Veterans Green Jobs, a nonprofit organization, has set up a national initiative designed to reengage military service veterans by training them and getting them work in the areas of reversing deteriorating environmental conditions, dealing with client climate change threats and working in the sustainable energy sectors. The centerpiece of this initiative is a training program  called the Veterans Green Jobs Academy.

All participants’ living expenses are covered while in the program.  They will also receive stipends.   Most of the programs are  structured so that participants spend a portion of their time in class and a portion in an on-the-job training context,  participating in real-world professional service projects.  Participants will also receive multiple industry-recognized home energy audit certifications; and job placement services.

Five training programs are being offered this year

1. Energy Efficiency & Conservation
2. Biodiesel & Biofuel
3. Disaster Preparedness and Response
4. Green Building and Historic Building Renovation
5. Natural Resources Conservation

Many of  the Veterans Green Jobs Academy programs will launch in Summer and Fall of 2009, however the first Home Energy Auditor Training (HEAT) will begin this Spring.  The curriculum is designed to enable participants can apply their newly gained skills to employment immediately.  Some programs are two months long and there are also options to obtain two and four-year degrees.

The training programs are being offered in  Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico and Washington in 2009., however they hope to expand the programs to 8-10 states additional states in 2010, and intend to be in every state within several years.

Veterans Green Jobs Academy has developing a basic business training for all program participants that provides the necessary skills to be an active participant in a business’ success:

• Productivity assessment and monitoring; customer relations and markets;
• Business sector basics (competitors, collaborators, trends);
• Basics of business finance—how to read a profit and loss sheet, basics of capital acquisition and cost.

Green 101 is a core curriculum of every Veterans Green Jobs Training Program. Leading thinkers in ecology, green business, sustainable practices, environmental policy and related fields contribute regularly to course segments.  Each segment is aimed at cultivating critical thinking among Academy participants.

To find out more go to the Veterans Green Jobs Training Program web site.

If you are a veteran working in a green sector, share with ua how you moved into this rapid growing area.

  , , ,

Line Break

Author: Tracey de Morsella (323 Articles)

Tracey de Morsella started her career working as an editor for US Technology Magazine. She used that experience to launch Delaware Valley Network, a publication for professionals in the Greater Philadelphia area. Years later, she used the contacts and resources she acquired to work in executive search specializing in technical and diversity recruitment. She has conducted recruitment training seminars for Wachovia Bank, the Department of Interior and the US Postal Service. During this time, she also created a diversity portal called The Multicultural Advantage and published the Diversity Recruitment Advertising Toolkit, a directory of recruiting resources for human resources professionals. Her career and recruitment articles have appeared in numerous publications and web portals including Woman Engineer Magazine, Monster.com, About.com Job Search Channel, Workplace Diversity Magazine, Society for Human Resource Management web site, NSBE Engineering Magazine, HR.com, and Human Resource Consultants Association Newsletter. Her work with technology professionals drew her to pursuing training and work in web development, which led to a stint at Merrill Lynch as an Intranet Manager. In March, she decided to combine her technical and career management expertise with her passion for the environment, and with her husband, launched The Green Economy Post, a blog providing green career information and covering the impact of the environment, sustainable building, cleantech and renewable energy on the US economy. Her sustainability articles have appeared on Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation, Chem.Info,FastCompany and CleanTechies.