The Stamford Advocate
By Richard Lee
Lower Fairfield County has built its economy on the financial services and technology sectors, but the next wave of growth will not be based on the green in the wallet but the green of the soaring environmental movement across the nation. "In our business of job development, we see a trend here. Now you hear constant references to green-collar jobs and green jobs," Joseph Carbone, president and chief executive officer of The WorkPlace Inc. in Bridgeport, told an audience of 50 people yesterday at the Stamford branch of the University of Connecticut. The conference, "Understanding Green Collar Jobs for Stamford and the Region," was hosted in cooperation with U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport. "Our work at The WorkPlace has been focused on this for the past three or four years," said Carbone, who was joined by Shays and John Olsen, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO. Jobs involving the environment hold great potential for employment in the region, said Olsen, touting technology such as fuel-cell research and production as an industry that offers employment growth. The AFL-CIO is focusing on green jobs, he said. "In Connecticut, a real opportunity is in the fuel-cell area. It will create a new industry for us. It's about our future, our economy and our children," Olsen said. Many green jobs will require training, according to Shays, who supported the Green Jobs Act passed by Congress in December and is awaiting funding. Even mechanics will need training to work on vehicles powered by sources other than gasoline or diesel fuel.
Shays said he is pushing for about $125 million for next year in several professions, including those involved with wind, geothermal and solar power. Green jobs will play an essential role in the area's economy, said Michael McCarthy, assistant vice president in new business development at The Workplace. "You can't hire a guy in India to put a solar panel on your roof. Everyone here is aware of global warming. This is not a partisan issue for us," he said, adding that green jobs can be a path out of poverty. By 2016, there may be more than 3,600 green-related jobs in greater Stamford, McCarthy, adding that the state's community colleges and vocational-technical schools will play a role. "Embrace the environmentalists. These guys have had it right for years," he said. The comments struck a chord with Remy Chevalier of Weston, campaign manager for Rich Duffy, Green Party candidate vying for Shays' fourth district seat. "People want to do what they believe in. It's something we can all agree on," said Chevalier. Original Article: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_9750108 Click here to read more about Christopher's views on environmental issues
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