{"id":231263,"date":"2010-01-26T11:19:42","date_gmt":"2010-01-26T16:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www1.cuny.edu\/mu\/forum\/?p=6119"},"modified":"2010-01-26T11:19:42","modified_gmt":"2010-01-26T16:19:42","slug":"powell-center-conference-examines-issues-of-inclusion-in-the-green-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/231263","title":{"rendered":"Powell Center Conference Examines Issues Of Inclusion In The Green Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u2014 Green-Jobs Advocate Jerome Ringo to Outline Roadmap to a Sustainable Future and Economic Well-Being for Every Community \u2014<\/strong><\/div>\n
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While real job openings in the United States have plummeted 50 percent in two years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the sustainability sector offers one of the few bright spots in the job market.\u00a0 Nationally, employment in the sector grew by 9.1 percent in the decade ending in 2007, compared with 3.7 percent overall, according to The Pew Charitable Trust. \u00a0<\/p>\n

A report from the Conference of Mayors projects 3.5 million new green jobs by 2030.\u00a0 Yet under-represented populations and communities risk being shut out of these gains.<\/p>\n

A February 10 conference at The City College of New York (CCNY) will examine the critical issues of education and workforce training needed to leverage the green economy.\u00a0 The event, presented by the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies<\/a> and sponsored by the New York Life Endowment for Emerging African-American Issues, will highlight issues of inclusion that minority populations and communities face in tapping the potential of a sustainable future. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Titled \u201cOur World 2030: Preparing a New Generation for a Sustainable Future,\u201d the conference runs from 4:30 p.m. \u2013 8:30 p.m. in CCNY\u2019s Great Hall.\u00a0 It is free and open to the public; however, pre-registration is required. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The conference will emphasize New York City\u2019s particular challenges and opportunities in transforming the economic and educational outlook through 2030.\u00a0 That is the year when today\u2019s youngest generation will begin to enter the workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York City is ideally poised to take advantage of the forecast employment growth in the sustainability sector,\u201d said Walter Houston, 2009-2010 New York Life Leader-in-Residence at the Colin Powell Center. \u201cHowever, hurdles stand in the way of full minority participation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Houston noted that New York ranks first among U.S. metro areas in green jobs potential, according to the Conference of Mayors\u2019 report.\u00a0 In addition, Mayor Bloomberg\u2019s PlaNYC includes 127 initiatives for greening the Big Apple, and venture capitalists have pumped some $200 million into the state’s clean-energy economy over the past two years.<\/p>\n

The \u201cgreen-collar ceiling\u201d appears to be among the biggest challenges to greater minority participation in the green job market, Mr. Houston added.\u00a0 Minority workers often languish in low-skill, low-wage positions, while the green jobs that are forecast to provide much of the new employment require advanced degrees and complex skill sets, according to the New York City Labor Market Information Service.<\/p>\n

The conference\u2019s keynote speaker, Jerome Ringo, is one of the nation\u2019s leading advocates for green jobs.\u00a0 Mr. Ringo is the immediate past president of the Apollo Alliance and a former chairman of the board of the National Wildlife Federation.\u00a0 In addition, he served as the nation\u2019s only African-American representative to the Kyoto Treaty talks and is a member of Al Gore\u2019s Climate Advisory Panel. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur World 2030\u201d will explore pathways out of poverty through green career opportunities. Rob Carmona, president of STRIVE, the workforce development organization, noted in Huffington Post recently that the time to prepare folks from all backgrounds for emerging industries is now. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the \u2018green jobs\u2019 revolution takes hold, we at STRIVE see it as a replacement skill set for the union jobs that were essential in the development of the American middle class,\u201d added Carmona, who will participate in a panel discussion at the \u201cOur World 2030\u201d conference. He will be joined by:<\/p>\n