The San Francisco Chronicle
Published: February 10, 2009
Green jobs, we're told, will save America. President Obama wants to create millions of jobs for people installing solar panels, brewing up biofuels or making homes more energy efficient. Those jobs, he hopes, will help lift the country out of recession and fight global warming at the same time. But what green jobs are available now? And how do you find them?
Here are some places to start.
Want a job installing solar panels? Several Bay Area community colleges and workforce development programs offer training. Green building techniques? Community colleges and labor union apprenticeship programs may help. Even if you have some construction experience, a little classroom training could increase your chances of landing a job.
"My rule of thumb is the people who take those classes and put those on a resume almost always get an interview," said Brian von Moos, director of business development for Borrego Solar, which has offices in Berkeley, Petaluma, San Francisco and San Jose.
And remember: Green companies have been hurt by the recession like everyone else. But there are jobs out there, said Timothy O'Connor, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund who wrote the Green Jobs Guidebook. To read the guidebook, which profiles more than 200 green jobs in California and lists training programs, go to www.edf.org/cagreenjobs.
"We've really been seeing tremendous growth in the green economy," O'Connor said, "and that translates into jobs that are available right now."
In 2007, California had roughly 105,000 green jobs, covering everything from engineers developing alternative fuels to people working in recycling plants.
Green jobs can be highly technical, requiring advanced degrees, or geared more toward manual labor. Here are a few listed in the Environmental Defense Fund's Green Jobs Guidebook.
Solar residential installation electrician:
Description: Responsible for hardwiring solar energy systems to the power grid.
Salary: $17 to $31 per hour.
Experience needed: Entry-level to midlevel, with electrician experience.
Education: Associate's degree, trade school or apprenticeship.
Residential energy field auditor
Description: Conduct home energy audits and recommend improvements to homeowners.
Salary: $12 to $14 per hour.
Experience needed: Entry to midlevel.
Education: Bachelor's degree preferred, with courses in environmental studies, energy management, auditing.
Wind field service technician
Description: Perform status checks on wind turbines and repair the problems.
Salary: $22 to $26 per hour.
Experience needed: Midlevel.
Education: Apprenticeship or trade school, with courses in metal work, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering.
Geothermal operations engineer
Description: Collect and process information on geothermal field and plant performance, diagnose problems with geothermal wells.
Salary: $70,000 to $80,000 per year.
Experience needed: High level, with background in geothermal resource engineering or petroleum engineering.
Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, with courses in resource engineering, petroleum engineering, computer programming.
Oakland Green Jobs Corps
Provides training and internships in green construction, energy efficiency and solar panel installation.
Solar Richmond
Provides solar installation training and internships with solar companies.
San Francisco Electrical Apprenticeship
A cooperative effort of the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Provides electrician training and experience.
For original article, click here.