degree.

Moderator: Sarah White, Senior Associate, Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Speakers: Marcy Drummond, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Los Angeles Trade-Tech College (LATTC)
Alan Hardcastle, Senior Research Associate, Washington State University
Tom Gannon, Manfucturing Field Specialist, Working for America Institute
Jane Weissman, Executive Director, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (NY)