Launch of Green-Collar Jobs How-To Guide

We are proud to announce the release of our new publication, Green-Collar Jobs in America’s Cities: Building Pathways out of Poverty and Careers in the Clean Energy Economy. Co-Authored by Green For All, the Apollo Alliance, Center for American Progress, and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, this how-to guide lays out clear steps for creating comprehensive green-collar job strategies at the local level. It also profiles some of the great work already underway around the country.

"Green-collar jobs mean standing up for people and for the planet"
A post by Van Jones offering a comprehensive definition of "green-collar jobs".

Community Jobs in the Green Economy, by Kate Gordon, Jeremy Hays, Leon Sompolinsky, Elizabeth Tan and Jackie Tsou (Apollo Alliance and Urban Habitat: May 2007).
The Apollo Alliance and Urban Habitat collaborated to produce this report, which provides examples of green-collar jobs and a framework for a wide range of audiences (from labor representatives to city managers) for creating high-quality, green jobs, especially in low-income communities and communities of color.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Green Jobs Act of 2007
A brief overview of the Green Jobs Act produced by Apollo Alliance, The Workforce Alliance, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Green for All and others.

Green Jobs Act of 2007
Full text of the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which is officially Title X of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 [aka "the Energy Bill"] that was passed by Congress and signed by the President in December of 2007. The bill authorizes $125 million per year for an energy efficiency and renewable energy worker training program, including $80 million for labor-management training programs, $20 million for labor market research, and $25 million for a "Pathways Out of Poverty" program. Here is a link to the entire Energy Bill)

GUIDANCE, REPORTS, RESEARCH, ANALYSIS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

Listed by date of publication:

Available March 13, 2008: Local Green-Collar Jobs: Pathways out of Poverty, Careers in the Clean Energy Economy.
Produced by Apollo Alliance, Green for All, Center for American Progress, and Center on Wisconsin Strategy.

Coming in March: Greener Pathways: Workforce Development in the New Energy Economy, by COWS, The Workforce Alliance and Apollo Alliance.

An Analysis of the Capacity of Green Businesses to Provide High Quality Jobs for Men and Women with Barriers to Employment: A Case Study of Berkeley, California, by Raquel Pinderhughes. (City of Berkeley Office of Energy and Sustainable Development: November 2007
This unique study involved extensive interviews with green-collar employers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The report explores the potential for green collar jobs to provide low-income men and women with high-quality, community serving jobs in the fast expanding green sector. The City of Berkeley commissioned the report. Raquel Pinderhughes is a professor of Urban Studies at San Francisco State University.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Economic Drivers for the 21st Century, by Roger Bezdek. (American Solar Energy Society: November 2007).
Report on a comprehensive study by the American Solar Energy Society on the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. Includes definitions of the industries, estimates on size and composition, and a forecast of the industries' growth to 2030 under three scenarios. Discusses potential for great economic benefit assuming support for growth of these sectors in regulations and policy.

Seizing the Opportunity (For Climate, Jobs and Equity) in Building Energy Efficiency, by Joel Rogers. (November 2007)
Buildings consume a larger share of energy than cars or industry and are responsible for more GHG emissions. They're also grossly inefficient. So why not make them more efficient, and get the capital needed to do so from those expected savings? People have had this thought for a long time. This paper explains why it hasn't happened yet, and how to fix that.. Joel Rogers is Professor of Law, Political Science and Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, director of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy and the Center for State Innovation.

Growing Green Collar Jobs: Energy Efficiency, by Jack Dafoe. (Urban Agenda/NY Apollo Alliance: October 2007)
The first in a series of reports prepared by Urban Agenda for New York City Apollo Alliance on green-collar jobs as pathways out of poverty and toward a greener city. This report focuses on improving energy efficiency in existing buildings, "one of the largest, fastest growing, and most promising green sectors for New York City."

DC Green Collar Jobs Initiative, by Bracken Hendricks and Benjamin Goldstein. (Center for American Progress: October 2007)
The Center for American Progress is supporting a green-collar jobs initiative in Washington D.C. and developed this piece as guidance and background for policy makers.

Summary of Research on the Job Creating Potential of Renewable Energy, by Aaron Lehmer (Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: October 2007)
A brief summary of recent research compiled by Aaron Lehmer of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, showing how renewable energy creates more jobs than fossil fuels.

Information on the Oakland Green Jobs Corps (Oakland Apollo Alliance: June 2007)
A four-page concept paper outlining a possible model for the Oakland Green Jobs Corps - a prospective job-training program for Oakland residents with barriers to employment. The Oakland Apollo Alliance campaigned for city funding for this initiative (but will not be actually running the program). The Oakland Green Jobs Corps is expected to launch in the latter half of 2008.

Green Cities, Green Jobs, by Joanna Lee, Angela Bowden, and Jennifer Ito. (Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE): May 2007)
Before launching the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance in February 2006, CIPHER, SCOPE's research component, spent a year in the exploration and development phase, identifying and evaluating potential scenarios for creating quality and sustainable employment in the renewable energy industry. CIPHER has developed a discussion paper to support the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance as they explore the potential for developing a vibrant green industry in Los Angeles. This paper is intended to encourage discussion among stakeholders, policy-makers and civic leaders and convey the preliminary research results compiled through interviews, case studies and data on green building.

Milwaukee Retrofit: Capturing Home Energy Savings in Milwaukee. (Center on Wisconsin Strategy: May 2007)
This piece outlines an approach to improve inefficient buildings, at once saving property owners money, reducing demand for coal-generated electricity, and providing both skilled and unskilled work for local contractors and their employees. Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (ME2) is an innovative program of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy that will allow small-property owners and even renters to use a process similar to performance contracting in order to achieve energy savings. Property owners or renters (with landlords' cooperation) would receive an audit listing conservation measures that could be paid for out of energy savings in a given period. They would repay the cost of the measures via their energy-utility bill.

Training Policy In Brief: An Overview of Federal Workforce Development Policies, 2nd Edition, by Gwen Rubinstein and Andrea Mayo. (The Workforce Alliance: 2007)
A briefing book by The Workforce Alliance on key federal policies and programs funding workforce development in the United States. Includes 13 chapters on 16 federal programs that provide significant support to training and education in the United States. A useful reference for policy makers and advocates doing anything related to workforce development.

The Economic Development Potential of the Green Sector, by Paul M. Ong and Rita Varisa Patraporn. (June 2006) Policy Briefs: The Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies Policy Briefs, UCLA.
Policy recommendations on establishing a regional green economy to meet the growing demand for green jobs and services. Establishes guidelines in promoting economic development, supporting a region in becoming more environmentally sound, and strengthening economic equity by including disadvantaged populations in the green work force.

Job Implications in Los Angeles' Green Building Sector, by Sigalle Rosner. (May 2006)
Presents an analysis of workforce development opportunities in the green building sector in Los Angeles, from an urban planning viewpoint. Focuses on recommendations for including low-income communities of color into the green building job force.

Jobs in LA's Green Technology Sector, by Patrick Burns and Daniel Flaming. (Economic Roundtable: May 2006)
An exploration of the green job trends and opportunities in L.A. This report by the Economic Roundtable uses government NAICS codes to produce data on green technology jobs. The study asks which green technology industries in L.A. (a) already employ 500 or more people, (b) are growing or stable, and (c) pay average monthly wages of $2,500 or more. The City of Los Angeles and the L.A. Department of Water and Power commissioned the study.