Building Green Jobs in Y-Town

[jay]

Are there any businesses in Youngstown or the Mahoning Valley currently manufacturing components for this green economy?

[irishbobcat]

How a Green-Energy Collar Jobs Program Would Benefit the Valley

I have been asked many times how a Green-Collar Energy Jobs Program could benefit the 60th district. Having studied various similar projects from across the country over the past year here is how a program could help rebuild Youngstown and the valley.

A Mahoning Valley Green Jobs Corps would provide job training to prepare young adults in the valley for green-collar careers. The program will have a special focus on providing "green pathways out of poverty" by recruiting and training people with barriers to employment to become gainfully employed.

The Mahoning Valley Green Jobs Corps would address two critical issues with one comprehensive approach. The global warming crisis requires that everyone work towards improving energy efficiency and generating energy through renewable, alternative sources. The program will engage young adults who otherwise may not have an opportunity to acquire the skills needed to earn a real living wage through the emerging Green Energy sector.

The intent of the Green Jobs Corps will be to prepare young adults to install energy efficiency features and renewable energy systems, as well as to do other work related to increasing energy efficiency in the Mahoning Valley. Helping to create a qualified, trained workforce in the valley could support the growth and success of local green businesses and contractors.

The Mahoning Valley Jobs Corps will focus on providing pathways out of poverty for young adults in the valley who may not otherwise have opportunities for jobs and careers in the green economy. The goals of the pilot project are summarized as follows:

   • TO REDUCE POVERTY AND PROMOTE SOCIAL EQUITY: Enable young adults in the valley to have green-collar careers, and thus provide pathways out of poverty for people with barriers to employment.

   • TO RESTORE THE ENVIRONMENT: Supply a trained workforce that can make the valley more energy efficient, more environmentally sustainable and cleaner, healthier city in which to live.

   • TO SUPPORT GREEN BUSINESS: Support the growth of green businesses in the valley, with a focus on those businesses that provide high-quality, stable jobs.

   • TO ADVANCE The Valley's GREEN ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP: Promote the valley's position as a leading region in green economic development.

Research shows that green businesses in the valley could provide high-quality jobs with good pay, good benefits, and good working conditions and that these firms have many dignified manual labor jobs that are ideally suited for entry-level job-seekers.However, there is very little infrastructure for job training to support these businesses as they grow. Like cities across the nation, Youngstown faces a shortage of programs providing "green-collar" workforce development. This shortage will worsen as the green economy grows. Youngstown must develop with YSU or a community college excellent job training programs that should linked to green employers. These programs need the right incentives and infrastructure in order to retool for green-collar job training. The Mahoning Valley Jobs Corps will create partnerships between job training programs and green employers. It will also provide key links to educational institutions, labor unions, and community-based organizations.

These are the programs the 60th district needs for the future. These are the programs Bob Hagan has failed to bring or even thought up to bring to our valley. That is why a change in leadership is needed in the Ohio House this November.

Sincerely,

Dennis Spisak-Independent Green Party Candidate for State Representative-60th District

Campaign wedsite: http://votespisak.tripod.com Please visit our Healthcare and Progressive Jobs Programs Link.