People are asking, "Where are the jobs from the new Stimulus Act?" Here are a few places to look for the new green jobs President Obama promised would materialize.
Green Job Opportunities
Construction is one of the biggest areas for new green jobs. There will be an emphasis on infrastructure such as highways, bridges and retrofitting buildings for alternative energy solutions. Think of windmill generation, solar panels, low-flush toilet installation, new white or light-colored roofs, living roof gardens… Someone has to do all that installation.
- Manufacturing is one of the largest areas for new green jobs related to the Climate Bill and Stimulus Act. Wind power component manufacturers and solar power component manufacturers should increase exponentially. These factories should all have green job openings.
- There will be new green jobs in high tech industries. There will be new wiring needed for schools, medical offices and hospitals for Internet and electronic record keeping / storage.
- More engineering jobs. These folks will work out the technology for new products and projects.
- Management. Someone has to manage all the new hires in high-tech, manufacturing and construction.
- Training. Installation of solar panels and other green technologies will require some training. Instructors will be needed to do this training.
Take Advantage of Stimulus Job Opportunities
One way to take advantage of new jobs created by the Stimulus Act or Climate Bill is to become familiar with alternative energy solutions. Check into local outlets such as a community college, which may offer classes at night or on weekends, certification programs in solar panel installation, installing green roofs or other energy-saving technologies. There are also a number of places online that have extensive tutorials or online classes. The best avenue would be hands-on training and certification wherever it is available.
Look into the grant process to get "green" contracts. Local governments and states have received millions in stimulus funds. These will be awarded to companies and individuals for projects that fall within the grant's specified criteria. Visit state and local government web sites to see what grants and funding are available in one's local area.
Grants.gov is the primary place to find all available federal grant opportunities from the 26 grant-making agencies in the United States. All green job opportunities posted on Grants.gov include specific application instructions, including as appropriate, instructions for submitting applications outside of Grants.gov. For more information on green job opportunities, state-by-state, related to the Climate Bill, visit US Climate Network. Green jobs are (or will be soon) available - the key is in knowing where to look.
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