The Capital region has 4,000 green jobs and 500 more that support them, according to a report prepared by Bob Sherer, a labor economist with Capital Area Michigan Works (CAMW), and Mark Reffitt of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG).
The most jobs, 41 percent, are in the clean transportation and fuels area, followed by energy efficiency at 25 percent.
Auto manufacturing shows up as the largest single industry sector and accounts for more than three out of every 10 green jobs, the report says.
The largest component of green occupations in the Capital region is in engineering, production and construction. Engineers top the pay scale list, averaging between $34 and $37 per hour, compared to the average hourly pay in the region of $20.51 per hour.
But finding people with green skills, particularly in the construction field, is becoming a challenge, says Ryan Henry of Kincaid Henry Building Group. However, he points to Green Advantage, a program offered by the U.S. Green Building Council to help people upgrade skills for the market, as a good resource.
Sherer questions the future of green, particularly after the government stimulus dollars are expended, and most especially if the price of imported oil does not reach $150 a barrel.
But Glenn Granger, of Granger Construction Company, affirms the value of sustainable building practices regardless, and says he sees a shift.
“Sustainability is the biggest thing that’s happened in our industry,” says Granger, who has earned his LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environment Design) certification. “Now, it’s not a choice. Our industry better do it (shift to sustainability) just to keep up.”
In fact, the green economy may not mean more jobs, but rather, the re-training of those who already have jobs, Granger says.
Source: Bob Sherer, Capital Area Michigan Works
Gretchen Cochran, Innovation & Jobs editor, may be reached here.
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