No one knows exactly how many green jobs will be created in the United States over the next decade, but there is little disagreement that this demand will create enormous opportunities for the next generation of workers.
thanks to Inflation Reduction Act By 2022, it is estimated that the federal government will invest $800 billion over the next 10 years to fund large-scale clean energy programs, ranging from solar and wind power plants to energy-efficient buildings to business and neighborhood microgrid power generation. That amount, along with billions of dollars more in state and federal money, will help build a new clean energy program. Electrified transport This includes electric cars, trucks, trains, and the infrastructure that supports them.
High school and university teachers are reporting growing interest in “green” careers: jobs that help address global warming and other environmental issues, making enough money to pay the bills in the future and then some. In the wake of bad news over the changing climate, it may even be considered a matter of survival.
The good news is that plenty of green jobs already exist: everything from electric vehicle and charger repair Solar Panel From installation to windmill construction; from public policy analysis and urban planning to software programming in electric utilities and alternative energy research.
“Young people have a natural desire to work at the cutting edge of fields and also to be motivated by the existential threat we all see and want to do something about,” said Paul Feast, vice chancellor of the University of California. California Community Colleges,
Here are the stories of four people making their way in the green economy.
‘I like the idea of creating a green environment’
Jeffrey Leyva is a sophomore in Cal State Long Beach’s Electrical Technology program and is seriously thinking about planning his career. He knows one thing for sure: he wants to avoid anything that can be destroyed artificial intelligence. “I’m worried that a lot of jobs will be taken away by AI,” he said.
The 24-year-old, who is used to working hard, doesn’t want to sit at a desk all day. He works part-time to pay for college, and prefers physical labor to desk work. He used to work in a warehouse, where he had to do heavy lifting and stocking, but now even that work has been taken over by computers and robots.
At school, he came across an advertisement that offered training on maintenance of electric chargers. Now there is a job category that AI cannot do, He thought.
He enrolled for free training. Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Or LACIwhich was founded by the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power in 2011 to accelerate clean technology and job creation. The training led to an opportunity to work at GreenWealth Energy, a company that installs and maintains electric vehicle chargers in workplace parking lots, shopping malls, school districts, apartment buildings and similar locations.
“I assist the electricians, help them install the panels, conduit, wire it in and turn it on,” he said. He also goes on calls to replace copper wires stolen by thieves.
The green nature of the job attracted him. “I wanted to help reduce pollution in the air, reduce fossil fuels. I like the idea of creating a green environment.”
And the green revolution will require more effort charging stationThe Associated Press recently reported that the Energy Department estimates the U.S. “will need 1.2 million public chargers by 2030, a huge jump from the current goal.” 175,000 public charging ports Available now.”
The pay is good, he said. Jobs like Leyva’s pay about $20 an hour. “It’s manageable, it’s OK,” he said.
He sees this as a starting point, with better-paying opportunities ahead. Perhaps training to become an electrician. “I like the work I do, I like doing hands-on work. When I get the job done and the job is done, it’s rewarding,” he said.
‘Why not be part of the change now?’
Lekha Ajit, a specialist in data science and green energy development, sits in front of her workstation in her home in Alhambra.
(Carlin Steele / For The Times)
Lekha Ajit, 22, grew up in Chennai, a coastal city on the Bay of Bengal in southeast India. She was raised in an entrepreneurial family, “and I knew I didn’t want to do that, I didn’t want to take on the stress of a whole company.”
She came to the United States two years ago for a master’s degree in information systems at Cal State Los Angeles, and is employed at Navia Energy in San Jose, where she is working on software to help utilities optimize generation. Renewable energy.
He said his information systems skills “can be applied in professional corporate data analysis and Web development.” “But if (green energy) is going to be the future, so why not be a part of the change now?
He said many of his friends, classmates and colleagues feel the same way. “I think people are starting to be attracted to green jobs. The younger generation wants to be involved in a career in which they can work for a purpose,” he said.
His advice to young people who are just entering the workforce and want a job that helps improve the environment: You don’t have to find the right job right away. “Get in wherever you find an opportunity,” he said. “Just move on.”
‘We’re putting down the guns and picking up the tape measure’
Donald Trotter was trained as an electrician by the IBEW and installs solar energy systems for an electrical contracting company called Morrow-Meadows Corporation.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Donald Trotter isn’t actually young – he’s 37. He lost a large portion of his youth when he served seven and a half years in prison for assault with a gun.
He grew up in South L.A. in an area dominated by gangs and crime, he says. “I was chaotic, living in chaos. Violence was normal for me.”
Now he’s an electrician, earning a union wage, installing and maintaining solar panels, switch gear, transformers and electric car chargers. And he’s a father, too. He and his wife live in downtown L.A., with two sons, ages 15 and 7.
He says his salvation began with John Elliot Harriel Jr., known as Big John, who runs a program Second call which helps former inmates and others in trouble. The group offers job training and life skills development: dealing with past trauma, improving family relationships, what it takes to be a good parent.
Big John’s experience led him to on-the-job training and an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, where he learned everything from the Pythagorean Theorem to power line safety: “A bird on a power line doesn’t get hurt because it’s part of the circuit. But if you touch it it will kill you.”
He is now working for Morrow-Meadows, a major electrical contractor on the West Coast, doing electrical installation and maintenance. intuit dome And although panel installations in California have slowed recently, they should theoretically increase, since state law requires all electricity to come from clean energy sources by 2045.
He said, “If I was talking to young people, I’d tell them to take advantage of this opportunity to change their lives. We’re giving up guns and picking up tape measures. That’s how we make a difference, one community at a time.”
‘I felt a strong desire to contribute to a more sustainable future’
Power systems engineer Akram Abu Assaf poses for a portrait in Montebello.
(Michael Blackshear/Los Angeles Times)
Akram Abu Assaf, 23, grew up in Lebanon. “From a young age I was fascinated by how things worked, especially electricity and energy,” he says.
He took a direct path from academia – earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Lebanese International University and then a master’s degree in the same subject from Cal State Los Angeles. “I was eager to find work opportunities in tech companies, particularly in California,” he said. “This move from Lebanon gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in a vibrant tech community and pursue my passion for technology and innovation.”
He added two courses to the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator’s free Green Jobs Workforce Development Program and a full-time job combining real-world data into computer simulations to help integrate new energy sources. electrical grid,
“Right now my position is energy specialist in renewable energy and power systems,” he said. He works for a global company called ETAP, which is a French branch. Schneider ElectricWhich helps electricity providers manage the integration of renewable energy.
“My job is to find the data to make sure everything is running smoothly,” said Assaf, who lives in Montebello. “When (electricity providers) add renewable energy sources, we make sure there are no glitches.”
As he continued his studies, Climate change There was a lot of pressure on his mind. “I felt a strong desire inside to contribute to a more sustainable future, combining my passion for technology with my commitment to management.”
His advice to future generations: “Never underestimate the power of curiosity and persistence. Embrace the journey of a lifetime and stay informed about the latest developments in environmental science and technology.”
And don’t expect to change the world overnight. “Every effort, no matter how small, can lead to a greener world. Small changes can create big impacts.”
