Connecticut Executive Order Seeks Green Collar Jobs
I would like to thank my colleague Lee Hoffman for submitting this article:
In Connecticut, Executive Order No. 23 has established guidelines to train and develop "green-collar" workers to meet the needs of the multi-aspect business sector and attract new investments.
According to recent reports, trades and professions doing the energy-efficient conversion work can spawn 40 million green-collar jobs and $4.5 trillion in annual revenue by 2030.
Businesses products and services that directly improve environmental quality, include the following professions and trades: plumbers, HVAC technicians, engineers, architects, electricians, auto mechanics, energy-efficient appliance installers, manufacturers, chemists, landscapers and builders.
Highlights of Connecticut Executive Order No. 23, which takes effect immediately, include:
Commissioners of the Department of Economic and Community Development and the Department of Labor jointly plan for growth of green industries and identify those jobs that will qualify as “green jobs;”
The Connecticut Employment and Training Commission to create and chair a Green Collar Jobs Council, comprising the Departments of Education, Higher Education, Environmental Protection, Labor and Economic and Community Development, the Energy Workforce Development Consortium, and representatives of business and industry;
The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to potentially re-allocate funds for existing job training to the new comprehensive 21st Century Green Jobs Training Initiative;
The Community College System to collaborate with its public and private partners, including the Energy Workforce Development Consortium, to expedite the creation of 8 certificate credit programs and training of 320 students within the next two years;
If permitted by federal law, allocate up to 25 percent of funding from federal stimulus package for green, shovel-ready projects;
Allowing the Department of Economic and Community Development to give priority to green energy projects when awarding grants from the Small Manufacturers Competitiveness Fund;
The Commissioner of the Department of Transportation to develop a plan to implement a green transportation corridor along interstate routes 91 and 95.
