As the Obama administration continues to push its support for the creation of green initiatives and jobs, the prospect of a fully green economy has become more and more realistic.
Just this week, Vice President Joe Biden called on the Council for Environmental Quality to report back to the White House Task Force on the Middle Class in 90 days with proposals to expand green opportunities and energy savings for the middle class. This comes as the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are partnering to bring training and employment opportunities to public housing residents for green jobs.
Existing occupations in various industries are being made green, from IT to auto to construction to consulting. Many unemployed job seekers across the nation are getting a head start in meeting the demand for green workers by enrolling in courses that offer training in green-collar jobs.
The renewable energy and efficiency technologies generated more than nine million jobs and more than $1 trillion in revenue in 2007, according to a January American Solar Energy Society report.
One vital area of training and expertise that will play a significant role in the green economy is LEED certification. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Since the concept was introduced in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in 50 states and 30 countries. LEED is a process that includes technical criteria proposed by LEED committees across the globe that are publicly reviewed for approval by the more than 10,000 membership organizations that make up the USGBC.
BlackEnteprise.com spoke with Howard University alumnus Huerta J. Neals, a LEED accredited professional and partner at CleanEdison L.L.C., a company that provides LEED education programs, on why LEED certification training can be a viable resource for those interested in the green jobs.
BlackEnterprise.com: Why is it important for those interested in green jobs to get LEED training, and what types of professionals would benefit most from this type of training?
Huerta J. Neals: LEED training is critical for the green movement to have a baseline measurement across the many building types and the infinite locations around the globe. LEED is becoming standard in many state building codes across the U.S. California, for example, requires all new buildings to incorporate some elements of LEED. It can work within any job or industry and is the gold standard for understanding sustainability quickly because it covers all the bases from creation to recycling the product.
The majority of our environmental problems are somehow tied to buildings – whether it’s the energy consumption of the building, the location of the building’s site, or the water efficiency of the building. Thus, countless green jobs are also tied to understanding the ways in which we can make our nation’s buildings more environmentally friendly. The building industry is so interdisciplinary that people from countless backgrounds–not just architecture and engineering–can play a role in the field.
What does LEED training entail and what can one expect to learn after taking coursework?
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) recently updated the LEED system to LEED v3. The first level of LEED accreditation is LEED Green Associate. LEED Green Associate training through my school is a two-day course covering sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation in design, and water efficiency. After successfully completing [the Green Associate] exam and working on one green building project, a LEED Green Associate can apply for a specialty accreditation in homes, building design + construction, operations
and maintenance, or other accreditations that are currently in the developmental phase. After attaining any LEED accreditation, a student is prepared to design, build, and implement modern green technology for buildings thereby enhancing the building’s energy efficiency and water efficiency while minimizing its carbon footprint. Just go to any job board on the Web and type in “Green” or “LEED” and the listings cover every state and all job types.How does this type of training create opportunities for workers, particularly minorities?
As a minority the ability to understand the green market in its infancy can have a huge impact on the future of the green marketplace. Minorities as a whole can now educate themselves for the coming wave of green infrastructure improvements. They now have an opportunity to position themselves for ownership to get government and private contracts
This type of training can offer an impressive credential to any and all seeking a career boost. Minorities and other historically oppressed groups have a unique ability to understand and facilitate LEED’s goal of maintaining a focus on the triple bottom line: the economy, society, and the environment.
In terms of the economy, LEED promotes affordable housing, using local labor at fair wages and
using regional materials. In terms of society, green buildings should be located in dense areas, city centers, and places with access to public transit. This is a polar opposite of the “white flight†that occurred in the mid-20th century where people were encouraged to move out to the suburbs. The environment is only one component of the LEED ratings system, although it certainly is its focal point.What other types of training might be important in becoming a green worker?
In the current state of the economy, one of the largest demands is coming from the home energy auditing industry. People, companies and organizations across the country are looking for ways to save money on their energy bills. Specifically, a certification in the Building Performance Institute (BPI) building analyst exam prepares inspectors to evaluate a home on its energy efficiency and determine the most efficacious way to reduce energy usage and cut costs. Other training that is valuable for specific job placement are solar panel installation and any other renewable energy certification.
LEED Training:
Green Building Certification Institute
Other Web Resources: