Welcome to the first installation of the Green Insider on BlackEnterprise.com. Every week you can check in here to get news, book reviews, advice, and resources for small businesses and professionals who want to positively impact climate change and their bottom line.
First up, let’s address the green economy. There has been a lot of talk about green-collar jobs. Last year, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided $500 million to the Department of Labor to fund training workers in “green†careers. “People have been doing these jobs for years. It’s just a matter of how you market yourself so that customers will know,†says Phillip O’Neal, founder of Green DMV, a program that provides green job skills for low income communities. O’Neal spoke with BlackEnterprise.com and identified seven blue-collar jobs that, if marketed right, could increase the green in your services and in your wallet.
Plumbers — Plumbers play a critical part in reducing water usage in homes and buildings. As people update their homes and businesses to be more green, demand will increase for plumbers to install low flow faucets and toilets. A green plumber has all the tools he needs and can do everything that a regular plumber can without any additional certification or training. Check out a green plumbers workshop at the WaterSmart Innovations 2010 Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 4-8, 2010.
Home builders — Structural insulated panels provide an energy-efficient way for construction companies to build homes that are completely sealed. Each SIP panel has a five-inch layer of foam that almost eliminates the need for added insulation. The panels are manufactured, shipped to the building site, and used to build the home from scratch. Builders do not need certification to build SIP homes but they do need to be trained. For more information about building SIP homes, visit the Structural Insulated Panel Association or read the Builder’s Guide to Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS).