Solar panels, wildlife observatories, and rain barrels, oh my! How can the Environmental Law Institute’s Blight Revitalization Initiative for Green, Healthy Towns (BRIGHT) Area-Wide Planning Guide help your community implement green infrastructure? The BRIGHT guide compiles research on brownfields revitalization to empower communities and municipalities with some helpful tools to turn a brownfield into an economic opportunity. BRIGHT recognizes the economic and community-building potential that green infrastructure development can have for a community.
This week, BRIGHT introduces its Green Job repository, a resource to help make green job training more accessible to overburdened communities. Since green infrastructure development in revitalized areas will often require new training and certification standards, our guide lists educational resources available from universities, trade organizations, nonprofits, and training grants. Below are just some of the job training opportunities we compiled for solar panel installation, rainwater collection, and other skills useful for a variety of professionals beneficial for the short-term and long-term development of your green infrastructure project.
- Solar Panel Installation: The Green Job repository includes many areas of green infrastructure training, including programs for solar panels. Examples of solar panel programs include Solar Energy International (SEI), which hosts a Solar Professionals Certificate Program offering a variety of certificates in areas such as photovoltaic systems or solar business around the world. On a national scale, the Rising Sun Energy Center offers Green Energy Training Services (GETS), a 12-month job training program for adults interested in starting a career in solar energy system construction. The NABCEP® (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners®) also offers a variety of Board Certification Exams related to solar energy development. There are also state programs available for installation training programs, such as in California, Florida, or Georgia.
- Rainwater Harvesting: The Green Jobs repository also compiles rainwater harvesting certification and training programs. Such opportunities include the Rainwater Harvesting Certification provided by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) or the Professional Irrigation Training Program at the Rain Bird Academy. North Carolina State University, Tradesman CE in Rhode Island, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Training Program, and Northwest Ecobuilding Guild in Washington offer rainwater harvesting workshops and training courses for installation and accreditation.
- General Green Infrastructure Training: The repository also offers resources for general green infrastructure training. Examples include the Green Futures Research & Design Lab (GFL) at the University of Washington featuring a global lecture series highlighting prominent international speakers from the field of green infrastructure. The GFL is also currently developing a Green Infrastructure Resource Center to provide professionals, students, and community members with resources about key green infrastructure systems. In Illinois, the Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative facilitates the development of a skilled workforce for the emerging “green” economy. Their green collar job program is aimed toward unskilled, unemployed, and underemployed individuals to update training for new technologies. Texas A&M also offers online courses in irrigation, environment and wildlife, and wastewater management.
The BRIGHT Green Jobs repository is designed to be a community-sourced site for opportunities. If you know of any Green Jobs professional development opportunities in your state, or those offered nationally/internationally, please help us expand and update our living repository by sending links and suggestions to greenjobs@eli.org. As we continue to develop the BRIGHT webpage, check back for more sneak previews of the BRIGHT Guide!