Why Ohio Needs To Turn To Green Jobs

Why Ohio Needs To Turn To Green Jobs

The green-collar jobs movement got another major boost: a groundbreaking report underscores how the growing green economy can provide high quality jobs for those who need them most. The author, Professor Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes of San Francisco State University, is a leading national expert on green-collar jobs.

This report deepens our understanding of how to harness green business growth to build pathways out of poverty. Prof. Pinderhughes' research provides us with critical guidance as we develop the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, the nation's first attempt to carry out the model that Professor Pinderhughes describes in her report.

Some highlights:

Green businesses need workers, offer training, and pay well. Of the Berkeley green businesses surveyed by Professor Pinderhughes:

•86 percent hire workers without previous direct experience or training for green-collar jobs.
•94 percent provide on-the-job training for workers in entry level positions.
•90 percent pay the full cost of insuring their workers.
•73 percent of businesses stated that there was a shortage of qualified green-collar workers for their sector, with the greatest needs in energy, green building, mechanics and bike repair.
•The average hourly wage for green-collar work in Berkeley is $15.80 plus benefits. This is $4.00 higher an hour than Berkeley's current minimum "living wage," which is the highest in the nation.
Dennis Spisak