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Green Jobs and Green Business – Utilizing Stimulus Money to Truly Help the Construction and Building Trade Businesses |
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November 30, 2009 Maryland Capital Enterprises, the Microenterprise Council of Maryland, and EcoVentures International Invited Businesses in the Construction Industry and Building Trades to Discuss:
How Can Green Jobs Training Programs and Green Business Development Initiatives Support Your Needs?
There is increasing attention around the creation of Green Jobs and Green Businesses. Federal and State Stimulus monies are being directed to green jobs workforce training programs, business development, and consumer tax credits. A significant focus of these efforts is the creation of green jobs and businesses in weatherization, energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies, and green building practices. Community colleges in the area have already started initial green jobs training programs focused on training energy auditors. Wor-Wic Community College is starting their inaugural Weatherization and Energy Auditing Class on July 20th 2009.
Simultaneously, consumer demand for green construction and green building services is increasing. Federal, State, and Local governments are providing an array of tax incentives, grants, and guaranteed loans for home-owners and commercial properties for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and green building practices.
As these efforts grow and expand, we want to ensure that private businesses in the construction and energy business are part of the conversation. We want to make sure that our programs and initiatives are meeting your consumer education, market growth, and training and workforce development needs as private businesses and providing the additional support to help your survive and grow in these economic times.
For example, community colleges and training programs in the area are establishing energy auditor training programs for the creation of green jobs, we want to make sure that these types of programs are meeting the needs of businesses.
- As businesses in the construction and energy industries, what type of content should these energy auditor and weatherization trainings include?
- Does a general consumer awareness campaign need to be created to help foster actual demand for energy efficiency services?
- Should these training programs focus soley on technical skills around energy auditing or should it also include other skills that are currently lacking in the construction workforce?
- Should these training programs include a component on how to effectively market government tax credits and grants to home-owners in the area in order to build more business opportunity for all in the industry?
- Are there other green building skills, such as LEED certification, that you see a need for that will help your business?
The meeting held on June 23, 2009 was an opportunity to receive feedback so that we can develop initiatives to truly help existing businesses survive and grow during these difficult economic times.
Thank you to the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce for the contribution of space and , Wor-Wic College for their collaboration, and the Microenterprise Council of Maryland for providing support for this effort.
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