First-of-its-Kind Website Shows Job Opportunities In California

Contact:
Jennifer Witherspoon, (415) 293.6067, jwitherspoon@edf.org
Erica Fick, (213) 435.7160, efick@edf.org

(Los Angeles—September 21, 2010) Californians looking to join the state’s fastest growing economic sector now have an easier way to do so, thanks to a first-of-its-kind career site launched today by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

Green Jobs California is a comprehensive resource for job seekers and guidance counselors that want to join or learn more about the state’s emerging green economy. It includes thousands of businesses, institutions and organizations throughout the state.

“This one-of-a-kind website is a dream come true for job seekers who want green careers,” said Erica Fick, a clean energy fellow at Environmental Defense Fund. “The goal of Green Jobs California is three-fold: to inspire people to pursue a career within the green economy; connect them to the training they need; and expose them to online resources, including job boards that will help them start a green career in their chosen field of interest.”

Green Jobs California features a searchable version of EDF’s Greenjobs Guidebook that lets individuals learn about position descriptions, salary ranges and required experience and education. It also lists training programs in the Los Angeles area.

One site highlight is Faces of Green Jobs, a mini-documentary showcasing the experiences of men and women in what some are calling California’s new industrial revolution. Companies and jobs profiled are in the five GREEN categories: generating renewable energy (Suntrek Solar); recycling (Vetrazzo); energy efficiency (Rising Sun); education (Central California Consortium); and natural product manufacturing (California Rising). Shot on location in greater Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Joaquin Valley, the film exposes viewers to the diverse opportunities that exist.

“We have had tremendous growth this year winning major accounts such as McDonald’s and the National Parks Service (Yosemite), which see solar as a viable energy alternative and want to cut costs and reduce their taxes,” said Roy Heine, CEO of Suntrek Solar. “This has created employment opportunities for engineers, installers, administrative staff and management. Green Jobs California is a valuable resource for job candidates that want to find opportunities and the training they need to join this rapidly growing workforce.”

The three companies profiled on the site—Flying Pigeon LA, Reverb and Silver Lake Farms—show the variety of green businesses. Flying Pigeon LA is a bike shop that’s had one of its bikes featured on NBC during the summer Olympics in Beijing. Reverb greens tours for musicians such as Sheryl Crow, Arcade Fire and Jack Johnson. Silver Lake Farms was written up in Sunset Magazine and listed as one of LA Magazine’s 101 Favorite Things in 2009.

“California has the nation’s largest clean energy economy thanks to entrepreneurial, innovative companies and ground-breaking energy policies,” said Derek Walker, director of EDF’s California Climate Initiative. “Green Jobs California can help job seekers—whether they’re recent college graduates or mid-career employees looking to build and utilize new skills—create a game plan for finding employment in this emerging market. It will also help green companies find the skilled workers they need to expand and compete in the $8 trillion global green industry.”

The site complements the recently updated map of California’s green economy that lists thousands of clean energy and sustainable companies that are growing as a result of the state’s climate change leadership. Workplaces on the map are involved in energy generation, energy efficiency, green buildings, transportation, carbon markets and sustainable business practices. The listings can be sorted by county and state legislative district.

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Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading national nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. For more information, visit www.edf.org/california. Follow us on Twitter at EDF_CA and read our blog at http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/.