Greener Pathways: Jobs and Workforce Development in the Green Energy Economy

Focusing on clean energy sectors, the report detailed “current economic and workforce development opportunities in three leading industries: energy efficiency, wind, and biofuels” (p. 1). The report profiled four partnerships across the country that build green workforce development pathways into these industries. “The report also examined federal resources that can support state green jobs initiatives, including programs in the Departments of Energy and Labor, and the Green Jobs Act included in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. [The authors] concluded by outlining a plan of action for state policymakers, highlighting policy, program, and system reform opportunities to embrace the greener and more equitable promise of the new energy economy” (p. 1). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

The authors made the following recommendations: 1. “Get smarter about green jobs... • Target specific sectors within the ‘green jobs’ universe • Use good data on labor market opportunities and skill gaps to drive green jobs initiatives • Measure and evaluate green jobs programs and make them better2. Sustain good jobs through green partnerships... • Employ energy standards as green job creation tools • Promote green industry clusters • Design green jobs initiatives to both save existing jobs and create new ones • Link green economic and workforce development • Construct green industry partnerships • Integrate green jobs initiatives into existing workforce systems3. Make sure green jobs pay off for workers and communities... • Maximize community benefits by requiring them • Build greener career pathways • Extend green ladders to build real pathways out of poverty” (p. 4). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2008
• Author(s): White, Sarah; Walsh, Jason
• Organizational Author(s): Center on Wisconsin Strategy; The Workforce Alliance; and The Apollo Alliance
• Funding Source: Joyce Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies