To create sustainable green jobs, you must have both technical training, and green business training. You need real, down to earth training that is focused on the unique nature of running a successful green business. To be effective you also need to use the power of the Internet to take this training to communities both big and small.
You may say, there are thousands of business classes offered by universities and private companies. That is true, but starting and sustaining a successful green business requires a whole different set of skills. Some are standard that transcend any business, accounting, business formation, legal structure and so on. But others are unique to this market:
How do you tell people about your product or service?
Why do they need it?
How do you measure success, both for your client and your business?
You need unique product training for your employees.
You need to be ready and able to support your installation.
You need performance standards.
You need to explain to people what is a carbon footprint, how to measure theirs, what they can do to reduce it and why.
And even something as seemingly simple as what is “green”.
And you don’t have time for a theoretical or academic discussion. Contractors and trades people are not inclined to set still for months and years. They want the facts, they want them now and they want to get on with the business.
It also seems absurd to drag people for miles, wasting gas, housing them, taking valuable time just to send them home to be “environmentally conscious”. Saving energy and reducing our carbon footprint must start from day one! There are very powerful and interactive tools that can bring high quality training to their home, wherever they live. Its time to bring these skills to everyone.
Comments (3)
Those citizens interested in the economic and environmental implications of implementing the use of the alternate energy technology known as photovoltaics need desperately to be educated and trained in this practice. No one as yet may control the sunlight and may put a price on it. It shines as it will on whomever it will and wherever it will. No dirty behind the scenes trading as if it were a commodity on wall street can control or fix the prices. Virtually everyone on earth may walk outside and experience it. Virtually no emissions, no noise, little maintenance, and a supply that is virtually limitless. The standards for installation make it very,very safe as well. Safer than Chernobyl and Three Mile Island ever were.
People that still have jobs... to keep them must follow the instructions provided by their company for the particular job they were hired to do.
The idea that the government will hire and train teachers to teach workers to produce Green Energy is Unrealistic! The model will fail because it would take too long to implement.
The idea that you can teach people to innovate is like expecting schools to train 100s of Edisons, Einsteins, Beethovens, etc. Is unrealistic.
GE is presently producing many Green products including Jet Engines and Locomotives that meet new European Green Requirements. The idea that the Government can train workers for a changing technology is unrealistic.
To provide classes on the theories involved in each product would be an unrealistic effort, too slow and too late and too expensive.
The new Government ARPA-like Agency to sponsor a race for Electric power cars from Los Angeles to Denver First Prize $100 Million, Second: $50 Million, Third: $20 Million, 4th: $5 Million.
Open to all institutions, foreign and domestic.
Key Rules:
1. Only mandatory 5-minute stops at "Check In" sites allowed, any other stop disqualify the car.
2. No equipment repairs or replacements allowed.
Appreciate the comment, but to say training in new "green" technology is unrealistic is a bit fatalistic, don't you think? We're not talking about making everyone an expert in every technology, THAT would be unrealistic. But targeted training in a specific technology is not only realistic, but required. I know I've trained people in complex, energy related, technologies since the 70s. With the help of the government.
The focus of this suggestion is to train and support the business, not just the technician. Without that dual focus nothing will work.
Further, you must go where they live and work with them in a way that meets their needs. That is not some long theoretical "wannabe entrepreneur" course. It is real world training to meet real world needs.
Back then we had to make the choice to force people from rural communities to come to the city for weeks or try and find the money to go to them. Most often they had to leave their family and come to a central training location. With the Internet we can put on the same quality program for everyone. No more discriminating against people because of where they live. Like the earlier post said "the sun shines everywhere".