Transcript GREEN COLLAR WORKERS AND OTHER MYTHICAL CREATURES

GREEN COLLAR
WORKERS
AND
OTHER MYTHICAL
CREATURES
Common Data Requests
• Descriptive statistics: How many green collar workers are currently
employed by location and type?
• Forecasts
– What will be the future employment demand?
– What KSAs will green job-seekers need?
– How many are in the training pipeline?
– What skills gaps loom on the horizon?
– Will an insufficient supply of workers with appropriate KSAs thwart policy
goals and objectives?
– How much will green workforce development cost?
– What will be the return on investments in green collar worker preparation?
WHO’S ASKING
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Elected officials and candidates
The media
LWDAs, COGs, EDCs
Industry and professional association
Education and training partners
Specific employers
The Data Dilemma
• Lack of clear operational definition
– green economy
– green industry
– green occupation
– green job
• Surplus of “inspired” definitions
• Political pitfalls
What’s the
difference
between these
two toilets?
WHICH OF THE TWO IS “GREEN”
If you are a plumber with
the skills to install Toilet A,
do you need new training
to install toilet B?
Is one forklift
operator
greener than
another?
Does the operator’s “greenness” depend on:
A. the fuel source for the forklift
B. the materials being moved
C. the way those materials will subsequently be used
D. the education and training of the operator
E. A, B and C but not D.
Who/what
constitutes
“green
building”?
• Forestry & lumber milling
• Construction & specialty trades
• Architectural & landscape
design
•Procurement, project
management, quality control
• Imbedded software
development & integration
• Materials sciences, chemistry,
physics, engineering
Types of Definitions
• By Industry
• By Firm
• By Occupation
• By Detailed Work Assignment
Outcomes-Based Approach
• What is its net impact on energy
consumption?
– Compute in term of “BBOEs” (barrel of oil
equivalents)
– Compute in terms of cost per unit of energy (e.g.,
$/BUT, $/kilowatt, $/megajouel
• What is its net impact on emissions of CO2,
SO2 and NOx?
• What is its impact on net job creation?
Bubble Chart Comparisons
Decreased energy consumption or cost per unit
Increased
Emissions
Decreased
Emissions
Increased energy consumption or cost per unit
What Are the Policy Levers
• Regulations and fines
• Market forces (e.g., green profit centers
through carbon cap and trade, enhanced oil
recovery)
• Financial incentives for R&D, pilot/demonstration projects commercialization?
• Government procurement
• Consumer education
• Workforce preparation
Scalable Response
• Sound employment growth forecasts, not
hyperbole
• How different are the required knowledge,
skills and abilities (KSAs)?
• Where do efforts to impart those KSAs fit into
the curriculum?
– New major/program of study?
– New course (basic or capstone)?
– New module (e.g., less than semester length)?
• Who’s the target? (incumbent worker skill
upgrade, postdoctoral student. . . high school)
Resources
• Texas LMCI
– Web site www.lmci.state.tx.us
– (512) 491-4803
• California Employment Development
Department www.edd.cal.gov
• Center on Wisconsin Strategy www.cows.org
• Community and technical colleges