National Conference on Educating a Green Workforce to be held in Albany

November 17, 2009

Albany, NY — A national conference addressing a full range of issues needed to build a clean-energy workforce for the future will be held November 19-20 at the Albany Marriott Hotel, 189 Wolf Road, Albany, New York.

"New Ideas in Educating a Workforce in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency”, a sold-out conference for educators and trainers, will offer the most current instructional strategies, curricula development and training practices needed to help prepare workers for the renewable energy and energy efficiency fields. The conference, which will feature a lunchtime address by U.S. Representative Paul Tonko on November 20, is sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the U.S. Department of Energy, and the New York State Department of Labor.

“With Green Jobs becoming a more significant part of our economy, it is absolutely critical for New York to offer the best programs possible to prepare our citizens for the jobs of the twenty-first century,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “The 2009 New Ideas in Educating a Workforce in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency conference will help ensure that those who are training the workers of the future have the best and most current information needed to help New York workers strengthen our economy and achieve Governor Paterson’s ambitious energy goals.”

Hands-on training is a key part of building a strong workforce and speakers will address integrating practical experience into classroom instruction. Conference sessions will address some of the best practices and teaching models underway at community colleges, technical high schools, skill centers, the trades, industry, and other training centers and organizations nationwide.

This year’s conference also will feature sessions on job forecasts and labor profiles, which will report on expected workforce development needs and the corresponding training programs required to meet projected employer demand. Sessions will identify career pathways for individuals with diverse backgrounds, skill levels, and work experience. Sessions also will focus on curriculum development and various programs and activities initiated by federal and state governments. Throughout the conference, there will be dialogue about meeting challenges that are emerging with the growing need for quality training services.

State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith said, “At the Department of Labor, we believe that New York’s potential in the green sector is limitless. It is clear that Governor Paterson believes this too. His landmark Green Jobs legislation, one of the most forward-thinking bills of its kind in the entire country, will create thousands of jobs over the next five years and lift thousands more out of poverty. This conference exemplifies the Governor’s vision of an Innovation Economy.”

In addition to U.S. Representative Paul Tonko, other speakers include Karen Villeneuve, Director of NYSERDA’s Residential Efficiency and Affordability Program; Mary Spilde, President of Lane Community College and Chair of the American Association of Community Colleges; Dan Lance from GE Wind; Jeff Spies of AEE Solar; Debra Rowe from Oakland Community College, and Steve Nadel from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

The conference is sponsored by NYSERDA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the New York Department of Labor, and organized by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, the Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, Hudson Valley Community College, Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, Lane Community College, Workforce Development Institute, and Conservation Services Group. The conference will host registrants from 34 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and five countries, England, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and a German delegation of vocational education experts. The conference will have three plenary and general sessions, 17 breakout sessions, 52 presentations, and over 70 speakers sharing their experiences and expertise.

For more information, preview the full program at Conference Program.

CONTACT:

Colleen Ryan,
NYSERDA
518-862-1090, ext 3359
cqr@nyserda.ny.gov