Baldwin touts training for 'green jobs' to boost state economy

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is touring state tech colleges to tout her newly proposed GREEN Act legislation as a way to boost updated skills training.

Nationally, about 3.4 million jobs are in the "green collar" job category, said Baldwin, adding her legislation would prepare students for what she says are better paying jobs in the fastest-growing area of the economy.

"It is increasing at a rate that is higher than other areas of manufacturing," she added. "It employs more people in the United States than the fossil fuel industry. Here in this state, it employs about twice as many people as in the biotech industry, just to give you a few little markers of where we are."

Baldwin said the "green energy" sector has grown twice as fast as the overall economy, and that green energy jobs pay about 13 percent higher than the national average.

But like other industries, Baldwin said, "There is a gap between the number of qualified people ready to enter these jobs ready to go and the number of jobs that are being created nationally."

Baldwin led a panel discussion and toured classrooms Wednesday at Milwaukee Area Technical College, five days after introducing her Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation (GREEN) Act, to the U.S. Senate. The legislation would allow schools and college systems nationwide to compete for $100 million in annual grants.

Baldwin also stopped at two other Wisconsin technical colleges Wednesday: Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. She's due to visit Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids today.

She said she foresees Wisconsin being in a strong position to compete for GREEN Act grants, because tech colleges here have "already taken a leadership role" in what Baldwin calls "renewable energy education."

Baldwin indicated that some funds could go to middle and high school programs designed to introduce teens to the possibilities of green jobs.

MATC President Michael Burke said his college would be eager to seek grants to expand existing programs that teach "green" skills.

Craig Kuehl, an instructor in MATC's automotive technology program, said he is already striving to provide students with "unique skill sets" that will be needed in "green" jobs. For example, as compressed natural gas fuel tanks become more common -- he noted that the city of Milwaukee's garbage trucks now use CNG -- workers will need to be trained in how to inspect the tanks.

Similarly, use of diesel-powered and hybrid vehicles overall is expected to more than double by 2025, said panelist Gary Beier, vice president, Wisconsin Auto and Truck Dealers Association Foundation, so technicians will need to be familiar with that equipment.

Ted Wilinski, another instructor, said he immediately thought of possibilities for MATC to use future grant money. He said he could envision getting students involved in MATC's quest to obtain LEED status for all of its campuses -- learning key energy conservation skills as they relate to facilities construction. He also wondered whether the fund might be available for the college to improve its own energy use in its buildings and in fuel costs for faculty travel.

Becky Alsup-Kingery, associate dean of MATC's School of Technology and Applied Sciences, told WisBusiness.com afterward that while the term, "green collar jobs" is a good catch phrase, existing trades now considered blue-collar jobs need to constantly update techniques and skills as the world becomes more energy conscious.

"I even work with the landscape horticulture program, and there is a very large section of that industry where people are designing sustainable landscapes and constructing and building sustainable landscapes and that includes the whole science of how to maintain a landscape that requires less watering, which helps our water tables, which requires less mowing, which means less fossil fuel emissions and less labor for the company. For every occupation you pick, there's a way to say, 'How are we reducing our carbon footprint?'" she said.

Jeff Roepsch of Johnson Controls, one of the employers who took part in the panel discussion with Baldwin, stressed that "We're not teachers," and added that it's up to potential employees to gain up-to-date skills on their own.

Gerrit Reinders of Telkonet, a Milwaukee firm of about 100 employees that provides energy management systems for businesses, said smaller companies like his have few resources to train new workers in the latest technology. "We need to hire employees who can hit the ground running," he said.