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by Barry R. Sedlik
In the 1967 movie, The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman is told by his
would be father-in-law that the future is "plastics." Since that time,
many industries, including electronics, computers, biotech, digital media,
financial services, and of course the dot.com start-ups, were all touted
as providing the up and coming wave of economic growth and sources of good
paying jobs.
Today "green jobs" is the new shibboleth. But more than any of the
previous hot prospects, the pressure for green jobs to take root is
immense. The anticipated explosion of green jobs is expected to ameliorate
global warming, facilitate a transition to renewable energy, clean up the
environment, and make schools and public buildings more energy efficient.
As if that isn't enough, green jobs are also expected to provide a huge
contribution to relieve the country's current economic malaise. Putting
first time workers into new jobs and legions of recently laid off workers
back onto payrolls is at the core of the economic stimulus package.
But that's not all. On top of all these expectations, green jobs are
touted as a means to fill the niche left vacant by a declining
manufacturing base to provide a path to the middle class. Community
colleges, occupational specialists, and high tech green companies are
expected to chisel a wide range of career ladders to sustainable and
good-paying careers.
With all these pressures and expectations, is it possible for green jobs
to deliver? And by the way, what is a green job and how do I get one?
With regards to the first question, the obvious answer is, "it
depends." And it depends on a lot of things happening with unprecedented
coordination – a challenge akin to putting a man on the moon, but only
harder. Nonetheless, this daunting challenge just may be achievable.
Fortunately, we're not starting from scratch. While the nation at large
and Washington politicos are attempting to figure out what exactly is a
green job, California (as usual) is well ahead of the game.
Due to the outstanding civic entrepreneurship of venture capitalist and
philanthropist, F. Noel Perry and the
Green Innovation Index compiled by his
organization, Next 10, we now know that California is already home to more
than 100,000 green jobs, and has at least 9,000 green technology
companies. In addition, the
Cleantech Group reports that investment in green technology
firms surpassed $8.4 billion in 2008 at a time when the growth in venture
funding for most other sectors was in retreat.
Who are these companies which generate green jobs? They run the gamut from
composite material firms producing strong and lightweight wind turbine
blades to companies attempting to coax fuel from algae. In the Green
Innovation Index, the wide range of firms under the green technology
banner span 15 industry segments.
But even Mr. Perry is the first to admit that this list is incomplete.
Other research underway by the State of California's Employment
Development Department (EDD) will soon be reporting the results of its
survey of 50,000 employers in the ongoing quest to firm the illusive
definition of green companies and the occupations upon which they rely.
While all of this is good news, policy makers and elected officials at the
federal, state, and local levels, in conjunction with community colleges,
other education providers and the private sector, need to work together to
make sure that in the zeal to accelerate the pace of green collar job
deployment, it is not stifled instead.
In this time of economic turmoil, many would argue that any job that
provides a paycheck is a good job. That is probably true. Nonetheless, we
have an unprecedented opportunity to do way more than equip armies of
teenagers with caulking guns to plug cracks in drafty schools and public
buildings.
Already, California's Community College system operates a series of
advanced technology training programs ranging from alternative fueled
vehicle maintenance technicians to wind energy turbine installers. The
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local Union 11
offers
apprenticeships for solar photovoltaic
installers and service technicians. The list goes on.
The key principle that we must keep in mind is that we have an opportunity
not matched since the Apollo days to excite a generation of youth about
jobs and careers that can make a difference to their communities and to
the planet at large. While the economic stimulus package will create caulk
gun regiments around the nation, we not only have the opportunity, but the
responsibility, not to disappoint all those with new green collars.
We need to synchronize our training institutions to work hand-in-glove
with the private sector to achieve a Goldilocks pace of freshly minted
green collar workers with the ability of the private sector to absorb
them: too slow and companies can't reach their growth potential; too fast
and many will grow frustrated.
In the near-term, as the infrastructure and energy efficiency elements of
the economic stimulus package work into real projects, states and local
governments must do more than expedite contracts that result from the
availability of funds. Working together with community colleges,
apprenticeship programs, and the private sector, all must be prepared to
address what comes next after the money is spent.
We have an unprecedented opportunity to meet and exceed the expectations
that the country has placed on the role of green collar jobs in our
economy. We must not squander it.
Barry Sedlik is President of California Business Ventures and Chair of the
newly-created California Green Collar Jobs Council.
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