Retraining America's workforce

Students in L.A. study biodiesel.

With the national unemployment rate continuing to trudge upward and dismal economic news stealing the headlines daily, a record number of Americans are deciding to hit the books. Post-secondary education is luring thousands of laid-off workers with the promise of readying them for jobs in the highly touted “green” jobs sector.

The global environmental goods and services sector is expected to double by 2020 to become a $2.7 billion market, according to a 2008 United Nations Environment Programme study. And the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that in the next 10 years, the construction industry alone must recruit and train almost 250,000 workers annually to meet demand—a figure that doesn’t include new jobs created by retrofitting and weatherizing existing buildings. 

While the recession has dampened hiring—and sparked layoffs—in the renewable energy and green building sectors, industry insiders say they remain optimistic about longer-term job prospects in the field, especially taking into account injections of federal stimulus funds. A March 2009 report by Portland-based research firm Clean Edge found that while 2009 may be a tough one for the renewable energy sector, the wind and solar industries could supply up to 2.7 million jobs globally in the next decade, up from about 600,000 jobs in 2008.

However, some employers say a “skills gap” in the workforce is a big concern. A November 2007 survey of Southern California’s cleantech workforce needs revealed that about 60 percent of cleantech employers were having difficulty finding employees, both at the entry- and non-entry levels. 

In the energy sector, utilities are especially struggling to lure young people to an industry that’s plagued with a somewhat outdated stigma. Peter Darbee, CEO of San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric (NYSE: PCG) in January 2008 told the San Francisco Chronicle that within five years more than 40 percent of the utility’s 20,000 employees will be eligible for retirement. Almost half the nation’s utility workforce will be nearing retirement age by 2016, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
Overall, job seekers with college or technical training will have the best shot at filling utility positions. Computer systems analysts and data analysts are expected to be among the most in-demand workers, in addition to employees with the training to help utilities expand their renewable energy portfolios, according to the Labor Department.

Community ed. cred
When it comes to training a workforce for a rapidly changing economy, the country’s nearly 1,200 community colleges are at the center of it all. PG&E has even partnered with community colleges to develop its PowerPathway program to train future employees.

With shorter programs and lower tuitions—about $2,360 on average nationwide—than four-year schools, community colleges present fewer barriers to entry for students than private technical colleges or even big, state universities. Plus, many technical and career programs are designed to train and certify workers for in-demand fields in less than a year compared to conventional four-year degree programs.