In this transitional stage of NYC’s history, the city is moving toward greener and more efficient housing, renewable energy sources, and working on its pollution issues. There is a major problem blocking us from where we want to be: not enough trained workers. The workforce required for this transition has been informally dubbed “green collar”.
An exposition at Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy answered some important questions many New Yorkers might have about how we might work our way out of the current economic slump.
“Everybody should think of him or herself as a green collar worker” said the director of Sustainable South Bronx, Miquela Craytor.”We can make better environmental decisions while we work if we consider ourselves green collar.”
Last year Congress passed the Green Jobs Act. If this gets fully funded, $125 million will go to train workers in green trades. ”Many small companies just need a push” said Ramon Cruz the vice president at the New York Investment Fund and the Partnership for New York City. “A lot of good ideas never get off the ground because there are not enough skilled green collar workers to put them into action.”
The green collar workforce endeavor could potentially enable previously impoverished and unskilled New Yorkers to get training and become gainfully employed. These jobs will provide benefits, safe work environments, and opportunity for advancement, giving employees the chance to have sustainable and reliable living-wage employment. “Immigrant workers will stop getting exploited by contractors and will be able to receive competitive wages in this green economy” said Cruz.
“Billions of our tax dollars are earmarked for certain parts of the economy, we just need to get some leverage with those,” said Bruce Herman, the deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor.
“New York has been at the forefront of many green issues,” said Cruz, ”we have people in this city and state who are thinking really hard about these things, but answers don’t come easy.’
The Center for American Progress published a 2008 report that states that America can reverse the unemployment rate by stimulating economic growth and stabilizing the price of oil while fighting global warming and building a green, low carbon economy. 800 thousand construction jobs can be created by renewed investment in green housing. Many more jobs can be made available with the clean air manufacturing of new environmentally friendly products, according to the report.
Additionally there may be increased employment opportunities in agriculture as the rising cost of transportation may encourage consumers to buy locally grown produce. Virtually any traditional job including electrical work, welding, accounting, and plumbing have applications and new opportunities in this growing field.
