“Green Jobs” are all the rage, but the term is still not well defined. On February 10th the Columbia Institute hosted a conference on Green Jobs and Retrofits at which Ross Gentleman, Tradeworks ED, was a workshop panelist. Largely, Tradeworks perspective is focused on entry-level labour and trades opportunities, which can be a good fit for populations that are struggling to find a good track in the work force.Tradeworks has been exploring ‘deconstruction’ and re-manufacturing.
While the workshop was nominally about training and education, the discussion ranged widely. Wayne Peppard and Deena Boeck comprised the remainder of the panel, respectively representing perspectives from the labour movement and academic institutions. Three ideas linger:
- Government policy must be the catalyst and government must lead. Demand for certain skills, and related technology, is only going to be expanded if we re-orient policy frameworks to induce change. Procurement, education, research, regulatory and tax policies are part of the picture.
- Public institutions are prepared to take the lead and demonstrate how lower carbon footprints can be achieved. UBC is trail blazing on several fronts and is keen to integrate sustainability into operations, into educational curricula, and into the culture of the community.
- All jobs will be green jobs. The idea of a green job is too narrow. Jobs in the trades need to incorporate new green technologies as part of the trade; for example training for electricians must include solar technology. Everyone has a role in building the green economy and it is not built on new narrowly defined ‘green technicians’, though some may evolve.
Tradeworks highlighted projects initiated by non-profits in Vancouver, projects which paired environmental goals with social goals. The opportunity for a “Win-Win” is there. Employing at-risk youth and others in the retrofit, deconstruction, and waste diversion initiatives compounds the potential benefits for the community at large. Tradeworks tries to achieve these ends through Tradeworks Custom Products and Tradeworks Fab Shop.
