Finding Green Jobs in California

Despite the economy, it's possible to find green sector jobs in California. The industry is growing due to rising electric costs and government mandates and incentives.

Where the industry is headed
Many green jobs revolve around sources of alternative energy such as solar and wind energy which is being sought after in the Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order to ensure California will have the flexibility needed to use renewable energy sources for 33 percent of our state's energy consumption by 2020. It directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent.

The executive order is said to provide clear, permanent direction for creation, delivery and servicing of California's renewable energy projects, which will help avoid another energy crisis while achieving renewable energy goals. The goal means that companies focused on the industry will have a market.

Environmentally-centric jobs and companies are not a passing fad.

What type of job
Jobs for the industry include manufacturing, installing, sales and investing. Manufacturing may cover a wide range of industries from alternative energy to bio-medical.

Installers are necessary to attach solar panels to homes and commercial buildings.

A company that provides solar power to commercial building owners and home owners, Pursol Solar, has grown rapidly this year from 30 salespeople to over 100 salespeople servicing Orange County, Riverside and San Diego counties.

Alternative energy companies also need those who are able to find investors to expand their businesses and meet the growing demand.

California has a one-stop career center listing for all counties in the state with addresses. It's available from the Employment Development Department under information for job seekers.

What kind of company
Companies that are involved in the green industry are often small enterprises. They often do energy audits for commercial buildings to review electric bills and then provide the opportunity to change lighting or another form of power.

Small, emerging companies face potential cash flow and management challenges.

When researching for green jobs, look for companies that service municipalities to work on power plants, fire and police stations and those that service area hospitals. This may provide a stable source of business.
If interviewing, ask smaller companies what contracts they may have in place with larger facilities such as hotels and casinos.

Southern California Edison (SCE) is beginning one of the region's largest construction projects that will create more than 1,000 temporary jobs and generate roughly $300 million in spending benefiting Southern California businesses.
SCE has stated "the electric power we provide for our customers includes more alternate and renewable energy (17.7%), from a greater variety of resources, than nearly any other utility in the world."

Contact SCE directly or through sites like CareerBuilder.com.

Where to find training and networking
Both the Workforce Investment Board web sites and EDD are good places to begin searching for green job training in Southern California. Local community colleges may also have received training grants from the state and federal governments.

Two sites worth investigating are:
Center for Sustainable Energy in San Diego, County at www.energycenter.org

In Orange County, OCTANE at www.octaneoc.org which states "Fueling Innovation Development in Orange County." Octane has ties to innovative companies in different industries.

A suggestion for job seekers is to create categories of "established companies" such as Edison, "promising entrepreneurial companies" that have larger contracts and "start-up firms."