A report by Sarah White & Jason Walsh and the Center of Wisconsin Strategy, The Workforce Alliance and The Apollo Alliance called “Greener Pathways” is a 64-page report about “Jobs and Workforce Development in the Clean Energy Economy”. The report delves into three key industries in the world of green – Energy Efficiency, Wind, and the BioIndustry. The report is designed to serve as an assessment of employment opportunities in the three eco-friendly industries and what kind of skills are necessary for individuals looking to transition into the green energy workforce.

An article in Greenbiz.com reports that “Greener Pathways profiles some of the best examples in the nation where work is underway to develop green jobs, including green construction career development in California, Iowa’s biofuels job-training bonds, wind technician training in Oregon; and Pennsylvania’s green re-industrialization.”

But for those even remotely interested in eco-friendly alternative energies this report contains a treasure trove of great information. One of my favorites is a diagram on page 36 that shows a comparison chart of fuels that generate more energy than they consume. The diagram compares different ethanol fuels as well as biodiesels and energy sources derived from crude oil. An amazing read –

Download the FREE Report here.

Visit the COWS (Center of Wisconsin Strategy) site for more info and the report

Who is the Apollo Alliance? According to their website -

“The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of business, labor, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution in America to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, cut the carbon emissions that are destabilizing our climate, and expand opportunities for American businesses and workers.

Inspired by the vision and technological achievements of the Apollo space program, we promote policies and initiatives to speed investment in clean energy technology and energy efficiency, put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of well-paid, green collar jobs, and make America a global leader in clean energy products and services.”

Eco-Friendly & Fair Labor Clothing
http://www.sattlerclothing.com 

Joel Makower, Executive Editor over at Greenbuzz, wrote in a recent newsletter about the frustration many would be grads face when scouring the business world for companies that share their sense of eco and social responsibility. As the numbers of B.A.’s and M.B.A.’s interested in getting in geeting into the sustainability and social responsibility biz increase, supply is just not keeping up with demand. A recent Net Impact study found that to be exactly the case, so don’t feel so downhearted.

What to do? I think the answer is found in what every job seeker already knows – the vast majority of jobs are based on opportunity and who you know. So use something like LinkedIn to connect with like-minded and skilled professionals and then focus your energy on finding a job in an area that you like. So if accounting is your sun, moon, and stars then find a job in accounting and then if you aren’t shy about your eco and social values they will come to you to head up a “greening project” like so many companies are doing these days. They won’t hire you just because you are into the “green thing” but rather for whatever skill you bring and then later they may tap you for your “greenness”.

You will probably end up making your profession more green rather than having a green profession.

A really cool link to a Forbes page with reports on companies that are going green.                                                                                          Live in Florida? Check out the Green Business Partnership
Armand Rousso also has some interesting thoughts on jobs in sustainability.