Septemeber 18th MEETING NOTES

Group III: Linking Target Populations to Training
9/18/08

Goals and Questions:
The goal for the day is completing the following statement:
1) The most important thing we can do is……

Relevant questions to be considered in answering this statement are:
1) What steps do we need to take moving forward? Identify strategy, need, and if resources needed.
2) Are the resources available matching the needs for capacity? Are resources focused on the sector that has the most growth potential?
3) Identifies Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
4) What are critical city agencies that need to be at the table to make sure goals are met?
5) How can workers learn about green job opportunities?
6) How will students learn about green job opportunities?
7) How do you link target populations that are not linked with community and educational institutions.

Key Concerns and Considerations:

Strengths:
Draw upon best practices and successful strategies used in the past?

An infrastructure does exist in NYC to link city agencies, non-profits, and for profit organizations.

NYC is a moving and changing city. Industry already exists in NYC. For example, there are already retrofitting projects in existence.

Entrepreneurial spirit exists in NYC communities.

Barriers:
Changing of zones from industrial to something that allows developers to big buildings that aren’t relevant for the people that are living in the community. Example: Columbia Expansion in Harlem. Mayor is encouraging green development but pushing out green zones. We must find areas in community where green companies can operate.

Youth ages 16 to 24 are not being represented in green job growth. Employers prefer to work with adults versus the youth population. Agencies in addition to the Department of Education must play a role providing opportunities for youth.

How can workers learn about opportunities and how can we get the message out? We must look at what lessons are learned from people that already have experience. Sometimes there is a disconnect between the target population that is not linked with a community based organization.

How do you gather information on best practices?

There are barriers of entry to access known best practices. For example: NYCTC prohibits sharing best practices with non-member individuals and organizations.

When are the green jobs going to be available? It’s difficult to talk about linking people with jobs when we are unsure as to when the jobs are going to be available.

What do you do when people can’t afford training? HRA emphasizes employment and not education or enrichment. Thus, funding should be tied to academic enrichment and training. We need funding for educational enrichment.

The discussion is structured in a workforce development model which is setting organizations up to fight over one pot versus creating connections.

Actionable Items:
1) Develop a career map for green jobs.
2) Mandate Continued Professional Education (CPE) training. Tie funding to academic and enrichment training.
3) Determine what industries are actually going to create jobs.
4) Determine how to create jobs that pay a livable earning wage with an opportunity for advancement.
5) Determine the necessary educational standards from job creating industries and update existing educational standards such as the GED.
6) Create an environment for entrepreneurial opportunities.
7) Determine green job opportunities beyond retrofitting so as to not limit ourselves to the typical definitions.
8) Create opportunities for people at all levels of skill.
9) Determine what the timeline is to create green jobs.
10) Figure out how to connect workers and students with green jobs.
11) Create questions for previous groups.
12) Involve other agencies in the discussion such as Human Resources Administration and Green Works Cooperative.

What is the most important contribution our group will make to ensure this project succeeds?
Answers: Commit to the long term goal.
Develop a roadmap of training and opportunities.
Determine the target populations and collect data describing the target population.

Facilitator contact information: Kelliethepoint@gmail.com

WELCOME - SEPTEMBER 18TH MEETING NOTES

Hi Training Working Group,

Welcome to our Blog. We will use it to share information and plan next steps. You can check out the meeting notes from September 18th here. Shortly, we will provide you with account information so that you can post and moderate the Blog.

Thanks!

Meeting notes: http://greenjobsroundtable3notes.blogspot.com/