How to Train for a Green Job

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Plenty of jobs are available in today’s growing green economy, but that does not help you if you are not prepared to meet the skill requirements of these positions. A higher level of education regarding the green industry will make you more competitive in the green job market, and several programs will help you to achieve this in no time. In addition, federal funding may be available to help you to fund your green training, and you easily can recoup the initial cost of your green training when you receive higher salaries over time in the booming green industry.

Indoor Training

If you are interested in becoming an energy auditor or getting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, several colleges provide training that make this possible.

Energy auditor training programs usually come in the form of certificate programs offered by community colleges such as Cascadia Community College in Washington or by companies such as Everblue Training Institute. While in this type of program, you will learn how to conduct energy audits in both commercial and residential settings – services that are in high demand as more companies strive to become greener and reduce their environmental footprints by saving energy. The program typically costs between $600 and $15,000 depending on the training school and lasts a few months.

LEED certification also is available if you wish to take advantage of the increasing emphasis on making buildings more energy-efficient. Several businesses are working to make their buildings comply with the strict standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED, so you definitely can find work in this area of the green industry. Training is available at community colleges and at the green building council, and costs range from $500 to $1,000 for the weeks-long course as well as $250 for the examination.

Outdoor Training

If you like being in the great outdoors, then a couple of other training options likely will suit you better.

Consider training to enter ecotourism, which essentially involves doing tourism in endangered natural environments in an effort to promote conservation. The Ecotourism Training Center and other community colleges offer educational programs that lead to industry certificates, which can range from $200 to $10,000 in cost.

You also might be interested in claiming a green job that focuses on wind energy efforts. Wind energy training programs can range from $2,500 to $25,000 and often lead to college diplomas. However, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council also provides wind energy turbine courses, and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners offers a wind certification program as well.

A couple other areas in which you can train include environmental auditing and water treatment plant operating. You can become a Certified Environmental Auditor, who makes sure that every industry complies with environmental protocols and rules. In addition, you might consider becoming a Certified Water Treatment Plant Operator, who is responsible for overseeing wastewater treatment and drinking water facilities to ensure that they are handled correctly and that drinking water remains suitable for human consumption.

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U.S. Green Technology was established in January of 2009. U.S. Green Technology‘s mission is to share news and information about the latest advancements in green technologies and green jobs. U.S. Green Technology‘s areas of coverage include providing information on green social media campaigns, changes in green business, spread of the green movement throughout entertainment, green technological invention, new green start-ups, green manufacturing, green building, and green jobs. U.S. Green Technology recently launched a new free business directory for companies to promote their products and services. U.S. Green Technology also offers a green jobs board, powered by Simply Hired, for employers to post green jobs for job seekers interested in careers in the green jobs industries such as clean energy, renewable fuels, information technology, green building and green transportation.

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