MakeHeat

How to dig ourselves out of a recession and free ourselves from foreign oil:

New Arizona Neighborhood Solar Scout Program(TM) Trains Unemployed Workers on How to Get a Green Collar Job on St. Patty’s Day – MSNBC Wire Services – msnbc.com.

There are jobs out there, but is there anyone trained to do them?  It appears that venture capitalists are funding a lot of the renewable energy market, unfortunately there’s a dearth of people who can take advantage of it. “… . “Workforce development, if done rapidly and in a timely fashion, is really going to be the linchpin for getting renewable energy technology to where it needs to be.”

Doña Ana Community College is interested in creating new technical programs to train energy technicians, but it will have to come up with the funding, said H. Vince Thomas, who spoke on behalf of the college.  
 - Greenfield Community College in Greenfield MA is also starting a program. [ed.] 

http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_11614311

Photo Credit: Gothenburg Observer

Some encouraging news, despite the politics being what they are in our great Capitol:

“… The solar industry “will likely create more jobs than any other green segment,” with plenty of positions for people with more advanced knowledge of solar energy, says Mike Hall, president of Borrego Solar Systems. …”

“… There will be no shortage of work in brownfields reclamation, green building construction, improving public transportation, creating alternative energy fuels, building energy efficient appliances and homes and installing fuel-efficient heating or cooling systems, Llewellyn adds.

This work needs all skill sets — unskilled laborers, supervisors, public relations, environmental scientists, architects and urban planners. And there will be “increasing opportunities for lawyers, MBAs, public policymakers and others whose education includes specialization in sustainability issues.”

Quoting Van Jones, founder of Green for All, Llewellyn says whether it’s designing, building, installing or marketing — there will be jobs for “PhDs to Ph Dos.” And with President Barack Obama’s renewable energy initiatives, we might just see one of the greenest job initiatives in history. …” 

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090202/BUSINESS01/902020317/1003/BUSINESS

See also:
Work’s a Bitch and Then You Make It Work: 6 Steps to Go from Pissed Off to Powerful

[ed.] Having recently found my own job in peril, it’s good to see this could be a “jumping off point”.