Going 'green'

Green jobs and energy-efficient technology were the topics of discussion at the 2011 Virginia Greenforce Community College Summit Wednesday.

About 90 professionals gathered at Germanna Community College’s Daniel Technology Center to learn how to prepare the workforce for new and existing green jobs.

Sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future, the daylong conference featured expert panelists who provided information about green job trends in Virginia, opportunities to “green” existing jobs and breakout work sessions where industry experts focused on the three key Greenforce areas:

» increase access and success rates of lower-skilled adult learners in community college workforce training programs

» create green career paths that lead to advancement opportunities

» develop innovative links between on-campus sustainability initiatives and workforce training

“For many years, we’ve had programs for higher education to try and get America’s campuses to be more energy efficient and have lower carbon footprints,” said Kevin Coyle, vice president of education and training for NWF. “Over the next 40 years, the world is going to move toward a much lower carbon footprint and in that movement we’re going to look at how do we reach 20 percent of the use of fossil fuels that we have or maybe less. We have to create a stronger foundation for green jobs in the United States.”

Coyle also stressed the important role community colleges play in educating students and preparing them for green jobs.

A recent $1 million grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation combined with a $250,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation helped launch this year’s summit as part of the national Greenforce Initiative.

“Community colleges across the country are at the forefront of green growth and innovation whether it’s addressing their own sustainability, developing new curricula to cultivate the green workforce or making their campus operations a classroom by integrating sustainability into education to prepare graduates for jobs in the renewable energy and low-carbon economy,” said Victor Branch, marketing manager for Bank of America.

Glenn DuBois, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, shared his vision with the crowd. He said to “practice it, teach it and prepare the workforce for green jobs.”

“It’s our responsibility to prepare workers to take these jobs in this green economy,” he said.

Driving green jobs

By 2 p.m., participants divided into four work sessions: Increasing energy efficiency (weatherization, auditing, HVAC); agriculture and natural resources conservation; producing renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal); and transportation (parts, batteries, logistics and shipping).

An energetic Terry McAuliffe, chairman of GreenTech Automotive Corp. entertained the audience Wednesday with his plans to build affordable green hybrid and electric vehicles in the United States. And to do this, he said he’ll need specifically trained workers to build energy efficient cars in his Tunica, Miss. plant, which he’s relocating from China.

“I need a workforce to continue in force and promise me that we’ll always have workers to work in these plants,” he said. “I’m trying to do something that’s very aggressive. I do think the future will be hybrids and electric vehicles.”

McAuliffe plans to produce the first of five models of cars by July 4.

Dubbed the neighborhood electric vehicle, the MyCar travels 70 to 80 miles before it needs recharging.

McAuliffe also pledges to sell the first 100,000 MyCars for $10,000 each, reminding folks to deduct another $1,000 via a federal tax credit.

“The motto of my company is ‘It’s not green, unless it’s affordable,’” McAuliffe said.

Described as a smidge larger than the Smart Car, the MyCar is designed for two people and local neighborhood driving.

In the future, McAuliffe also plans to produce an electric, subcompact, hybrid midsize and hybrid sports car.

Show me the numbers

Tim Kestner, research economist for the Virginia Employment Commission, came prepared with tons of data, presenting his figures on three oversized screens.

As expected, low-tech jobs such as construction and manufacturing plants have declined dramatically over the past 20 years.

In 1990, Kestner said, manufacturing jobs represented 14.8 percent of the workforce and in 2009 it dropped to 7 percent.

However, professional and technology services jobs were on the rise. In 1990, these jobs represented 6.2 percent and rose to 11 percent in 2009.

“Looking at these, you get a sense of the educational level needed for these particular occupations,” he said, pointing to health care, technology and education as the jobs of the future.

Akua Gyabaah, senior associate of workforce investment and innovations with ICF International, shared recent data from a preliminary Mid-Atlantic Regional Collaboration survey where 35,000 organizations in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia were asked about green jobs, education and training opportunities.

Of the 235,600 jobs in the region, she said, about 8 to 9 percent already provide green jobs.