Sweet Orange

Following is a quote from a Next Ten analysis conducted by Collaborative Economics, using data from New Energy Finance, Clean Tech GroupTM, LLC, and The National Establishments Time-Series (NETS) database based on Dun & Bradstreet business-unit data:

Between 1995-2008, green businesses increased 45%, green jobs grew 36% while total jobs in the state grew only 13%….In Orange County green transportation jobs grew 1,875% including alternative fuels and motor vehicles and equipment. Energy generation jobs grew by 176%.

Maybe one of your New Year resolutions is to put yourself in a better position to find a job or have a better sense of job security. If so, you should be aware that, as the above quote shows, Orange County is a green jobs hub. That’s right, the Big Orange is going green. So no matter what you think of green living or sustainable technology, its the job-rich industry of the near future. And if you live in Orange County, you live in a green-jobs hub.

According to the City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board, some of the up and coming green technology jobs are

electricians, plumbers and pipe-fitters, carpenters, construction laborers and general and operations managers. Further, the largest “middle-skill” occupations in Los Angeles’ green technology industries requiring an average of 1.5 years or less of training and education, include: electricians; architectural drafters; plumbers and pipefitters; sheet metal workers; carpenters; bookkeepers and auditors; secretaries; general helpers-electricians; construction laborers; office clerks-general; and refuse and recyclable collectors.

In addition:

…large-scale solar panel installation projects by major public utilities, suggests that demand for Photovoltaic Installers will soon accelerate.

If you want training in green tech, check your local colleges such as Orange Coast or Santiago Community College to see what they have available. The Orange County Workforce Investment Board (OCWIB) is another source that might help you with job training information.