Career Pathways
Bu i l d i n g t h e Wo r k f o rc e f o r a G r e e n Ec o n o m y
June 2011
Green Jobs and the Ohio Economy
Part 4
Education and
Training Programs
Green Jobs and the Ohio Economy
Part 4
Education and
Training Programs
June 2011
Prepared by the
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
for the
Bureau of Labor Market Information
Office of Workforce Development
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
in cooperation with the
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training
Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S.
Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied,
with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the
information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This solution is
copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for noncommercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Acknowledgments
This report would not have been possible without the generous assistance provided by many
individuals and organizations. The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs would like
to acknowledge the guidance and support provided by the project sponsors and partners:
Sponsors:
•
•
Ohio Board of Regents (OBR)
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS)
Partners:
•
•
Ohio Environmental Council (OEC)
Center for Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA) at Wright State University
In addition, the Ohio Green Pathways Advisory Panel (OGPAP) played an instrumental role in
several aspects of the project, and dozens of institutions within the University System of Ohio
(USO) provided program information directly for this report or indirectly through previous work
conducted by project sponsors and partners.
Special thanks are owed to the following individuals who generously shared their knowledge
and insights with project researchers: Dale Arnold, Ohio Farm Bureau; Jay Bahr, Ohio
Department of Development; Teny L. Bannick, Architect; Dan Barringer, DBArchitects;
Jeffrey Bates, Columbus State Community College; Sherry Becker, The Career Center –
Adult Technical Training; Lori Bedson, Richland County Job and Family Services; Mary
Benedict, BioOhio; Ann Benfield, Apollo Career Center; Jack A. Bialosky, Jr., Bialosky &
Partners Architects; Dean Bortz, Columbus State Community College; Erin Bowser, Horizon
Wind Energy; Bruce Braine, American Electric Power; Dan Burklo, Northwest State
Community College; Nicole Campbell, Burgess & Niple, Inc.; Travis Chapin, Bowling Green
State University; Larry Cherveny, Cincinnati State Technical College; Ronald Choia, AirTAB
International; Dave Compaan, AltE Store; Tonya Conrath, Tri-County Adult Career Center;
John Cotton, Ohio University; Daniel P. Coyne, Youngstown State University; Crown
Equipment Corporation; Joseph Deak, Lakeland Community College; John DeCola, Kent
State University; William Deffenbaugh, Penta Career Center; Courtney Deoreo, Lorain
County Community College; Kathy Derheimer, Ohio Department of Development; Daniel
Durfee, Zane State College; Wayne Earley, PolymerOhio; Scott Easton, Westoff, LLC;
Duncan Estep, Loraine County Community College; Michael Evans, Ohio Department of
Development; Susan Everett, Clark State Community College; Larry Feist, Cincinnati State
Technical Community College; Byron Finch, Miami University; David Fish, Ashtabula County
Job and Family Services; Pamela Frugoli, Employment Training Administration; Frank Fuller,
Stark State College; Aaron Gaynor, The EcoPlumbers; Lee Geise, Blue-Green Alliance; David
Grabski, Cuyahoga Community College; Katie Grayem, American Electric Power; Michelle
Greenfield, Third Sun Solar; Maarten Uijt De Haag, Ohio University; Jane Harf, University
Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio; Janet Hartley, Bowling Green State University; Marilyn
i
Hortsman, Allen County Job and Family Services; William Hotz, Terra Community College;
Jerry Hutton, Hocking College; Jalal Jalali, Youngstown State University; Daniel W. Jones,
Turner Construction Co.; Karen Joslin, Joslin Construction Consulting; John Kennedy, ATA
Beilharz Architects; Dong-Shik Kim, University of Toledo; John Kelly Kissock, University of
Dayton; Natalie Kruse, Ohio University; Nancy Kukay, North Central State College; Steve
Lipster, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Jason Long, Black Diamond
Construction Co.; Thomas Looker, Edison State Community College; Thomas H. Lovdal, T.H.
Lovdal & Co. LTD; Richard Lubinski, Think Energy Management, LLC; Christi Lynch, Ohio
Department of Development; Andrew Maciejewski, Ohio Department of Job and Family
Services; Sonia Marcus, Ohio University; Rich Markham, PolymerOhio; Jay McCreary,
Marion Technical College; Kim McKinley, Tri-County Adult Career Center; Jon Meola, CT
Consultants; David Mertz, Belmont Technical College; Larry Miller, Shawnee State University;
Ray Miller, University of Cincinnati; Dominique Mosley, UPS Logistics Technologies; Frank
Neely, Workforce Investment Board of Southwest Missouri; Paul Orban, BDHP Architecture;
David Panich, Panich & Noel Architects; Joy Pothoff, Bowling Green State University; Steve
Potter, The Ohio State University; Ann Randazzo, Center for Energy Workforce Development;
Jon Ratner, Forest City Enterprises, Inc.; Eric Robey, Rhodes State College; Jim Rosen,
Apollo Career Center; Keith Saunders, Rio Grande University; Mark Schaff, Occupational
Supply-Demand System; David Schmidt, Wright State University; Ruth Seiple, University of
Cincinnati; Tom Selis, Rhodes State College; Susan Shearer, Stark State College; Randy
Shoup, H & S Plumbing; Dave Siravo, Owens Community College; Robert Slabodnick, North
Central State College; Kevin Snape, Cuyahoga Community College; Jonathan Sowash,
TechGROWTH Ohio; Bill Spratley, Green Energy Ohio; Mahesh Srinivasan, University of
Akron; Ann Stankovic, Cleveland State University; David Strickland, Scioto County Career
Technical Center; David Sturbois, Sturbois Enterprises; Bill Tacon, BioOhio; Reed
Tarkington, Four Seasons Environmental, Inc.; Tina Trombley, Washington State Community
College; Oya Tukel, Cleveland State University; Dennis Ulrich, Cincinnati State Technical and
Community College; Janice Urbanik, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College; John
Villers, Upper Valley Joint Vocational School; Kathleen Williams, Workforce One – Job and
Family Services of Butler County; Jeff Wilson, HGTV; S.T. Yang, The Ohio State University
Ohio Bioprocessing Research Consortium; and Frank Zangara, Ohio Department of
Development.
The project team included the following individuals from the Voinovich School of Leadership
and Public Affairs at Ohio University:
Mathew Austin
Rachael Brainard
Emily Hawley
Kate Leeman
Barry Oches
Steven Porter
Kelli Coughlin Schoen
Lezlee Ware
Rachel Barnette
Holly Craycraft
Zachary Holl
Josh Lundfelt
Vlad Pascal
Mayla Puckett
David Simon
Nicole Yandell
Sara Lichtin Boyd
Kyle Gumto
Amanda Janice
Scott Miller
Cindy Poole
Dina Rouff
Matt Trainer
ii
.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... i
Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iii
Index of Tables and Figures ......................................................................................................... v
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1
Defining Green Jobs .................................................................................................................. 1
Best Practices in Green-Related Education and Training ......................................................... 2
Green Pathways Database ....................................................................................................... 5
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 6
Project Background and Overview ............................................................................................ 6
Green Jobs, Innovation and the University System of Ohio ...................................................... 6
Defining Green Jobs .................................................................................................................. 7
Green Career Pathways .......................................................................................................... 12
Best Practices in Green Jobs Education and Training ................................................................ 14
Introduction and Overview ....................................................................................................... 14
Best Practice One: The program is based on an assessment of regional workforce demands.
................................................................................................................................................ 19
Best Practice Two: The program’s curriculum is informed by industry input. .......................... 24
Best Practice Three: The program has clearly defined strategies for measuring success, such
as ongoing assessments of curricula and learning outcomes. ................................................ 28
Best Practice Four: The program includes hands-on training with equipment of the type likely
to be used in the workplace. .................................................................................................... 33
Best Practice Five: The program provides workplace experience for students through
internship or apprenticeship opportunities. .............................................................................. 37
Best Practice Six: The program is designed and implemented in partnership with the many
agents involved with green jobs promotion and preparation, including labor unions,
community organizations, state and local government agencies, other educators and/or
employers. ............................................................................................................................... 41
iii
Best Practice Seven: The program is purposefully situated within a larger green career
pathway. This may entail transfer articulation agreements with other schools, outreach to
secondary schools, etc. ........................................................................................................... 48
Green Pathways Database ......................................................................................................... 55
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 55
Data Sources........................................................................................................................... 56
References.................................................................................................................................. 60
Appendix A: Acronyms Used in This Report ............................................................................... 64
Appendix B: O*Net Green Occupations .................................................................................... 65
Appendix C: Organizations Identified by Survey Respondents .................................................. 72
Appendix D: Educator Survey Methodology ............................................................................... 74
Appendix E: Educator Survey Instrument ................................................................................... 77
Appendix F: Green Jobs Training and Education Survey Frequency Tables ............................. 88
Appendix G: Green Pathways Database Methodology ............................................................... 98
Introduction and Overview ....................................................................................................... 98
Key Resources Utilized ........................................................................................................... 98
Methodological Challenges ..................................................................................................... 99
Appendix H: Overview of Green-Related Programs in the University System of Ohio Based on
IPEDS Data ............................................................................................................................... 108
Appendix I: Maps of University System of Ohio Institutions with Green-Related Programs ..... 115
iv
Index of Tables and Figures
Table 1. Green Jobs Definitions Related to O*Net Green Occupation Categories ....................... 9
Table 2. Targeted Sectors of Ohio’s Green Economy ................................................................ 10
Table 3. O*Net Green Economy Sectors .................................................................................... 11
Table 4. Which of the following statements apply to the creation of your program? ................... 21
Table 5. Does your program use any of the following methods to evaluate its effectiveness? ... 30
Table 6. About what percentage of the required coursework is spent on hands-on training? .... 34
Table 7. Does your program have a partnership with any of the following types of organizations?
.................................................................................................................................................... 44
Table 8. Services Provided by Program Partners ....................................................................... 45
Table 9. Which of the following statements apply to your program? .......................................... 53
Figure 1. Key Information in Database ....................................................................................... 56
Table 10. Green-Related Programs at an Ohio Technical College ........................................... 101
Table 11. Potential CIP codes for a Mechanical Engineering Technology Program ................ 103
Table 12. SOC Codes Related to CIP 48.0501: Machining Tool Technology .......................... 105
Table 13. Programs by Type of Institution in the Green Pathways Database and IPEDS ........ 109
Table 14. Public and Private Green-Related Programs ............................................................ 109
Table 15. Public Green-Related Programs in the USO by Type of Institution .......................... 110
Table 16. Green-Related Programs in the USO by Type of Degree or Certificate ................... 111
Table 17. Green-Related Postsecondary Awards, Certificates and Diplomas in the USO by
Subcategory .............................................................................................................................. 112
Table 18. Green-Related Programs in the USO by Green Sector ............................................ 114
v
Executive Summary
This part of Green Jobs and the Ohio Economy presents the results of research relating to:
•
•
•
Definitions of green jobs and their significance to Ohio’s education and workforce
development community;
Best practices in green-related education and training programs nationally and within the
University System of Ohio (USO); and
Development of a “Green Pathways Database” including green-related education and
training programs within the USO linked to occupations and sectors of the green
economy.
Green-related education and training programs within the USO are important to Ohio because
they contribute to Ohio’s economy by supporting the growth of green jobs, but their value
extends beyond these areas. Green-related training and education supports innovation and
therefore warrants attention as an important contributor to wealth creation in Ohio and global
competitiveness. The USO’s green-related Centers of Excellence demonstrate the strong ties
between industry partnerships, research, education and the attraction and retention of critical
workforce talent to Ohio.
Defining Green Jobs
Three key types of green jobs definitions are relevant to Ohio’s educators and workforce
development professionals: output-based, skills-based and sector-based. Output-based
definitions include all jobs required to produce a green product or service, regardless of whether
green-related skills or knowledge are required for each job. Skills-based definitions focus on
jobs that require green-related skills or knowledge, regardless of whether or not the product or
service produced is green. For example, skills-based green jobs may exist in industries that do
not produce green output but still require green-related skills or knowledge among some
workers in order to operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner. Sector-based
definitions seek to categorize green jobs by industry and are typically utilized to narrow the
application of output-based or skills-based definitions to particular sectors such as renewable
energy or manufacturing.
All three types of green jobs definitions are reflected in the research described in this report.
The broadest aspect of this research – the development of a green-related program database –
utilizes a definitional framework established by the Occupational Information Network (O*Net).
The O*Net framework captures both output-based and skills-based definitions within three
categories of green occupations: increased demand, enhanced skills and new and emerging.
The survey of Ohio educators conducted as part of the research into best practices in green
jobs training and education was similarly broad in its dissemination to over 800 programs
relating to all three of O*Net’s green occupation categories.
In terms of sectors, the research described in this report utilizes two complementary
approaches. The research regarding best practices focuses on the following seven sectors that
are particularly important for Ohio:
1
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Renewable Energy
Energy Efficiency
Manufacturing
Advanced Energy
Bioscience
Green Building
Agriculture/Biomass
The Green Pathways Database utilizes these seven sectors as well as a more inclusive set of
twelve sectors defined by O*Net. Programs in the database are linked to occupations (with
some exceptions), which are in turn linked to sectors within each of these frameworks.
Best Practices in Green-Related Education and Training
For this report, best practices in green-related education and training are activities that have
been identified as the most effective strategies for providing students with the skills and
knowledge that are in demand by employers in the green economy.
In order to identify and prioritize best practices in green-related education and training,
Voinovich School researchers drew upon interviews with Ohio educators and employers,
conducted a literature review and consulted with project sponsors and the Ohio Green
Pathways Advisory Panel (OGPAP). Seven best practices were prioritized as a result of this
process. Researchers then used case study research and a survey of educators to gather
information about how these best practices are implemented nationally and in Ohio. A survey
was deployed to contacts for 806 programs selected from the Green Pathways Database and
269 responses were utilized in the analysis. Over 30 case studies of nationally exemplary
programs and Ohio programs were developed in order to illustrate implementation of the seven
best practices.
The following are the seven prioritized best practices as well as select information gathered
about each best practice from case studies and the educator survey.
1. The training program and its curriculum are based on an assessment of regional
workforce demands.
This best practice consists of accessing labor demand projections, consulting with local
employers, or otherwise establishing that a green jobs training or education program is
preparing students for occupations that are in demand locally.
When asked about the reasons behind the creation of their programs, the vast majority of the
surveyed educators (80.6 percent) reported that employer requests and/or a perceived need in
the labor market played a role in prompting their programs’ development. Employer requests
seemed to be a significant prompt for the creation of certificate and associate’s programs in
particular.
2. The program’s curriculum is informed by industry input.
2
This best practice requires maintaining close contact with industry to ensure that program
curricula reflect the latest industry standards.
A total of 63.7 percent of surveyed educators stated that industry standards and/or certification
criteria were used in the development of program curricula. Programs that produce certificates
and associate’s degrees appear particularly likely to use industry standards during program
creation.
While most programs reported using industry standards and/or certification criteria for curricula
development, a much smaller percentage of programs (14.2 percent) indicated that students
actually sit for a certifying exam as part of the program or upon completion of the program.
Survey respondents reported that they consult the standards of all of the key certifying
organizations identified in the national best practice research conducted for this report.
Appendix C lists those programs and all other organizations whose credentialing requirements
and/or industry standards survey respondents reported consulting (either by consulting the
standards during curriculum development or by preparing students to sit for the associated
certifying exams).
3. The program has clearly defined strategies for measuring success, such as ongoing
assessments of curricula and learning outcomes.
This best practice stresses the need for setting clearly defined goals and regularly monitoring a
program’s progress toward those goals.
When surveyed, 84.5 percent of responding educators indicated that they solicited student
feedback as a form of program evaluation. In addition, 68.7 percent reported that their curricula
are reviewed on a regular basis, and 53.2 percent indicated that they track student employment
status after graduation.
4. The program includes hands-on training with equipment of the type likely to be used
in the workplace.
This best practice requires that green jobs education and training programs supplement lecture
and online instruction with hands-on components that allow students the opportunity to interact
with up-to-date equipment.
A total of 78.7 percent of surveyed Ohio educators reported that hands-on training is one of the
instructional methods used in their program. Associate’s programs and certificate programs
most frequently selected this option (93.8 percent and 84.0 percent, respectively).
5. The program provides workplace experience for students through internship or
apprenticeship opportunities.
This best practice stresses the value of providing students the opportunity to gain real-world
work experience prior to graduation.
When surveyed, 64.9 percent of the responding educators reported that they offer either a
required or optional internship component to their students. Internships appear more common in
programs that produce bachelor’s (84.4 percent) and associate’s degrees (77.2 percent) and
3
less common in both certificate (43.5 percent) and advanced degree programs (41.8 percent).
Only a small number of programs reported having an apprenticeship component (18.9 percent).
6. The program is designed and implemented in partnership with the many agents
involved with green jobs promotion and preparation.
This best practice consists of collaborating with the many potential partners in green jobs
education, training and promotion. These include community organizations, educators,
employers, government agencies and labor unions.
Survey data indicate that Ohio programs are enlisting partners in their efforts to prepare
students for green jobs. Overall, local employers were the most commonly selected partner
(66.1 percent of survey respondents indicated having a partnership with local employers)
followed by educators at other schools (55.6 percent of respondents selected this option). Only
6.3 percent of respondents indicated having a partnership with labor unions.
7. The program is purposefully situated within a larger green career pathway.
A green career pathway maps out the linkages between green education and training programs,
the skills and credentials they provide and the occupations for which these skills and credentials
are relevant. The overall goal of a green career pathway is to make it easier for students and
incumbent workers to enter or advance within a green industry. When asked whether they had
specific elements of career pathways, 74.8 percent of respondents reported providing programrelated career counseling and job placement services to students; 62.6 percent reported having
transfer articulation agreements with other schools; and 57.3 percent reported performing
outreach to secondary schools.
Anecdotal evidence uncovered during the case study research suggests that the identified best
practices are often mutually reinforcing. Implementing one best practice typically creates
conditions that make it easier to implement another. This research also appears to indicate that
there are a variety of ways in which the best practices can be implemented or, when necessary,
approximated. The Ohio examples run the gamut from programs that are setting the standard
for a given best practice to schools that are finding innovative ways to implement best practices
in the absence of ideal preconditions. Survey results indicate that the best practices frequently
find their best fit with certificate- and associate’s-producing programs, though it should be noted
that the literature from which the best practice list was drawn has a major focus on these types
of programs.
This research also highlights strong alignment between the identified best practices and
common elements of career pathway approaches to workforce development. Successful career
pathway models bring together many of the best practices in green-related education and
training described in this report. For example, partnerships and multi-faceted employer
engagement are prominent among the national and Ohio programs featured in the case studies,
as they are among robust career pathway models, generally. Therefore, the research described
in this report suggests that USO initiatives focusing on career pathway approaches – including
the Ohio Skills Bank and Stackable Certificates – emphasize the types of institutional capacities
that will continue to serve Ohio well in its efforts to prepare workers for the green economy.
4
Reflecting overlaps between the green economy and the broader economy, examples of greenrelated career pathways suggest that such pathways can often be embedded within or tied to
pathway approaches focusing upon traditional industries.
Green Pathways Database
The researchers worked with project partners and sponsors to develop a “Green Pathways
Database” – an inventory of over 1,300 green-related programs within the University System of
Ohio linked to pertinent occupations and sectors within Ohio’s green economy. The database
will enable the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Board of
Regents (OBR) to make program information available online in a searchable format for use by
job-seekers, education-seekers, educators and employers. The data will be made available at
two complementary websites: http://ohiolmi.com/research/research.htm (to be established by
ODJFS) and http://www.ohiogreenpathways.org (to be established by OBR).
The Green Pathways Database is comprised primarily of green-related programs previously
identified in two-year and four-year program catalogs developed by OBR in partnership with the
Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) and the Ohio Green Pathways Advisory Panel in 2009-2010.
In addition, the research team contacted 96 USO institutions (two-year schools, four-year
schools and adult career centers) to identify additional programs not included in these program
catalogs. Individual program information was then linked to O*Net-identified green occupations
and sectors to the extent possible. This process revealed that some of the programs identified
by USO schools do not appear to be linked to green-related occupations, while some programs
that appear to be linked to green-related occupations were not identified by their schools. This
reflects the many ambiguities involved in defining green jobs.
Points to consider regarding the database and its value include the following:
•
•
•
•
The database is a snapshot in time. Within the USO, green education and training
programs are constantly being added and other programs enhanced with green-related
content.
There is substantial variation in how individual institutions define green-related
programming, and this is reflected in the database.
The database indicates which programs appear to be linked to green-related
occupations and which do not.
The database could serve as a starting point for the development of regional inventories
of green-related training and education programs, a key component of career pathways.
5
Introduction
Project Background and Overview
Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs was engaged in 2010 by
the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to conduct
research focusing on green-related education and training programs within the University
System of Ohio. The two key purposes of this research are as follows:
•
•
Identify best practices in green-related education and training programs nationally and
examine the extent to which these best practices are being implemented among the
USO’s green-related programs.
Develop a Green Pathways Database including the USO’s green-related education and
training programs linked to occupations and sectors within the green economy.
The anticipated outcomes of this research include:
•
•
The dissemination of information across Ohio’s educational and workforce development
community regarding best practices in green-related education and training programs as
well as national and Ohio models exemplifying these best practices.
The establishment of an online, searchable database of green-related education and
training programs within the University System of Ohio, organized by sectors and
occupations within the green economy.
Green Jobs, Innovation and the University System of Ohio
The USO’s green-related education and training programs are important to consider because
they have the potential to enhance Ohio’s economy by supporting the growth of green jobs.
More broadly, green-related training and education supports innovation and therefore warrants
attention as an important contributor to wealth creation in Ohio and global competitiveness.1
Further, from a workforce development perspective, a relationship exists between green-related
education and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education since over
40 percent of STEM-related occupations can also be classified as green.2
In addition to education and training roles, many USO institutions drive green-related innovation
through research and development efforts. The USO’s Centers of Excellence provide and
attract public and private investment to industries that drive innovation and economic
development in the state’s economy.3 The state’s 42 Centers of Excellence include 24 in the
following green-related categories: advanced energy; agriculture, food production and
bioproducts; enabling technologies; and advanced transportation and aerospace. The goals and
metrics identified by each of these centers illustrate the strong, symbiotic linkages between
economic innovation and the development and retention of workforce talent in Ohio. A map of
Ohio’s green-related Centers of Excellence is provided in Appendix I of this report.
1
Nidumolu, Prahalad, and Rangaswami, “Key Driver of Innovation,” 60.
For a good review of these issues, see Kuenzi, “Science, Technology, Engineering.”
3
“Ohio Centers of Excellence: About this Site,” Ohio.gov: University System of Ohio, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://ohiocentersofexcellence.ning.com/.
2
6
Educational institutions also play key roles in Ohio’s green economy by publicly disseminating
information about environmental sustainability and implementing more sustainable operating
practices. Such activities can impact student and public knowledge about sustainability,
generate demand for green jobs and provide on-campus applied learning opportunities for
students.4 Some USO institutions leverage their role as employer and purchaser to forward
environmental sustainability goals in their respective regions. These efforts, in turn, support and
enhance institutional capacities to provide effective green-related training. Sustainability
websites for USO institutions include numerous examples of the strong connections between
academic programs and institutional sustainability initiatives.5 Eleven USO institutions have
formalized commitments to sustainability as signatories to the American College and University
President’s Climate Commitment.6
Defining Green Jobs
Several previous research efforts have addressed the challenges involved in accurately and
consistently defining the green economy and green jobs.7 While progress has been made in
standardizing the definition of green jobs, there is still no single definition that is applicable to all
situations. The following discussion highlights three types of green jobs definitions – outputbased, skills-based and sector-based – that are significant for Ohio’s educators and workforce
development professionals.
Output-Based Definitions
Output-based definitions of green jobs focus on the nature of the good or service being provided
or produced, not the skills or knowledge required to produce or provide it. For example, based
on the output approach, a wind turbine manufacturing company includes many types of green
jobs including ones that are directly involved in designing or manufacturing the product (such as
mechanical engineers and welders) and others that are not (like accountants and janitors).8
Output-based definitions typically include distinctions between primary green jobs, which are
directly related to green activities and support green jobs, which are not.
4
For examples, see Feldbaum and States, Going Green.
“University System of Ohio Sustainability Web Sites,” Ohio.gov: University System of Ohio, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://uso.edu/opportunities/sustainability/pages.php.
6
“Signatory List by State,” American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/signatories/list/state.
7
For example, see Georgetown University, State of Green; Woods, Measurement and Analysis; and U.S.
Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, Measuring the Green Economy.
8
Bezdek, Wendling, and DiPerna, “Environmental Protection,” 71.
5
7
Skills-Based Definitions
Skills-based definitions focus on the green-related skills or knowledge required to perform work
activities, not the nature of the product or service being produced. The U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, for example, has developed a “process” definition of green jobs that includes jobs in
which workers “research, develop, maintain, or use technologies and practices to lessen the
environmental impact of their establishment, or train the establishment’s workers or contractors
in these technologies and practices.”9 Such jobs can exist in companies that produce a green
product or service as well as those that do not and can impact many different types of jobs in
some industries. The United States Employment Training Administration (ETA) and several
industry partners, for example, have recently revised the ETA’s advanced manufacturing
competency model to include sustainable and green manufacturing as a category of industrywide technical competencies applicable to many occupations irrespective of the product being
manufactured.10
Sector-Based Definitions
Most green job definitions distinguish among different sectors of the green economy, with sector
definitions varying from state to state and occupational characteristics and training needs
varying from sector to sector. Sectors are often defined in order to count green jobs, but sector
definitions can be equally useful in providing educators and workforce development
professionals with a conceptual understanding of the green economy.11 As illustrated by the
“process” definition of green jobs, even sectors that do not produce green products or services
can be significant drivers of green-related education and training needs if those sectors are
increasingly adopting green-related processes.
Definitions Used in This Report
The definition of green-related occupations used in this report is based on a framework
developed by the Occupational Information Network. This framework defines the following three
types of green occupations:
•
•
•
Green Increased Demand Occupations. These are occupations for which green
economy activities and technologies increase demand but do not significantly change
the work or worker requirements of the occupation.
Green Enhanced Skills Occupations. These are occupations for which green economy
activities and technologies significantly change the work and worker requirements of the
occupation (while not necessarily increasing demand for the occupation).
Green New and Emerging (N&E) Occupations. These are occupations for which the
impact of green economy activities and technologies is sufficient to create the need for
9
“BLS Green Jobs Definition,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://www.bls.gov/green/#definition, see link to PDF at http://www.bls.gov/green/green_definition.pdf.
10
“Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model,” CareerOneStop, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/pyramid.aspx?hg=Y.
11
For example, see Collaborative Economics, Many Shades of Green, 4-10; and Chapple et al., Innovating the Green
Economy, v-vii.
8
unique work or worker requirements, in turn suggesting the need for the development of
an occupational definition that did not previously exist.12
Table 1 illustrates how these three categories of green occupations relate to the definitions
discussed above. The table presents relationships that are generally applicable, although there
may be exceptions. Output-based criteria apply to all three types of occupations because all
three types are required in order to produce green-related output (products or services). Skillsrelated criteria apply primarily to the enhanced skills and new and emerging categories. Primary
green jobs tend to be in the enhanced skills and new and emerging categories, while support
jobs tend to be in the increased demand category.
Table 1. Green Jobs Definitions Related to O*Net Green Occupation Categories
Green Jobs Definitions
Output-Based
Skills-Based
O*Net Green Occupation Categories
Increased
Enhanced
New and
Demand
Skills
Emerging
x
x
x
x
x
Primary Green Jobs
Support Green Jobs
x
7 Targeted Ohio Sectors
12 O*Net Sectors
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Output-based definitions are meaningful to educators and workforce development professionals,
because they highlight the demand for a wide range of occupations within the green economy.
Although they may not require green-related knowledge, skills or curricula, the demand for
these occupations is nonetheless important to meet. Skills-related definitions are also important
because they point educators and workforce development professionals to the types of
occupations that are most likely to require green-related curricular content.
In addition to the O*Net occupational categories, this report utilizes two complementary
definitions of green economy sectors. The best practice research focuses primarily on sectors of
particular significance to Ohio (see Table 2). These sectors correspond closely with those
targeted for the employer survey conducted by Wright State University and described in Part 3
of Green Jobs and the Ohio Economy. Programs in the Green Pathways Database are linked to
occupations in each of these seven sectors as well as occupations in a more inclusive set of
twelve sectors defined by O*Net and shown in Table 3.
12
Dierdorff et al., Greening of the World, 4.
9
Table 2. Targeted Sectors of Ohio’s Green Economy
Renewable Energy
Advanced Energy
Energy Efficiency
Bioscience
Manufacturing
Agriculture/Biomass
Green Building
This sector covers activities related to developing and using alternative energy
sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass.
This sector covers activities related to traditional sources of energy (such as oil, coal,
gas and nuclear) that are undergoing significant green technological changes in order
to increase energy output without increasing carbon dioxide emissions.
This sector covers activities related to increasing energy efficiency (broadly defined),
making energy demand response more effective, constructing "smart grids," and
other energy efficient activities.
This sector covers activities related to processing agricultural products into biofuels
and manufacturing products from organic materials. This sector also includes
research and development in the fields of biotechnology, engineering, and physical
and life sciences related to reducing dependence on fossil fuels or increasing energy
efficiency.
This sector covers activities related to industrial manufacturing of green technology
as well as energy efficient manufacturing processes.
This sector covers activities related to growing crops that can be used to produce
alternative fuels.
This sector covers activities related to constructing new green buildings, retrofitting
residential and commercial buildings, and installing other green construction
technology.
The relationship between skills-based and sector-based definitions is relevant to workforce
development professionals because curricular demands tied to green-related skills and
knowledge can issue from a wide range of sectors. Companies that produce green output
require some workers with green-related knowledge and skills as well as some workers without
such skills. The same is also true for companies that do not produce green output but may
employ green processes. As a result, green jobs exist in the green sectors shown in Tables 2
and 3 but are not limited to those sectors. For this reason, a nationwide green jobs survey to be
completed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will have two parts – one part targeted to
companies in 333 industry sectors in which green goods and services are produced and one
that will also reach employers in other sectors that may have green-related occupations and
training needs.13 Ultimately, direct engagement with employers in particular regions may be the
best way to ascertain the mix of green and non-green training needs among regional employers
and the particular sectors most affected by such needs.
13
“Green Jobs,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed May 23, 2011, http://www.bls.gov/green/.
10
Table 3. O*Net Green Economy Sectors
Agriculture and Forestry
Energy and Carbon Capture and Storage
Energy Efficiency
Energy Trading
Environment Protection
Governmental and Regulatory Administration
This sector covers activities related to using natural pesticides, efficient land
management or farming, and aquaculture.
This sector covers activities related to capturing and storing energy and/or carbon
emissions, as well as technologies related to power plants using the integrated
gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technique.
This sector covers activities related to increasing energy efficiency (broadly
defined), making energy demand response more effective, constructing "smart
grids," and other energy efficient activities.
This sector covers financial services related to buying and selling energy as an
economic commodity, as well as carbon trading projects.
This sector covers activities related to environmental remediation, climate change
adaptation, and ensuring or enhancing air quality.
This sector covers activities by public and private organizations associated with
conservation and pollution prevention, regulation enforcement, and policy analysis
and advocacy.
Green Construction
This sector covers activities related to constructing new green buildings, retrofitting
residential and commercial buildings, and installing other green construction
technology.
Manufacturing
This sector covers activities related to industrial manufacturing of green technology
as well as energy efficient manufacturing processes.
Recycling and Waste Reduction
This sector covers activities related to solid waste and wastewater management,
treatment, and reduction, as well as processing recyclable materials.
Renewable Energy Generation
This sector covers activities related to developing and using energy sources such
as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. This sector also includes traditional, nonrenewable sources of energy undergoing significant green technological changes
(e.g., oil, coal, gas, and nuclear).
Research, Design, and Consulting Services
This sector encompasses "indirect jobs" to the green economy which includes
activities such as energy consulting or research and other related business
services.
Transportation
This sector covers activities related to increasing efficiency and/or reducing
environmental impact of various modes of transportation including trucking, mass
transit, and freight rail.
Sources: O'Net, Greening of the World of Work
Shades of Green
Where to draw the line between green and non-green occupations is often difficult because of
the mix of output-based, skills-based and sector-based variables previously discussed. Ohio’s
workforce development professionals face the equally challenging task of understanding
“shades of green,” or the mix of green and non-green skills that are pertinent to green-related
occupations and program curricula. For example, research indicates that the mechanical
engineer occupation entails the ability to perform 27 different tasks, including 21 defined as nongreen and 6 defined as green.14 Similar task analysis conducted for 133 other green
occupations shows that the proportion of green-related tasks varies substantially among
occupations regarded as green.15 As the previous discussion of sectors makes clear, workforce
development professionals also confront “shades of green” challenges at company and sector
14
“O*NET® Research & Technical Reports,” O*NET Resource Center, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://www.onetcenter.org/reports/GreenTask.html.
15
Ibid.
11
levels, because green-related training needs apply only partially and at different levels of
intensity in any given company or sector.
Green Career Pathways
Through initiatives, including the Ohio Skills Bank and Stackable Certificates, the University
System of Ohio has emphasized the importance of demand-driven, regionally based and
institutionally collaborative workforce development approaches that focus on career
progressions in targeted industries.16 These efforts have placed Ohio among a handful of states
regarded as national leaders in the development of statewide career pathway systems.17
Successful career pathway models bring together many of the best practices in green-related
education and training described in this report. First, employer engagement and other types of
partnerships are central to effective career pathway approaches as well as many of the best
practices discussed in this report. In fact, there are few aspects of best practices in greenrelated education and training that do not involve partnerships, particularly those forged with
relevant employers. Collaborations among USO institutions and their partners are reflected in
articulation agreements, equipment-sharing, curriculum-sharing, data-sharing, joint research
and other activities that enable each institution’s respective resources to have greater impact.
Second, many green-related career pathway models reflect the extensive overlap among green
and non-green career progressions in some industries. These overlaps also reflect the reality
that green-related workforce needs are not confined to green-specific industries. For example,
sectors such as construction and manufacturing increasingly require green-related knowledge
and skills.
As a result of these overlaps, regional green-related career pathway approaches can often be
embedded within or tied to existing pathway systems developed to address the needs of more
traditional, non-green industries. In a given region, for example, the construction industry may
have the scale to justify the development of a related regional career pathway system, while the
current size of the green construction industry may not alone provide that justification. In
another region, a concentration of firms involved in science or engineering may warrant the
development of a career pathway system including, but not limited to, green jobs. For example,
these firms may collectively generate substantial demand for mechanical engineers even if only
a small proportion of the firms are engaged in green-related activities. In this circumstance, the
justification for developing a pathway system to meet this demand would be only partially greenrelated.
Third, regional career pathway approaches typically entail developing an inventory of related
education and training programs. The Green Pathways Database described in this report
provides a strong foundation for the development of such program inventories in each of Ohio’s
regions. As appropriate in each region, the programs in the database can be supplemented with
16
“Ohio Skills Bank,” Ohio.gov: University System of Ohio, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://uso.edu/opportunities/ohioskillsbank/index.php; Endel and Spence, The Ohio Skills Bank; and Columbus State
Community College, Ohio Stackable Certificates.
17
Community College Bridges to Opportunity Initiative, Career Pathways Toolkit, 7.
12
programs from outside the USO to create a more comprehensive inventory of programs in each
region.
13
Best Practices in Green Jobs Education and Training
Introduction and Overview
This part of Green Jobs and the Ohio Economy discusses best practices in green jobs
education and training. It includes an explanation of seven best practices and offers case
studies of schools nationally and in Ohio that implement these best practices. In addition, this
chapter presents selected findings from a survey of educators in the University System of Ohio.
This report uses the phrase “best practices” to mean those activities that are said to be
particularly effective for accomplishing a goal or set of goals.18 For the purposes of this report,
best practices in green jobs education and training are defined as those activities that are
effective for providing students with the skills and knowledge that are in demand by employers
in the green economy.
Identification of Best Practices for Green Jobs Education and Training
In order to identify best practices in green jobs education and training, Voinovich School
researchers conducted a broad search that included a literature review, an examination of data
from employer and educator interviews and consultation with project sponsors and the Ohio
Green Pathways Advisory Panel. The literature review quickly revealed that only a small
number of organizations have formally identified best practices for green jobs preparation, and
some of these organizations have created lists that are based on a specific sector of the green
economy.19 Given the absence of an adequate number of formally-identified best practices,
researchers inferred best practices from some of the literature on green jobs preparation. For
example, the criteria used by the Sustainability, Education and Economic Development Center
to identify “quality green programs” were incorporated into the best practice list, as were the
criteria for award programs such as the American Wind Energy Association’s Seal of Approval
for wind energy training programs.20 For the initial list of best practices, researchers included
potential best practices from sector-specific literature as well as literature that covered green
jobs training in general.
After this search was completed and an initial list of best practices was identified, other
researchers replicated the search to verify that the list was accurate and reasonably
comprehensive. The resulting list of best practices was then assessed to identify areas of
overlap. Duplicates were removed and sector-specific practices that also appeared as general
18
The phrase “best practices” often refers to strategies or programs that have been evaluated rigorously and found to
be highly effective and efficient. (For example, see “Colorado Best Practices,” Office of Interagency Prevention
Systems, accessed May 5, 2011, http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Best-Practices-V2/BPV/1216289092765.)
Using this definition of best practices is not possible for this study because the research on green jobs education and
training is still developing and there is not yet an extensive body of research from which to draw. Instead, this report
uses a definition of best practices that is closer to the idea of promising practices or effective practices.
19
An example of a sector-specific list of best practices would be Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices
Recommended Guidelines. An example of a more general list of best practices would be Ella Baker Center for
Human Rights, Making Green Work.
20
“Quality Green Program,” Sustainability, Education and Economic Development Center, accessed December 22,
2010, http://theseedcenter.org/Resources/What-is-a-Quality-Green-Program-; “Seal of Approval Program,” American
Wind Energy Association, accessed December 21, 2010, http://www.awea.org/learnabout/education/awea_soa.cfm.
14
best practices were recoded as general best practices. Once this process was completed, an
additional researcher followed the same procedure with the original list of all best practices and
the two resulting lists were triangulated. This process, described by Patton as “investigator
triangulation,” was used to make sure that the literature was reviewed and sorted as
systematically as possible and with minimal interpretive bias. 21
As a result of this process, the overall list changed from one of general and sector-specific best
practices to a list of general best practices only. The vast majority of sector-specific best
practices identified through the best practice search appeared to be the result of the application
of a general best practice to the particulars of a given industry. For example, best practices that
centered on the use of particular types of training equipment were viewed as the sector-specific
application of the general best practice that calls for utilizing up-to-date training equipment.
To further refine this research, the initial list of best practices was presented to project sponsors
and OGPAP members, providing them the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the best
practices they consider to be most important for green jobs preparation. Researchers also made
judgments about which best practices to include based on the frequency and intensity of their
appearance in the literature. This process resulted in the identification of the following seven
best practices for green jobs education and training. These best practices are not listed in order
of importance.
1. The training program and its curriculum are based on an assessment of regional
workforce demands.
2. The program’s curriculum is informed by industry input.
3. The program has clearly defined strategies for measuring success, such as ongoing
assessments of curricula and learning outcomes.
4. The program includes hands-on training with equipment of the type likely to be used in
the workplace.
5. The program provides workplace experience for students through internship or
apprenticeship opportunities.
6. The program is designed and implemented in partnership with the many agents involved
with green jobs promotion and preparation.
7. The program is purposefully situated within a larger green career pathway. This may
entail transfer articulation agreements with other schools, outreach to secondary
schools, etc.
This list summarizes much of the advice about green jobs preparation that experienced
practitioners from education, workforce development, economic development and industry have
provided. Nonetheless, some caveats should accompany this list. First, the list is not
exhaustive. The top seven best practices from the original draft list were selected in order to
create a scope compatible with project resources. Among the other best practices that could
have been included on the list are important items such as “The program has flexible curricula
that can adapt to dynamic labor market demands” and “The program has flexible curricula that
21
Patton, Enhancing the Quality and Credibility of Qualitative Analysis, 1195-1196.
15
can adapt to students’ varying experience levels.” The list of seven best practices should thus
be viewed as a list of some of the best practices that are most frequently mentioned in the
literature and that project sponsors and OGPAP members deemed to be particularly relevant for
Ohio.
Second, these best practices are not mutually exclusive. For example, making sure that there is
sufficient industry demand for graduates of a program (best practice number one) can be part of
the same process as making sure program graduates have the credentials or industrydetermined skill sets that employers will require (best practice number two). Similarly, a school
that establishes close partnerships with community organizations (best practice number six) can
use these partnerships to provide some of the supportive services that students need to
advance along a green career pathway (best practice number seven). Almost all of the best
practices, if implemented, will help a program to implement other best practices as well.
Third, the existing literature from which these best practices are drawn tends to focus heavily on
the role that community colleges play in green jobs education and training. This does not mean
that the identified best practices apply only to community colleges (in fact, some of the case
studies in this report show how other types of institutions are implementing these best
practices), but it may mean that these best practices often find their best fit with programming at
the community college level.
Finally, as has been pointed out elsewhere, care should be taken when assessing a best
practice or promising practice.22 Transferring a practice to a new setting requires “the
assessment and application of knowledge, ideas, skills and lessons learned. Because one size
does not fit all, some level of adaptation is usually required in the replication process in a new
setting.”23 For this reason, this chapter includes lengthier case studies that provide some detail
on the ways these practices were conceived and implemented, as well as many shorter case
studies that show the variety of ways in which these best practices can be adapted and
implemented.
National Examples of Best Practice Implementation
The literature that produced the list of best practices also includes many examples of institutions
across the country that implement these best practices with exceptional fidelity and success.
Researchers contacted representatives of some of these national programs and used semistructured interview guides to gather details about the implementation of the best practice under
study. Once each interview was completed, the interviewer produced a case study that was
then sent to the program contact for review. In the remainder of this chapter, each case study is
presented after the explanation of the best practice to which it relates. The inclusion of a
national case study with each best practice explanation is intended to provide more detail on the
ways that these best practices can be implemented. In the case of best practice number six –
“The program is designed and implemented in partnership with the many agents involved with
green jobs promotion and preparation” – two national case studies are included in order to cover
the multiple types of partnerships that programs can have.
22
23
Bolin, Promising Practices, 7-16.
Ibid, 9.
16
Ohio Examples of Best Practice Implementation
Researchers also conducted interviews with Ohio educators to generate case studies of the
various ways Ohio schools implement the best practices. Several sources were consulted to
identify Ohio schools to contact. The national literature on green jobs training and promotion
mentions several Ohio schools, and these schools were approached for interviews. Information
collected from Ohio educators and employers earlier in the project provided several leads, and
researchers also asked project sponsors for the names of Ohio programs that might be
implementing the best practices under study.
Once a list of potential schools was identified, researchers contacted the schools to ascertain
whether the best practice was in fact being implemented. If so, they used interview guides to
gather information about the best practice. Researchers wrote up the information in the form of
brief case studies, which were then sent to the program contact for review. Four Ohio case
studies are included with each best practice in order to illustrate the variety of ways that Ohio
schools have been found to implement the best practice. This should not be viewed as an
exhaustive list, as the researchers identified many programs within the USO that are
implementing each of the best practices.
Survey of Educators within the University System of Ohio
The Voinovich School researchers conducted a survey of educators within the University
System of Ohio in order to assess the extent to which the seven best practices are being
implemented in green-related programs within the USO. The survey also provides information
on each program’s demographics and its role in the green economy. In addition to findings
shared in this chapter, frequency tables are provided in Appendix F and the survey methodology
is described in Appendix D.
Program Demographics and Student Enrollment
Among those responding to the survey, 81.8 percent have been in place more than five years
and 5.6 percent of the programs started in the last year. Among certificate programs, 21.6
percent have been in place two years or less, compared to 11 percent of associate’s programs
and 4.1 percent of bachelor’s programs. Almost all of the programs (97.3 percent) offer courses
for academic credit.
Respondents were asked to estimate the minimum length of time to complete the program. A
total of 62.2 percent of respondents reported their program takes two years or less to complete,
with 29.1 percent indicating four years. From July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011, the programs’
enrollment ranged from zero to 2,000 with a median enrollment size of 30 students. During the
same period, the number of degrees and certificates programs awarded ranged from zero to
300, while the median number of awards conferred was seven.
Industry Sector and Preparation for Employment in the Green Economy
Respondents were asked to select from a list the industry sector or sectors in which each
program prepares students to work. Among all of the programs responding to the survey, 90.8
percent associated themselves with one or more of the seven green industry sectors. Programs
selected the renewable energy sector (47.5 percent) most often, followed by the energy
efficiency sector (44.8 percent) and the manufacturing sector (42.5 percent). Almost half of the
17
respondents (47.9 percent) indicated their program prepares students to work in one or two of
the listed sectors while 17.2 percent selected five or more of the sectors.
Looking at the programs by the type of degree they offer, over half of the certificate programs
(51.0 percent) indicate they prepare students to work in the energy efficiency sector with 46.9
percent of certificate programs selecting manufacturing. Manufacturing was the most frequently
chosen sector for associate’s degree programs (43.2 percent). The most common sector
selected among bachelor’s degree and advanced degree programs was renewable energy with
60.0 percent and 63.3 percent, respectively.
To determine the extent to which a program offers training or education in green-related skills,
programs were asked to identify whether or not such skills were embedded in the program’s
required or elective coursework. Over half of the programs (56.7 percent) indicated greenrelated skills are embedded in all or some of their program’s required coursework with another
18.3 percent of the programs offering green skills training in their elective coursework. Looking
at green education and training by sector, 81.1 percent of programs preparing students for the
green building sector offer green skills training in all or some of the required coursework,
compared to 55.9 percent of programs preparing students for the manufacturing sector.
Overview of Chapter
The remainder of this chapter is organized around the seven best practices. Each section
begins with a brief discussion of the best practice and a national case study of the best
practice’s implementation. Then, pertinent data from the USO educator survey are presented,
followed by four brief case studies that illustrate some of the ways Ohio schools are
implementing the best practice. As mentioned, the section pertaining to best practice number six
(“The program is designed and implemented in partnership with the many agents involved with
green jobs promotion and preparation”) includes two national case studies instead of one in
order to illustrate the many types of partnerships that are possible. The section pertaining to
best practice number seven (“The program is purposefully situated within a larger green career
pathway”) contains a considerably longer explanation of the best practice than is found in other
sections because career pathways include components of all the other best practices.
18
Best Practice One: The program is based on an assessment of
regional workforce demands.
Explanation of Best Practice
The literature on green jobs preparation contains frequent cautions against creating training
programs that prepare students for jobs that are not available in the area at the time students
complete the program.24 To avoid this potential problem, much of the existing literature on green
jobs training recommends that educators develop or gain access to regional workforce demand
projections during the initial stages of program development. This enables program developers
to identify the occupations for which their programs should prepare students, thereby increasing
the chances that graduates of the program can obtain and keep employment.
Labor market data is often useful in predicting job openings on the local labor market, but such
data can be very difficult to generate and/or to interpret. As Bozell and Liston note, “The
demand in today’s green sector is mostly not real, but
“The danger is that
projected. It is being driven primarily by government
communities will rush to
incentives and funding designed to create a market and
create green workforce
by venture capital investments.”25 Aside from the nature of
development programs,
the data itself, another complicating factor is that most
producing skilled workers for
educators do not have the resources to generate this data
jobs that do not yet exist in
or to gain access to it once it is produced. One Ohio
sufficient number or
manufacturing educator reported in an interview that there
permanence.”
“is no easy way to obtain workforce projections directly
from employers…It is time consuming and employers in
-from Greener Pathways: Job and
Workforce Development in the
this area do not readily reply to requests from schools for
Clean Energy Economy
information.”
When educators cannot gain access to labor market data collected by another organization and
cannot collect these data themselves, the literature suggests methods for approximating this
step. Other ways to understand employer training needs include holding roundtables with area
employers or sending out surveys to local employers to ask them for less formal demand
projections.26 The literature also stresses including local employers on program advisory boards
for many reasons, including the role that advisory boards typically play in approving proposals
for the creation of new programs. Having local employers on an advisory board allows them the
chance to provide input on the relevance of the program to their companies’ current and future
needs.
24
Sources for this best practice include: Bozell and Liston, Building Effective Green Energy, 5-6; Ella Baker Center
for Human Rights, Making Green Work, 10-11; Feldbaum and States, Building a Sustainable Future, 15; Interstate
Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices Recommended Guidelines, 6; “Quality Green Program,” Sustainability,
Education and Economic Development Center, accessed December 22, 2010,
http://theseedcenter.org/Resources/What-is-a-Quality-Green-Program-; Saha, Enhancing State Clean Energy, 2; and
White and Walsh, Jobs and Workforce Development, 27, 46.
25
Bozell and Liston, Building Effective Green Energy, 5-8.
26
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Making Green Work, 10-11.
19
Nationally-Recognized Example
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC), Division of Workforce and Economic
Development, Los Angeles, California. According to Dean Leticia Barajas, “We needed to
make sure that the students in our community programs would actually be ready for
employment upon graduation.” To achieve this goal, school administrators began by consulting
existing data on local workforce needs and projections, such as those developed by local
economic development departments. They soon discovered that these sources tended to focus
on traditional job categories and often contained little information on emerging occupations,
including those related to the green economy. As a result, LATTC recognized the need to
develop its own data. This included commissioning targeted studies from field-specific
researchers as well as gathering information directly from local employers.
LATTC pursued several strategies for engaging industry representatives in these discussions.
First, they built upon the school’s existing relationships as well as those of adjunct faculty
members who could serve as a bridge between academia and key green employment sectors
such as construction, design, manufacturing and transportation. An industry collaborative was
formed to facilitate further communication, but administrators soon learned that many
executives were more open in one-on-one conversations. In response, they provided key
employers with individual tours, access to faculty and input on curricular content. According to
Dean Barajas, response time is critical. “Being able to develop an idea, pilot and launch it within
a couple months’ time maximum has been a way that we’ve been able to demonstrate to our
industry partners that we’re credible.”
Based on these efforts, LATTC identified specific occupations, such as solar panel installation
and energy auditing, to be targeted for additional resources and development. For example, to
be eligible for program innovation support through the Division of Workforce and Economic
Development, departments needed to demonstrate that they met three or more criteria related
to preparing students for target occupations. In addition, a majority of faculty within the
department had to voluntarily agree to be willing to transform both the content and delivery
method of their curriculum to ensure their program aligned with the emerging needs of students
and employers. This strategy is credited with transforming the organization’s culture by
encouraging faculty to be actively engaged in change efforts, allowing LATTC to expand its
capacity without hiring new staff. For example, members of the carpentry faculty participated in
professional development training to become certified in energy efficiency and weatherization,
allowing the school to offer energy auditing courses.
This level of research is time-consuming and difficult. However, according to LATTC’s President
Roland “Chip” Chapdelaine, “It is our opinion that it is unethical for us to develop programs for
which there are no jobs available at the other end. The trick – how do you time it so you aren’t
too far ahead of the curve, preparing students two years before there are jobs?” To manage this
issue, LATTC attempts to slowly introduce emerging technologies into the curriculum, doing
research and training faculty members to ensure coverage of critical concepts and job skills. As
it becomes more certain that related jobs will develop, a certificate or degree program is
created, with limited enrollments at the beginning and capacity expansions to meet developing
demand as needed.
20
Ohio Survey Results
While the survey data collected from Ohio educators do not specify whether the responding
programs have gained access to formal workforce projections, they do suggest that the majority
of green jobs education and training programs are being developed in response to perceived
industry needs. When asked about the reasons behind the creation of their programs, the vast
majority of the responding educators (80.6 percent) reported that employer requests and/or a
perceived need in the labor market played a role in prompting their programs’ development.
Table 4 summarizes the reasons for program development selected by survey respondents.
Table 4. Which of the following statements apply to the creation of your program?
The program was created in response to employer
requests for education/training in this field.
The program was created in response to student
requests for education/training in this field.
The program was created in response to a
perceived current need in the labor market.
The program was created in response to a
perceived future need in the labor market.
The program was created because of increased
funding for green education/training.
The program has been in place for many years.
Other
Frequency
137
Percent
59.3%
73
31.6%
148
64.1%
120
51.9%
5
2.2%
16
13
6.9%
5.6%
Note: Thirty-eight respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose
multiple responses.
•
•
Respondents most frequently selected the option The program was created in response
to a perceived current need in the labor market (64.1 percent). A majority of respondents
also identified a perceived future need as a reason for the program’s creation (51.9
percent).
Over half of respondents (59.3 percent) also indicated that the program was a result of
employer requests for a specific type of training.
When the respondents’ answers are sorted by type of program (certificate, associate’s,
bachelor’s, or advanced degree) employer requests stand out as a substantial prompt for the
creation of certificate and associate’s programs. Among certificate programs, 71.4 percent
indicated that their program was created in response to employer requests, while 87.2 percent
of associate degree programs reported this to be the case.
Employer requests also appear to be a big driver of program creation for relatively new
programs. Among programs that began operating between one and two years ago, 81.8 percent
21
reported that program creation was prompted by employer requests, as opposed to 57.4
percent of programs that were created over five years ago.
Ohio Examples
Ohio schools are implementing this best practice in a variety of ways. Some have found ways to
access labor market data through industry associations. When not able to access labor market
data directly, schools have developed relationships with local employers to identify workforce
needs. Many have included industry representatives on their program advisory boards to ensure
that industry representatives review program content.
Cuyahoga Community College, Green Building/Energy Efficiency Workforce
Development Program. Cuyahoga Community College’s (Tri-C) Workforce Development
Office has an active advisory committee that offers leadership and direction in curriculum
development for Tri-C’s Green Building/Energy Efficiency Program. Comprised of both faculty
and industry leaders, this group performs formal outcome assessments to identify gaps between
employer needs and curriculum design as well as to track changes in workforce demand over
time. This information is regularly examined to formulate recommendations regarding
appropriate curricular updates. According to Kevin Snape, Vice President of Sustainability, “As
an educational institution, we are sometimes in a vacuum…Our advisory committee guides us
on our priorities, keeps us abreast of industry needs, evaluates what is working and what is not
and informs us of future expectations in the workforce.”
North Central State College, Integrated Systems Technology. When designing the
Integrated Technology Systems program at North Central State College (NCSC), program
coordinators worked closely with the area’s largest local manufacturer, along with several of the
manufacturer’s “feeder” companies. The program also created a more formal advisory
committee composed of industry representatives to guide program development. More recently,
NCSC has been able to access workforce demand projections compiled by the Regional
Manufacturing Coalition. According to Workforce Director Nancy Kukay, the assessment of local
workforce demand was a critical component of the program’s formation. Through this process,
NCSC gathered specific information about the types of training needed. Without that detailed
input, she says, “We would not have training equipment that replicates the manufacturing
processes, and would not have the hands-on component to the courses that employers have
reported to be critical.”
Rio Grande Community College, Engineering Technology. Rio Grande’s Power Plant
Operator and Mechanical Maintenance Programs were both developed in collaboration with
American Electric Power (AEP). As the primary local employer of program graduates, AEP’s
training needs have played an important role in shaping the curriculum. This influence is
underscored by the recent decision to discontinue the Power Plant Operator Program in direct
response to shifting AEP workforce demand. AEP’s role in this program further extends to
providing instructional support, paid summer internships, scholarships and even hosting some
courses at its facilities. This level of collaboration benefits both industry and students by
ensuring an effective match between educational content and industry needs.
22
Washington State Community College, Workforce Development Green Academy. In 2008,
Ohio passed legislation establishing ambitious benchmarks for reducing the state’s energy
demands and increasing the proportion of energy obtained from alternative sources. This new
law, combined with information gathered at conferences and from informal conversations with
local employers, led administrators at Washington State Community College to believe the time
might be right for establishing a series of green construction courses. To further assess the
idea, the school hosted a “lunch and learn” session attended by representatives from local
utilities, contractors and HVAC-related businesses. At this event, Workforce Development staff
presented their research findings and then asked participating businesses to provide feedback
based on their knowledge of the local economy and to identify the specific courses that would
be most useful.
23
Best Practice Two: The program’s curriculum is informed by
industry input.
Explanation of Best Practice
This best practice stresses the need for educators to maintain close contact with relevant
employers in order to ensure that the education or training program is meeting industry needs
for specific skills sets, knowledge and competencies. This is especially important in the field of
green jobs education and training, which prepares students for work in industries whose
technologies are rapidly evolving. To implement this best practice, programs are encouraged to
establish channels for receiving regular input from industry. These channels can include
advisory committees and other methods that allow industry representatives to provide
information about specific and current industry needs.
One application of this best practice suggests that educators look to see if the industry for which
they prepare students has produced formal recommendations for training and skill sets. In
addition, educators can make certain that their student’s skill sets include in-demand skills by
tailoring the curriculum to meet industry-recognized standards and certification requirements.27
One of the more fundamental building blocks of a program’s curriculum can be an industrycreated task analysis.28 For example, the North American Board of Certified Energy
Practitioners (NABCEP) has created task analyses for solar PV installers, solar thermal
installers, PV technical salespersons and small wind installers.
Another building block for curricula can be the certification requirements for a certain field. For
example, the requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Certification can be used to develop courses in green building, or Residential Energy Services
Network (RESNET) certification requirements can inform energy efficiency programming.
Many green jobs training programs are in fields that are
still new or that are rapidly evolving, and industry
standards may not yet be codified into task analyses or
certification requirements. However, even in the absence
of established industry standards, green jobs educators
can secure input through close collaboration with industry
representatives. One way to accomplish this is to
incorporate industry representatives into advisory
committees that approve and revise curriculum. Another
way is to use the Developing A CurriculUM Method
“Employers are the best and
most up-to-date source of
information on which
certifications and levels of
education are required for a
particular green job.”
-from Preparing the Workforce for a
“Green Jobs” Economy
27
Sources for this best practice include: Green for All, Pathways out of Poverty, 2, 6; Interstate Renewable Energy
Council, Best Practices Recommended Guidelines, 8-9; “Quality Green Program,” Sustainability, Education and
Economic Development Center, accessed December 22, 2010, http://theseedcenter.org/Resources/What-is-aQuality-Green-Program-; and White and Walsh, Jobs and Workforce Development, 39.
28
IREC defines a task analysis as “what people do, under what working conditions they do it, what they must know to
do it, and the skills they must have to do it.” Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices Recommended
Guidelines, 8.
24
(DACUM), which uses a combination of surveys, interviews and focus groups to develop
curriculum content.29
Nationally-Recognized Example
Michigan State University, Supply Chain Management Department, East Lansing,
Michigan. The Supply Chain Management program at Michigan State University makes a
concerted effort to keep in touch with key business partners by bringing representatives to
campus three to five times each year. “Given the nature of supply chain management, it is
critical to have these ongoing relationships with industry,” says Department Chair David Closs,
“They help us stay relevant.”
To encourage this ongoing interaction, the program provides a variety of different opportunities
for businesses to get involved. A Supply Chain Management Council was formed about 25
years ago, originally to help foster interested companies’ involvement in supply chain related
research. Although the focus of this effort has evolved over time, the group continues to meet
on campus once or twice each year, discussing topics of shared interest with both faculty and
students as well as participating in events organized by the student chapter of the Supply Chain
Management Association, including an annual career fair and three-day leadership academy.
Businesses also have the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty members to develop a
“live case.” This involves utilizing a recent, real-world challenge faced by the company to help
students better understand a particular supply chain management issue. A representative from
the business sets up the problem for the class and then the students discuss possible strategies
for addressing it, either in teams or as a group. In addition to increasing student engagement,
this interactive approach provides the business with an alternative strategy for evaluating
students’ abilities and identifying potential future recruits.
Several key companies also helped develop and sponsor Michigan State University’s Supply
Chain Operations Decision Environment (SCODE) intercollegiate supply chain team
competition. Over the course of a morning, student teams from up to 15 schools virtually
manage a company’s supply chain for 13 weeks, starting with deciding whether to locate a new
factory in Asia, Latin America or Europe. During the competition, “students really get to see how
marketing decisions affect the supply chain or how procurement decisions affect logistics,” says
Professor Closs. “You can talk about that in class, but for students to have the opportunity to
actually experience it is priceless.” Industry participation was particularly critical to this project
because of the challenge and expense involved in developing this type of interactive computer
program and hosting the annual competition.
Perhaps because of the diversity of participation opportunities, Michigan State’s Supply Chain
Management program has been successful at maintaining its connection with specific company
representatives over time, helping them to build relationships with peers and faculty members
29
Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices Recommended Guidelines, 9. For examples of green-related
DACUMs see “DACUM=Developing A CurriculUM,” Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center,
accessed June 14, 2011, http://www.ateec.org/learning/instructor/dacum.htm.
25
as well as their interest in Michigan State. Although a variety of successful industry engagement
models exist, Professor Closs says, “We keep the focus on the students and go from there.”
Ohio Survey Results
Most of the surveyed Ohio educators indicated that their program implements this best practice.
Specifically, 63.7 percent of respondents reported that industry standards and/or certification
criteria were used in the development of program curricula. Programs that produce certificates
and associate’s degrees in particular appear to use industry standards during program creation.
A total of 72.0 percent of certificate programs and 79.0 percent of associate’s programs
indicated that industry standards and/or certifications were used in the development of program
curricula. When the data is sorted according to the industry sectors for which each program
prepares students, the sector most frequently reporting the use of industry standards and/or
certification criteria is green building (74.3 percent) and the sector least frequently reporting this
is bioscience (46.0 percent).
While most programs reported using industry standards and/or certification criteria for curricula
development, a much smaller percentage of programs (14.2 percent) indicated that students
actually sit for a certifying exam as part of the program or upon completion of the program.
Certificate programs appear most likely to prepare students for specific certifying exams. A total
of 38.0 percent of certificate programs indicated that students sit for a certifying exam during or
after the program, compared to 12.3 percent for associate’s programs and even lower
percentages of bachelor’s and advanced degree programs. When the data is broken down by
industry sector, the sectors most frequently reporting that students sit for a certifying exam are
green building (21.1 percent) and energy efficiency (18.2 percent) while the sector least
frequently reporting this is bioscience (9.7 percent).
Survey respondents were also asked which organizations’ standards and certifying exams they
used (either by consulting the standards during curriculum developing or by preparing students
to sit for the certifying exams). Respondents were given a choice of the key certifying
organizations identified through the best practice research and were able to write in the name of
other organizations. Appendix C provides a list of the certifying organizations identified by the
best practice research as well as a list of the additional organizations written in by respondents.
All of the key certifying organizations identified in the best practice research were selected by
survey respondents, indicating that the Ohio schools completing the survey are consulting the
key credentialing requirements in the targeted sectors.
Ohio Examples
Ohio schools have used a variety of tactics to tailor their green programming to industry
standards. Some programs are explicitly designed to provide a specific certification to students
upon successful completion of the program. Other programs reflect industry input in alternative
ways, for example by transforming a Purchasing major into a Supply Chain and Operations
Management major to reflect the changed skill sets in the industry. Advisory committees again
play an important role in creating an avenue for industry input into education and training
programs.
26
Apollo Career Center, Light Commercial/Residential Construction Program. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires certification for technicians who will be
working with refrigerants due to the negative environmental impact caused by the improper
handling and disposal of these substances. In response, Apollo Career Center’s HVAC
curriculum has been structured to incorporate the EPA’s Section 608 Technician Certification
into the curriculum. Students learn the required information in the classroom and have the
opportunity to practice what they have learned in the lab under the supervision of a certified
instructor. In addition, the test fee is included in the cost of the 108-hour program, and test
preparation activities are built into the coursework. “Working from an EPA certification standard
and making sure the students can achieve that certification is helpful,” says staff member Jim
Rosen. “Employers appreciate their hands-on experience, and they’re looking for that
certification.”
The Career Center – Adult Technical Training, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council
(MSSC) Industrial Certification. Working with area manufacturers, the Career Center is
utilizing materials produced by the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) to further
develop the knowledge and skills of Ohio’s production workers. MSSC is a nationwide, industryled effort that has developed a training, assessment and certification system with four modules,
including Manufacturing Processes and Production, Quality Assurance, Maintenance
Awareness and Safety. These modules were developed with input from 700 companies, and
participants who complete all four modules will earn the MSSC Certified Production Technician
Certification.
Owens Community College, Alternative Energy and Sustainable Systems Technology.
Owens Community College has formed an advisory committee to help support the development
of its new associate’s degree in Alternative Energy and Sustainable Systems Technology. This
group includes program faculty as well as representatives from the energy sector such as First
Energy, Alternative Energy Solutions, Dovetail Solar and Wind and others. Based on their
experience, committee members provide input on degree requirements, course content and
resource allocation decisions. For example, at a recent meeting, attendees were asked to
review and provide feedback on various alternative energy training simulators that program
administrators are considering purchasing.
Miami University, Supply Chain and Operations Management. Miami University developed
its Supply Chain and Operations Management Program in direct response to a shift in industry
practices. Prior to 2000, the school was known for its Purchasing major. However, with
increased technology, outsourcing and globalization, businesses throughout the country began
to recognize the strategic value of integrating purchasing decisions with previously separate
areas such as transportation and operations. As the field became broader and more fully
integrated, Miami University transformed its Purchasing major into first a Supply Chain
Management major and, eventually, a Supply Chain and Operations Management major. To
reflect this new orientation, the entire curriculum was transformed, ultimately resulting in an
interdisciplinary course of study that combines classes in marketing, management and
information systems.
27
Best Practice Three: The program has clearly defined strategies
for measuring success, such as ongoing assessments of curricula
and learning outcomes.
Explanation of Best Practice
According to this best practice, green jobs education and training programs should set clearly
stated goals and regularly assess their progress toward these goals.30 There are two main
aspects to this best practice. The first aspect is the process of setting goals and measuring
programs’ progress toward them. Specifically, program developers are encouraged to clearly
identify program goals and specify the data that will indicate whether the program is achieving
those goals. The effectiveness of this effort is also dependent upon the development of
appropriate systems to collect and assess the data required for this analysis.
There are many recommendations for how to assess a program’s progress. Indicators of
success may include student employment status ninety days, six months and one year after
graduation; salaries earned by program graduates; and additional educational credentials or
certifications earned by program graduates. Indicators that students are on track to achieve
these goals may include student progress through the
program as well as feedback from students, faculty and
“Plan up front to measure
internship employers. Ways to acquire data about these
green jobs programs and
indicators include conducting student exit surveys,
make them better.”
administering pre- and post-tests of students’ knowledge
-from Greener Pathways: Jobs
in particular content areas and establishing formal
and Workforce Development in
mechanisms for soliciting feedback from employers
the Clean Energy Economy
regarding students’ levels of preparedness.
The second aspect of this best practice stresses that the goal-setting and measurement process
should be one that strengthens the program’s ability to produce graduates whose skills meet the
needs of industry. To achieve this objective, programs are encouraged to devise industryrelevant learning outcomes, frequently review these outcomes and closely monitor students’
ability to achieve these outcomes. This process is a part of the overall goal setting and
evaluation process.
Advisory committees play an important role in this best practice as well. The advisory committee
can be a crucial part of goal-setting and program review and can also be a valuable resource for
identifying and updating industry-relevant learning outcomes.
30
Sources for this best practice include: Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education,
Sustainability Curriculum; Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Making Green Work, 23; Green for All, Pathways out
of Poverty, 2, 7; “Quality Green Program,” Sustainability, Education and Economic Development Center, accessed
December 22, 2010, http://theseedcenter.org/Resources/What-is-a-Quality-Green-Program-; and White and Walsh,
Jobs and Workforce Development, 46.
28
Nationally-Recognized Example
Iowa State University, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering,
Continuous Curricular Improvement Process, Ames, Iowa. Iowa State University’s
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering originally began developing its
Continuous Curricular Improvement Process in the mid-1990s in response to related
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requirements. Since then, the
process has continued to develop and, according to Department Chair Rames Kanwar, “it keeps
our faculty inspired to keep evolving and to know that they are valued for their teaching ability.”
Every three years, the department works with various constituents, including an advisory board
made up of representatives from agriculture and industry, to review the program’s mission,
goals and objectives. This information is combined with relevant accreditation and recognition
criteria to generate a list of specific student learning outcomes. Next, the department’s
curriculum is examined to determine which outcomes are addressed by each course and to
ensure adequate coverage.
Annually, each faculty member meets with a curriculum committee made up of ten colleagues
known for their high-quality teaching. The presenting faculty member has ten minutes to
describe a particular course, discussing how the content, methodology and assignments work
together to address one or more student learning outcomes. Following this, the committee
recognizes the strengths of the class and also offers ideas about how it could potentially be
improved. “It is important to understand the culture of the department.” cautions Dr. Kanwar. “If
overly critical, this could become negative, but we work hard to keep the input positive and to
emphasize improvement of the program so that faculty don’t take it personally.”
In addition to these faculty assessments, a variety of other sources are used to measure
achievement of the defined student learning outcomes, including student portfolios, internship
evaluations, capstone course performance, Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam results,
and two-year post-graduate employer evaluations. Further, specific targets have been
established for each measurement. For example, for a student to obtain credit for an internship,
the supervisor must complete an online evaluation of the student, rating his/her performance on
a 1-5 scale regarding the frequency of performing 61 key actions related to 14 work
competencies. Students are expected to attain at least an 85 percent achievement in each
category. Work competencies that receive consistently lower ratings can be further examined to
identify the specific areas in which students need additional work.
Further information is gathered as part of the annual assessment process, including course
evaluations, student exit surveys, placement statistics, program reviews and five-year postgraduation student surveys. In consultation with the same external advisory committee that
helps define the student learning outcomes, the curriculum committee utilizes this data to
develop recommendations for further improving the program.
This process is time consuming. However, as Dr. Kanwar sees it, the effort is worthwhile
because “by regularly obtaining feedback and using it to improve our curriculum, we are
ensuring that our students are receiving the best possible education.”
29
Ohio Survey Results
Ohio educators were asked about some of the methods that programs use to gather information
needed for ongoing program assessment. In particular, educators were asked if they formally
reviewed curricula on an annual or semi-annual basis, requested feedback from students or
employers and/or tracked program graduates’ employment status after graduation. Table 5
summarizes the answers to this question.
Table 5. Does your program use any of the following methods to evaluate its
effectiveness?
The program curriculum is formally reviewed on an
annual or semi-annual basis.
Students are asked to provide formal feedback on
their experience in the program.
There is a system in place to track students'
employment status after completion of the program.
Employers of program graduates are asked for
formal feedback on the program.
Other measures of evaluation or review are used.
Frequency
160
Percent
68.7%
197
84.5%
124
53.2%
100
42.9%
64
27.5%
Note: Thirty-six respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose
multiple responses.
• The most frequently selected assessment mechanism was the solicitation of student
feedback (84.5 percent). The high percentage of responses may in part be due to the
standard practice of asking students to complete course evaluations.
• Many respondents (68.7 percent) also reported that their curricula are reviewed on an
annual or semi-annual basis.
• A majority of respondents (53.2 percent) reported that they track student employment
status after graduation.
When the data are sorted by the sector for which programs prepare students, more
manufacturing programs (52.7 percent) reported asking employers for formal feedback than any
other sector. The sector selecting this option least often was bioscience (24.6 percent).
When sorted by degree type, programs that produce advanced degrees appear less likely to
ask employers for feedback (14.6 percent), and programs producing associate’s degrees and
certificates appear more likely to ask for this type of feedback (63.6 percent and 56.8 percent,
respectively).
30
Ohio Examples
Ohio educators employ a variety of methods to ensure continuous improvement of their
programs. Accreditation processes, for example, can help programs put systems in place that
allow for careful evaluation and improvement. Some programs also develop review systems that
are integrated into their home institution’s larger evaluation processes.
Rhodes State College, Concrete Technology. Rhodes State College’s Concrete Technology
program uses a variety of outcome measurement methods to ensure student success. One
central method is the collection and analysis of feedback obtained through student evaluations
and during faculty/student advising sessions. In addition, employers are asked to evaluate the
skills of students who participate in a Field Experience, and this information is utilized to inform
curricular changes. These efforts dovetail with a college-wide effort to improve overall
effectiveness. Based on a self-study completed in 2008, Rhodes State College has defined
mission criteria and strategies for fulfilling this mission. Key performance indicators have also
been established to measure the school’s progress, and this data is being tracked through a
centralized electronic database.
University of Dayton, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The University of Dayton’s
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology (ABET). As part of this process, the program is expected to
develop educational objectives that are aligned with ABET standards as well as the needs of
students and employers. Further, the department is required to design an evaluation process to
ensure that these objectives are attained. Finally, evidence must be shown that this evaluation
data is being utilized to further improve the program over time. The University of Dayton
accomplishes these goals through a series of assessments conducted with students, graduates,
faculty and employers.
The Ohio State University, Agricultural Technical Institute. In 1999, Ohio State’s
Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) became one of the first participants in the Higher Learning
Commission’s Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). As part of this alternative
accreditation process, ATI developed a Systems Portfolio documenting its context, processes,
results and improvements. Data is currently collected and analyzed in a variety of key areas,
including student retention, graduation and placement rates as well as internship and employer
ratings regarding current and former students’ knowledge and skills. In addition, each major is
reviewed every five years to make recommendations for investing in new equipment, additional
personnel, curricular upgrades and other program enhancement efforts. Further strategies for
assessing student learning continue to be developed as part of the AQIP process.
University of Cincinnati, Center for Cooperative Education Research and Innovation. In
1906, the University of Cincinnati founded the first cooperative education program in the country
and currently maintains an independent office designed to coordinate co-op placements across
the university. In addition to facilitating the development of cross-disciplinary co-op teams, the
Center for Cooperative Education Research and Innovation is developing systematic methods
for tracking the impact of this program for both students and businesses. Through a grant
obtained from the Department of Education, this office has developed a Corporate Feedback
System designed to gather data that can be used to leverage additional support as well as
31
identify strategies for further enhancing the school’s curriculum. Two reports have been
published on this research and can be downloaded from the Center’s website.
32
Best Practice Four: The program includes hands-on training with
equipment of the type likely to be used in the workplace.
Explanation of Best Practice
According to this best practice, green jobs preparation should not solely consist of classroom
lecture or online instruction. Instead, green jobs education and training should provide students
with the opportunity to perform the tasks under study.31 This hands-on training can be provided
in a variety of ways, including laboratory components, fieldwork and extra-curricular
opportunities like contests that require hands-on application of green-related concepts.
An important qualifier to this best practice is that the
“Employers in the residential
hands-on training should be performed on up-toenergy efficiency industry have
date equipment or software of the type that students
expressed concerns that existing
will be expected to use in the workplace. This is
training programs in many
especially important given the rapid technological
community colleges do not have
development that characterizes many green
the capability and resources to
occupations. However, a common note in the
combine classroom and lab
literature and a common theme in the interviews
training with field training,
conducted with Ohio educators is that the cost of
producing graduates with limited
this training equipment can be prohibitive. When
practical experience and hands-on
directly obtaining (and maintaining) up-to-date
training.”
equipment is not possible, the literature suggests
other ways to provide hands-on training to students,
-from Enhancing State Clean Energy
most of which center on partnerships. For example,
Workforce Training to Meet Demand
educators may enter into cost-sharing or resourcesharing agreements with other schools and then share training equipment. Educators may also
gain use of equipment and software through collaborations with research facilities or employers
in order to provide the necessary training equipment for their students.
Nationally-Recognized Example
Mesalands Community College, Wind Energy Technology, Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Mesalands Community College’s Wind Energy Technology program prepares students for
careers as wind energy technicians, an occupation that is in high demand locally due to the
multiple wind farms operating in the region. For Jim Morgan, Director of the North American
Wind Research and Training Center (NAWRTC) at Mesalands, attempting to teach these
students without providing hands-on learning opportunities would be like “training automotive
mechanics without the use of a car or training commercial truckers with a pickup truck.”
In keeping with this philosophy, students in Mesalands’ wind energy program spend over half of
their time in hands-on training. For much of their training, students have access to the
NAWRTC’s utility-scale General Electric 1.5 megawatt turbine. When in operational mode, the
31
Sources for this best practice include: Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices Recommended
Guidelines, 6-7; “Quality Green Program,” Sustainability, Education and Economic Development Center, accessed
December 22, 2010, http://theseedcenter.org/Resources/What-is-a-Quality-Green-Program-; and interviews with Ohio
employers.
33
turbine generates data that students practice accessing and interpreting with the help of the
NAWRTC’s OSIsoft PI system and SKF @ptitude Management System. When in shut-down
mode, the turbine’s tower provides students with the opportunity to practice their climbing skills.
Students also have access to an extensive array of simulators in the College’s mechanical and
electrical labs.
Acquiring the necessary equipment and expertise for this project required obtaining assistance
from several state legislators and leveraging resources from a wide variety of sources, including
seven million dollars in General Obligation Bonds from the state of New Mexico, grants from the
Department of Labor, the New Mexico Energy, Mineral and Natural Resources Department and
donations of equipment and software such as the OSIsoft and SKF systems. Since the facilities
have become available, their presence on campus has attracted the interest of several new
research partners, including Sandia National Laboratories, the University of California (Los
Angeles), Washington University in St. Louis and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology.
Ohio Survey Results
Hands-on training appears to be a common element of green jobs training and education in the
surveyed Ohio schools. When asked about the instructional methods used in their programs,
most Ohio educators (78.7 percent) reported that hands-on training is one of the methods used
in their program. Associate’s programs and certificate programs most frequently selected this
option (93.8 percent and 84.0 percent, respectively).
Within those programs that selected hands-on training as one of their instructional methods, the
amount of hands-on training required by a program varies widely. Table 6 summarizes the
percent of hands-on training that programs reported requiring from their students.
Table 6. About what percentage of the required coursework is spent on hands-on
training?
24% or fewer
25% to 49%
50% to 74%
75% or more
Total
Frequency
55
45
65
16
181
Percent
30.4%
24.9%
35.9%
8.8%
100.0%
Note: Nineteen respondents did not answer this question.
34
Ohio Examples
Schools in Ohio provide a variety of hands-on training opportunities to their students through
labs, contests and fieldwork.
Belmont Technical College, Building Preservation and Restoration. According to David
Mertz, Building Preservation and Restoration Program Coordinator, “It is the hands-on
component that brings students to Belmont, and it is the hands-on component – along with a
thorough understanding of the technical side of the business – that provides them with their
employment opportunities after they graduate.” This hands-on training is provided in many
ways, including workshops that supplement coursework and a series of four field labs. The field
labs can be completed at sites around the Ohio Valley, such as at churches needing repair of
their stained glass windows or at a one-room schoolhouse in Steubenville. Some field labs are
conducted further away, with past sites including the Officer’s Quarters at West Point and Frank
Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. While training on campus, students have access to the
department’s historic field lab house as well as 12,000 square feet of dedicated lab space with a
woodworking shop, a paint and glass shop, a drafting room, a model and mold making shop, a
library and extensive computer facilities. Students also have access to other labs on campus
where they can practice welding, metalworking, HVAC repair and computer-aided drafting.
Preservation students also have the opportunity to complete a preservation internship at the end
of their program.
Hocking College, NABCEP Entry Level Solar PV Installer Program & Advanced Energy
and Fuel Cells Program. Students enrolled in renewable energy programs at the Hocking
College Energy Institute spend two thirds of their time in hands-on training exercises and onethird of their time in the classroom. Equipment available to students in the College’s advanced
energy and solar PV installer programs include: fuel cells; four solar “mini-homes” with different
types of roofs that can be disassembled and rebuilt; a wind generator that can be tied into a grid
and constructed and disassembled as needed while students learn to do net metering; a natural
gas refueling station; a bio-fuel testing laboratory; and scaffolding and safety harnesses for use
in Occupational Safety and Health standards training. Hocking College Energy Institute is
currently in the process of working with American Electric Power to acquire smart grid
equipment as well.
Kent State University, Sustainable Technology Project Contest. Students enrolled in Kent
State’s College of Technology have the opportunity to acquire hands-on training (and to win up
to $1,000) by competing in the College’s Sustainable Technology Project Contest. Teams of two
to six students gain valuable understanding of the design process as they attempt to create the
most successful submission. Examples of projects include a biogas digester that uses campusgenerated product and an electric/fuel cell model vehicle. Submissions are judged for their
originality, quality, level of difficulty and the degree to which they embody sustainability and
‘going green.’ “This has been a great way to provoke thought through hands-on practical
application of real world issues,” said John DeCola, Director of Advancement. “We plan on
continuing this student activity into the foreseeable future as it has proven to increase
awareness of the issues at hand and provides a frontline experience for our Manufacturing,
35
Construction, Aero and IT students to confront the complexity of the decisions we make daily on
sustainability choices.”
Shawnee State University, Plastics Engineering Technology. Students in the Plastics
Engineering Technology program receive equal parts classroom instruction and laboratory
experience. During their lab time, students use software such as Inventor, Moldflow Plastics
Insight, ANSYS and Mastercam. They also use a variety of equipment including injection
molding machines, extruders, blow molders, a rotational molder, compression molding
machines and thermoformers. Students are required to take a senior year course in which they
pick a plastic part to make, design the part, go through the analysis phase, build a model and
use appropriate machinery to make the part. Larry Miller, a Professor for Shawnee State
University states, “You learn most by doing. The more I can have my students work with the
machines, the more they get out of my lectures and the more valuable they will be in the long
run.”
36
Best Practice Five: The program provides workplace experience
for students through internship or apprenticeship opportunities.
Explanation of Best Practice
This best practice indicates the need not only for hands-on training, but also for training in how
to operate in the workplace.32 Internships (or co-ops) can serve a variety of purposes, often
depending on the type of program in which it is situated. For
“Students who have done
introductory-level programs, internships can give students a
an internship are getting
chance to try the work associated with an occupation in
multiple offers…and the
order to make a decision about pursuing a career in that
salaries are looking good.”
field. In programs more directly linked to specific
-Ohio educator (supply chain)
occupations, internships can provide some of the hands-on
training that otherwise would have to be acquired through
“Because of the students’
on-the-job training at an employer’s expense. Internships
hands-on experience,
also have the benefit of providing training in “world of work”
they’re going to really find
skills such as time management and communication. As
out what particular area
one Ohio employer reported, “Good people and
they’re interested in.”
presentation skills are important because an engineer is not
just going to be locked up in a cube all day. You can have
-Ohio educator (bioscience)
some really good ideas but if you can’t communicate well
with a client, it might never take place.”
Apprenticeships are often more formal steps in a particular career pathway and may be
prerequisites for employment in a specific company or industry. For example, Registered
Apprenticeships are the main entry points for certain careers in green building, renewable
energy and advanced energy.33 Like internships, they provide training in a real-world work
environment and typically enhance a potential employee’s attractiveness to employers.
Nationally-Recognized Example
Cape Cod Community College, Environmental Technology and Clean Energy Program,
Cooperative Work Experience, West Barnstable, Massachusetts. The Cooperative Work
Experience at Cape Cod Community College (CCCC) began as an effort to involve students in
remediation efforts at local Superfund cleanup sites. Since that time, CCCC has worked with a
variety of partners, including the National Science Foundation, to increase funding for the co-op
program. As a result, the program has grown to include small wind companies, the
Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Cape Cod Center
for Sustainability and many other employers.
Students in the Environmental Technology and Clean Energy Associate’s Program, as well as
students pursuing any of the eight certificates offered by the department, can find employment
sites suitable for gaining experience in their specific areas of study. According to Program
Coordinator Hank Colletto, the co-op experience helps students decide what careers they
32
Sources for this best practice include: Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices Recommended
Guidelines, 7; Ventre and Weissman, Survey of Industry Needs, 2; and interviews conducted with Ohio employers.
33
US Department of Labor, Greening of Registered Apprenticeship, 29-30.
37
eventually want to pursue by allowing them to try related activities, such as assisting with
energy audits, conducting independent research projects for their employers, or performing
public outreach for environmental causes.
In order to make sure that students and employers get the most out of the co-op experience,
CCCC has a variety of structures in place. Faculty advisors work with students to locate
employment sites and to tailor the co-op experience to each student’s particular interests.
Faculty members also perform site visits. Employers are asked to complete an evaluation of
students’ performance, and students in turn complete an evaluation of the internship. Students
also are required to keep an internship journal and write an essay about their experiences.
When these requirements are met to the program’s satisfaction, students can receive course
credit for the experience.
According to Colletto, the co-op program has all the expected benefits for students, such as
helping them gain a competitive edge on the job market and providing a hands-on component to
complement coursework. In addition to those benefits, however, the Cooperative Work
Experience has had positive impacts on the program itself. In order to make the Cooperative
Work Experience a success, CCCC has had to forge close working relationships with
employers, which have had a host of beneficial effects, including helping to keep the program in
tune with changing workforce development needs.
Ohio Survey Results
The majority of surveyed programs (64.9 percent) reported that they offer either a required or
optional internship component to their students. When the data is broken down by degree type,
internships appear more common in programs that produce bachelor’s degrees (84.4 percent)
and associate’s degrees (77.2 percent) and less common in certificate producing programs
(43.5 percent) and advanced degree programs (41.8 percent).
When assessed by sector, agriculture programs most often reported that they offer required or
optional internship programs (78.6 percent), while advanced energy programs least often
reported that they offer required or optional internship programs (59.3 percent).
Only a small number of programs reported having an apprenticeship component (18.9 percent).
Among the programs that offer apprenticeships, most are associate’s or certificate programs. A
total of 22.8 percent of associate’s programs and 18.4 percent of certificate programs reported
having an apprenticeship opportunity associated with the program.
Ohio Examples
Since very few of the Ohio schools reported offering apprenticeship opportunities, the following
case studies focus on internship opportunities. Many schools are offering students the chance
to earn money and college credit while refining career goals and enhancing their employability
through internships.
Clark State Community College, Agricultural Engineering Technology. The Agricultural
Engineering Technology students at Clark State Community College complete a 400-hour co-op
in the spring of their first year that is designed to broaden the array of skills students will bring to
potential employers after graduation. While many students come to the program with some type
38
of experience, co-op coordinators find areas the students have not worked in so as to expand
students’ skill sets and create new job prospects. To ensure that the co-op experience is
achieving its desired goals, participating students receive individualized learning objectives and
goals for their co-op experience and are then evaluated every two-weeks by their employers. In
classes prior to their co-op, students learn additional “world-of work” skills by updating resumes
and cover letters and practice interviewing techniques.
Marion Technical College, Alternative Energy Program. As part of the process of seeking
employer input for the Alternative Energy program at Marion Technical College, program
developers learned that local employers were looking for job candidates with more work
experience. The Alternative Energy program then added a co-op component to the program to
provide their program graduates with these in-demand work experiences. As part of the co-op
process, students work with faculty to find the co-op site that best matches their skills and
interests. They then meet with their faculty advisor and co-op supervisor three times over the
course of the experience to develop learning objectives and monitor progress. The Alternative
Energy program actively recruits employers for this program and has secured the first co-op
agreement between a local Honda company and a two-year co-op program. Dean of
Engineering and Workforce Development Jay McCreary reported that, “Since we incorporated a
required co-op portion to our program, companies are begging for our students.”
Wright State University, Environmental Sciences Internship Program. Students in the
Environmental Sciences Internship Program at Wright State University spend 400 hours working
with environmental practitioners from industry, business, or government. A unique feature of this
program is its flexibility. Students can find their own internship site or work with the Intern
Director and Wright State University Office of Career Services to find an employer. Students can
choose to spend the whole internship with one employer, or they can take a multi-program
approach and work with several employers. Students can also decide if they want to gain indepth knowledge of a specific topic area (such as environmental toxicology or hazardous
material treatment) or if they want to develop a breadth of knowledge by becoming involved in
multiple topic areas. Students are guided through this process by the Environmental Sciences
Intern Director and have a designated field counselor at their internship site. Wright State
University faculty members are also available to come to the site to help the field counselor and
the student plan work activities. Students complete activity reports each week of the internship,
prepare a written report about their whole internship experience and present these findings as
part of a required course. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Director for
Undergraduate Programs David Schmidt reported that, “During an internship, students gain
practical experience in organizing and budgeting time, projecting a professional image and
interacting with co-workers. An internship allows students to ‘try on for size’ an area of work that
interests them, which tends to provide greater confidence for recent graduates who are at the
onset of career employment.”
Youngstown State University, Power Plant Technology. Youngstown State University’s ATS
program in Power Plant Technology offers students the opportunity to complete an eight- to tenweek, compensated and evaluated power plant field experience. Youngstown State is able to
offer this opportunity because of its close cooperation with local power generating companies
who partner with the school to provide hands-on training opportunities to students and to serve
39
as placement sites for students in the internship program. According to Program Coordinator
Daniel P. Coyne, “I can say we are doing something right, because the employers are generally
pleased with our graduates and the graduating students, after going through the program, are
generally pleased with their education.”
40
Best Practice Six: The program is designed and implemented in
partnership with the many agents involved with green jobs
promotion and preparation, including labor unions, community
organizations, state and local government agencies, other
educators and/or employers.
Explanation of Best Practice
A call for partnering is one of the most frequent recommendations in the literature about
effective green jobs preparation.34 The premise behind this best practice is that there are many
parties involved in green jobs preparation and promotion that have the skills and resources to
enhance a school’s green jobs programming. Potential partners in green jobs preparation
include educators, labor unions, government agencies,
“A successful green-collar jobcommunity organizations and employers.
training program is built upon
cross-sector partnerships. . .
Educators. While some types of green jobs training
From curriculum development
and education may be relatively new, there are already
to relationships with potential
existing curricula and other education materials
employers and unions, multiple
available to educators developing green programming.
partners help ensure that the
Feldbaum advises, “Join forces with leading green
program will truly prepare
community colleges or existing regional/national
participants to enter the greencollaboratives to avoid reinventing the wheel. Draw on
collar workforce.”
their expertise and experiences and access their
resources on best practices and strategies, innovative
-from Making Green Work: Best
teaching methods and curricula, technical support and
Practices in Green-Collar Job Training
networking opportunities.”35
Programs
Another reason for partnering with other educators is that green jobs preparation often involves
adding green skills and credentials to traditional occupations, so a training program can often be
built upon the foundation of existing programs and curricula. Educators seeking to prepare
students for green jobs should take advantage of the resources already available for providing
the more traditional components of a curriculum. As the Ella Baker Center notes, “Existing job
training programs and educational institutions may provide a platform into which to embed
green-collar curriculum and credentials (which, in turn, gives your program greater credibility
and cache).”36
Labor Unions. Labor unions provide apprenticeship training, which is a key training component
for some types of green jobs. Partnerships between educators and labor unions can ensure that
students are prepared for necessary apprenticeships and help to avoid unnecessary duplication
34
Sources for this best practice include: Bozell and Liston, Building Effective Green Energy, 3, 27; Cleary and
Kopicki, Preparing the Workforce, 9; Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Making Green Work, 12-13; Feldbaum and
States, Building a Sustainable Future, 29; Goldman et al., Energy Efficiency Services Sector, xvii; Interstate
Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices Recommended Guidelines, 7; U.S. Department of Labor, Greening of
Registered Apprenticeship, 22-27; and White and Walsh, Jobs and Workforce Development, 2-3, 47.
35
Feldbaum and States, Building a Sustainable Future, 29.
36
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Making Green Work, 13.
41
between the two phases of training. As the Ella Baker Center also notes, “Unions can help
develop your curriculum so that your graduates are eligible for union apprenticeships, and they
can agree to special entry linkages for your graduates.”37
Government Agencies. Government agencies and government officials can be very helpful for
securing the necessary funding for green jobs training and education. Government officials can
also raise the profile of efforts to establish cross-sector partnerships, making them more likely to
succeed.
Community Organizations. Just as there are many types of community organizations, there
are many types of roles that these organizations can play in green jobs preparation. One
particularly important role played by organizations like local workforce boards is the provision of
support services to students who need help in order to access green jobs training and
education.
Local Employers. A typical manner in which employers partner with green jobs training and
education programs is through membership on program advisory committees, as has already
been mentioned frequently in this chapter. In this capacity, employers can provide input on
workforce demand and desired industry credentials and skill sets. As program advisors, these
representatives can also review curricula and suggest updates as industry needs evolve.
Regardless of whether they participate in advisory committees, employers can also donate
training equipment, serve as internship or apprenticeship sites and provide instructors with
extensive experience in the field. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) advises
solar training programs to “Develop alliances and establish an active advisory committee with
business and industry…for program support, potential adjunct faculty, internship opportunities,
donations of equipment and supplies and news about changing technology and skill sets.”38
Nationally-Recognized Examples
The Empowerhouse Team: Parsons The New School for Design and Milano The New
School for Management and Urban Policy, New York, New York, in partnership with
Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey. Parsons The New School for
Design has been actively involved in student-based design/build projects for over ten years. For
example, architecture students worked with New Orleans residents to plan and build one of the
first structures erected after Hurricane Katrina, a multi-use building incorporating both an
information center and much-needed laundry facilities. Despite this experience, Parsons’ lack of
an engineering program made it an unlikely candidate for the Solar Decathlon, a highly selective
biannual contest in which intercollegiate teams compete to design and build the most attractive,
affordable and energy-efficient solar homes.
To overcome this difficulty, Parsons created the Empowerhouse team involving over 100
students, including engineering majors from nearby Stevens Institute of Technology as well as
Parsons students majoring in architecture, design, media studies, environmental studies and
even fashion design. Further, the team also incorporates policy and finance students from
Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy. According to Dean Joel Towers,
37
38
Ibid.
Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Best Practices Recommended Guidelines, 7.
42
this cross-discipline collaboration is critical to the pedagogical value of the project. “You’re not
going to resolve complicated problems like climate change or healthcare if you don’t know how
to work across disciplinary boundaries,” says Towers. “In the 21st Century, that kind of
knowledge and working methodology is essential, and we want to model it for students.”
In addition, Parsons decided to approach the Solar Decathlon as a social entrepreneurship
project exploring strategies for moving communities toward increased sustainability and
affordability simultaneously. To that end, the Empowerhouse team is also partnering with
Washington D.C.’s Department of Housing and Development; a Washington, D.C. chapter of
Habitat for Humanity and the nearby community of Deamwood. In collaboration with these
groups, the team will be designing and building a two-family passive solar residence. One unit
will be erected by volunteers on a Deamwood housing lot donated by the city. The second unit
will be built by students on the Washington Mall and, upon conclusion of the contest, will be
transported to Deamwood and joined to the first unit. In addition to providing an affordable,
energy efficient residence for two low-income families, the Empowerhouse team hopes to
develop design solutions that can be incorporated into future home plans utilized by Habitat for
Humanity chapters throughout the United States. “When I was raising money for this project,”
says Dean Towers, “I encouraged people to focus not on winning the competition but on
changing the housing industry.”
Finally, the Empowerhouse team also partnered with Deamwood residents during each step of
the project. “The worst mistake you can make,” says Milano professor John Clinton “is
parachuting in with all the answers and not learning from the community itself.” When asked to
offer advice to other schools considering similar projects, Dean Towers identified this approach
as the central key to success. In addition to ensuring that students respect the value of
community-based knowledge, he suggests that encouraging an on-going dialogue between
academia and real-world problem-solving “provides an education that enables students to be
able to integrate new knowledge and respond to new challenges throughout their lives.”
Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy (PNCECE) at Centralia College,
Smart Grid Project, Centralia, Washington. Smart grid technology is designed to increase
efficiency by enhancing a system’s ability to measure and respond to shifts in energy demand.
To meet the growing need for workers in this emerging field, Centralia College’s PNCECE has
taken the lead in developing the Smart Grid Project, a collaborative effort funded by the
Department of Energy and involving numerous partners in five states.
One of the major components of this project is the identification of in-demand skill sets for
energy workers in ten targeted occupations. To achieve this, PNCECE has partnered with
industry and labor to learn about their specific needs and with Washington State University
Extension’s Energy Office to establish related skill standards and career lattices. In turn, this
information will serve as the basis for new or revised curriculum for community college
programs such as the Power Operations Program at Centralia College as well as modules for
industry to use for on-the-job training. Once these materials are produced, they will be sent to a
multi-sector Smart Grid Educational Task Force which is tasked with providing oversight of the
project’s educational products.
43
So many organizations have partnered in this effort that PNCECE Director Hins-Turner is often
introduced as the “air traffic controller for energy workforce development in Washington State.”
Initial proposals for the Smart Grid Project were endorsed by four Governors and eleven U.S.
legislators from three states. Since receiving funding from the Department of Energy to support
its development, the project has developed a Smart Grid Governance Board composed of
representatives from education, organized labor and industry. Other education-related partners
include the Northwest Energy Efficiency Task Force, which is cataloguing existing high-demand
occupational training programs through the State of Washington and The Pacific Northwest
National Lab, which is helping to link the Smart Grid Project’s efforts to graduate degree
programs and research in advanced energy that is being carried out in the region. Further,
following its implementation in Washington, the Smart Grid Project is targeted to expand into
Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Utah.
According to Hins-Turner, among all the partnerships that sustain the Smart Grid Project, “First
and foremost are the industry and labor partnerships. Industry and labor at the table is
absolutely critical.”
Ohio Survey Results
Survey data indicate that Ohio programs are enlisting partners in their efforts to prepare
students for green jobs. Only 16.7 percent of respondents selected a single partner from the list
of possibilities, indicating that most of the surveyed programs are drawing on multiple partners.
Overall, local employers were the most commonly selected partner (66.1 percent) followed by
educators at other schools (55.6 percent). Only 6.3 percent of respondents indicated having a
partnership with labor unions, making labor the least frequently selected of the list of partners.
Table 7 summarizes the percent of programs that indicated they have partnerships with
educators, labor unions, employers, government agencies and non-governmental organizations.
Table 7. Does your program have a partnership with any of the following types of
organizations?
Educators at other schools
Labor unions
Local employers
State and local government agencies
Non-governmental organizations that are interested
in green jobs education/training
None of the above
Frequency
133
15
158
101
92
Percent
55.6%
6.3%
66.1%
42.3%
38.5%
39
16.3%
Note: Thirty respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose
multiple responses.
44
Survey respondents were also asked about the nature of their partnerships with these
organizations. Table 8 summarizes respondents’ answers to questions about the services
provided by program partners.
Table 8. Services Provided by Program Partners
Educators at
Labor Unions
other schools
(n=15)
(n=133)
State and
NonLocal
Governmental
Government
Organizations
Agencies
(n=92)
(n=101)
Percent
Percent
Percent
Local
Employers
(n=158)
Percent
Percent
Assistance with curriculum development
37.7%
63.6%
60.4%
31.9%
38.4%
Review existing curriculum
52.6%
72.7%
68.8%
36.3%
43.8%
Participation in the program's advisory
committee
49.1%
90.9%
81.2%
47.3%
64.4%
Help with internship, co-op, and/or
apprenticeship opportunities for students
25.4%
72.7%
78.6%
61.5%
53.4%
Assistance with job placement for students
19.3%
72.7%
65.6%
47.3%
47.9%
Assistance with student referrals
71.9%
81.8%
63.0%
57.1%
57.5%
Donation of training equipment
11.4%
27.3%
48.1%
14.3%
26.0%
Teaching assistance (serving as guest
instructors or adjunct faculty, providing tours
of relevant facilities, etc.)
40.4%
63.6%
63.6%
37.4%
35.6%
6.1%
9.1%
2.6%
4.4%
1.4%
Other
•
•
•
•
•
The most common purpose of partnerships with educators is curriculum review and
membership on a program’s advisory committee.
The most common purposes behind partnerships with labor unions are membership on a
program’s advisory committee and referral of students to the program.
The most common services provided by local employers are participation on a program
advisory committee and help with internship or apprenticeship opportunities.
State and local government agencies appear to most frequently provide help with
internship and apprenticeships as well as with making referrals to the program.
Non-governmental organizations most frequently participate in advisory committees and
make referrals to green jobs training or education programs.
When the data are sorted by degree type, certificate and associate’s programs appear most
likely to partner with local employers (95.2 percent and 88.2 percent, respectively). No
bachelor’s programs indicated partnering with a labor union.
Ohio Examples
The case studies in this section provide illustrations of partnerships that include industry,
education, community organizations and government agencies.
45
Stark State College of Technology, Fuel Cell Technology. Stark State College’s Fuel Cell
Technology program has forged extensive partnerships with industry, government and other
educators. Stark State is a part of the Great Lakes Fuel Cell Education Partnership, a six-state
collaboration focusing on advancing fuel cell education and training. Partnerships with the Ohio
Department of Development and Ohio Third Frontier have provided funding for training
equipment that allows the school to be one of only a few training labs with piped-in hydrogen.
Another major partner is Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems, Inc., which is the charter tenant of
Stark State’s Fuel Cell Prototyping Center. Rolls-Royce has provided cost sharing support for
the program and provides students with hands-on training opportunities. According to Director of
Alternative Energy Susan Shearer, it has been “a real blessing to have the Rolls-Royce
advanced technology team in our backyard.”
Lorain County Community College, Wind Technology Program. The Wind Technology
Program at Lorain County Community College has partnered with many types of organizations
to enhance students’ experiences and to share resources with others. For example, while many
wind programs have difficulty providing hands-on training for utility-scale wind turbines, the
program at Lorain County Community College has obtained access to the 225 kilowatt Vestas
wind turbine at the Great Lakes Science Center for utility-scale training. In addition, the program
has established curriculum sharing agreements with Lakeland Community College, Stark State
and Cuyahoga County Community College. The program draws on the expertise of members of
the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, NASA, the Great Lakes Science Center and
Case Western University to inform curricular decisions and locate potential internship sites.
These relationships also help the Wind Technology Program identify guest speakers for green
technology forums. Program Coordinator Duncan Estep says these and other partnerships help
the school “keep meeting the real needs of industry.”
Bowling Green State University, Supply Chain Management. The relationship between
industry and the Supply Chain Management Program at Bowling Green State University is
formalized in the Supply Chain Management Institute, created in 2000. According to Institute
Director Janet Hartley, the institute is composed of representatives from 17 local and national
companies and was formed to “…help us build stronger partnerships with industry.” Institute
members help to add real-world content to supply chain classes by providing guest speakers,
serving as internship sites and providing input on curricular decisions. The Institute also
encourages on-going dialogue between players in the evolving discipline of supply chain
management through regular on-campus meetings. One recent gathering was held in
partnership with the Toledo affiliate of the National Association of Purchasing Management and
brought together over 160 students, faculty and supply chain management professionals.
Ohio University, Master of Science in Environmental Studies. The Ohio University
Environmental Studies Program partners with local non-profit organizations and government
agencies to offer students an alternative to a traditional thesis. Students are given the option of
performing a 100+ hour leadership project. For example, one student is currently helping a local
nonprofit watershed group to investigate a potentially controversial waterway improvement effort
by researching the technical requirements of the job, identifying potential funding sources and
conducting a public opinion survey with local residents. Similarly, another student recently
46
worked with the City of Athens to assess the effect of parking regulations on local driving habits
and to use this information to inform future parking policy decisions. These partnerships provide
real-world experience for students as well as capacity-enhancing assistance for local nonprofit
and government agencies.
47
Best Practice Seven: The program is purposefully situated within
a larger green career pathway. This may entail transfer
articulation agreements with other schools, outreach to secondary
schools, etc.
Explanation of Best Practice
This best practice suggests that, “To the extent possible and relevant, green job training should
be developed in a career pathways framework.”39 This means applying the traditional career
pathways approach within a newer, green context.
Traditional Career Pathways
Career pathways are defined as “a series of connected education and training programs and
support services that enable individuals to secure employment within a specific industry or
occupational sector and to advance over time to successively higher levels of education and
employment in that sector.”40 Career pathways thus focus on two parallel progressions– among
occupations on the one hand and training/education credentials on the other hand – within a
given industry or occupational field. The core purpose of the model is to align a continuum of
degrees or certifications with a continuum of occupations through which a student or worker can
progress in strategically targeted industries. Many of the sources cited in this section include
helpful diagrams or tables depicting career and/or program progressions.
To identify the skills, knowledge and abilities relevant to each portion of the career pathway,
some pathways are built on competency models such as those designed by the Center for
Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) for energy generation, transmission and distribution or
the green construction competency model developed by the State of Missouri.41 A competency
model is a collection of capabilities that together define successful performance in a particular
work setting.42 In partnership with industry representatives, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
has developed competency models in high-growth industries and areas of emerging technology,
including some that are particularly significant for green-related education and training purposes
in Ohio. Examples of these are advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automation, bioscience,
construction, energy, mechatronics and water sector.43
Career pathway models can take a variety of forms. They may be conceptual models, industryor career-oriented models, or region-specific models. Conceptual models typically illustrate
transitions from one stage of education or supports to another and can include the following
types of transitions:
39
White and Walsh, Jobs and Workforce Development; 2, 7, 47. Other sources for this best practice include: Cleary
and Kopicki, Preparing the Workforce, 9-10; Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Making Green Work, 17-18;
Feldbaum and States, Building a Sustainable Future, 15; Jenkins and Spence, Career Pathways, 1-26; and
Woodrum, Building Green Pathways.
40
Jenkins and Spence, Career Pathways, 2.
41
Center for Energy Workforce Development, Energy Industry Competency Model; and Missouri Department of
Economic Development, Green Industry Competency Model.
42
“Competency Model Clearinghouse,” CareerOneStop, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/.
43
Ibid.
48
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High school to community college
Job readiness and wrap-around support services to pre-college preparation such as
Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE), GED or ESL to post-secondary credits
High school or GED to short-term industry/occupation certificate
Short-term industry/occupation certificate to one-year or two-year technical diploma
Technical diploma or credentials to associate’s degree
Associate’s degree to bachelor’s degree
Bachelor’s degree to advanced post-secondary degree
There are numerous versions of conceptual career pathway models, some of which can be
found in reports focusing on green-related career pathways.44
Generic industry-oriented or career-oriented pathway models are meant to be generally
applicable in a given industry or career field but are not specific to a geographic area. Examples
that are pertinent to green jobs include energy efficiency/weatherization and manufacturing.45
Region-specific career pathways apply conceptual, industry-oriented, or career-oriented
pathway models to a specific region and facilitate progressions among certification/degrees
offered by a specific institution or institutions. Institutions in the State of Oregon, for example,
have developed over 250 different career pathway roadmaps and over 150 career pathway
certificates which are posted online.46 Some of these illustrate pathways within single institutions
while others illustrate pathways among two or more institutions.
While all definitions of career pathway approaches are not identical, common elements include
the following:
•
•
•
•
•
44
A data-driven focus on high-demand and high opportunity jobs in strategically targeted
industries within a region;
Education and training programs that are responsive to employer demand within the
region in terms of both quantity (matching supply with demand) and quality (ensuring
that curriculum addresses employer-identified competencies);
Clear and transparent roadmaps illustrating sequences of education and training leading
to credentials that are meaningful among employers;
An institutional scope that stretches from secondary education through adult career
centers, two-year colleges and four-year universities;
Partnerships among multiple entities, often coordinated by an intermediary institution;
White and Walsh, Greener Pathways, 7; and van Lier, Woodrum, and Gordon, Mapping Green Career Pathways,
5.
45
Marcy Drummond, “Training a Green Pipeline” (lecture, California Utilities Diversity Council Green Energy Summit,
Sacramento, CA, June, 2010); Bozell and Liston, Effective Green Energy Programs, 11; Jennifer M. Cleary,
“Addressing Employer Skill Needs” (lecture, New Ideas in Educating a Workforce in Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency National Conference, Albany, NY, November 18-20, 2009); and Workforce Development Council of
Seattle-King County, Map Your Career.
46
“Career Pathways,” MyPathCareers.org, accessed May 23, 2011, http://www.mypathcareers.org/resources/careerpathways.
49
•
•
Program delivery that is convenient for working adults, has multiple entry points,
provides modules or “chunks” of training that are “stackable,” and provides training that
is both hands-on and workplace-based; and
Wrap-around support services potentially including counseling, assessments, case
management, childcare, financial aid, job placement and “bridging” or “on-ramp”
programs.47
Shades of Green in Green-Related Career Pathways
A review of some existing models suggests that green-related career progressions are often
very similar to those in more traditional fields.48 While some “new and emerging” occupations
may be involved, in which case entirely new job descriptions are introduced into the career
progression landscape, most appear to be standard occupations that need to be enhanced or
“shaded” with additional green-related skills and knowledge
“These pathways are not
sets. For example, a report focusing on green jobs in San
newer ones, necessarily,
Francisco’s East Bay area includes seven representative
but greener ones.”
career pathway maps for chemistry and chemical engineering,
civil engineering, electrical engineering, environmental
-from Greener Pathways: Job
and Workforce Development
science, environmental studies, geology and mechanical
in
the Clean Energy Economy
engineering, all of which are traditional occupational and
49
educational fields.
However, despite the fact that some of the underlying architecture for a green career pathway
might already exist, there are unique challenges inherent in identifying green career pathways.
Developers of green-related career pathways can be expected to face some of the same
ambiguities confronted by those who are attempting to define green jobs, as well as some
pathway-specific difficulties. These include the difficulties posed by the rapidly evolving
technology in many green sectors, the lack of developed industry certifications in some sectors
and the newness of some education and training programs.50
47
Jenkins and Spence, Pathways How-to-Guide, 3; Community College Bridges to Opportunity Initiative, Career
Pathways Toolkit, 7; and van Lier, Woodrum, and Gordon, Mapping Green Career Pathways, 5-6.
48
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Pennsylvania Green Jobs Report, 11-17; Michigan Department of
Energy, Michigan Green Jobs Report, 51-54; Jennifer M. Cleary, “Addressing Employer Skill Needs,” (lecture, New
Ideas in Educating a Workforce in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency National Conference, Albany, NY,
November 18-20, 2009); Renewable Works, Minnesota Sector Partnership for Renewable Energy Industry,
“Minnesota Renewable Career Pathways;” and Dennis Ulrich, memorandum, June 19, 2009, 13-14.
49
Workforce Incubator, East Bay Green Economy, 58-64.
50
Key Links Inc., Environmental Scan of Resources, 5-6.
50
Career Pathways and Other Best Practices
In many respects this best practice can be viewed as the culmination of the preceding best
practices. While the previous six best practices may be implemented for their own sake and do
not need to be premised on a desire to build a unified educational and employment track, to
varying degrees they are all components of a successful effort to develop a green career
pathway. The first best practice (“The training program and its curriculum are based on an
assessment of regional workforce demands”) requires the type of assessment that is needed in
order to target the industries or occupations for which the career pathway will be developed.
The second best practice (“The program’s curriculum is informed by industry input”) involves
securing information about relevant competencies, credentials and certifications that are needed
to map out the types of training an individual must acquire to advance through a career
pathway. The third best practice (“The program has clearly defined strategies for measuring
success, such as ongoing assessments of curricula and learning outcomes”) is less obviously
tied to the career pathways approach, but it does include the type of curricular review that is
necessary to maintain an institution’s relevance to a career pathway and is clearly consistent
with the continuous improvement model that is recommended for career pathway
development.51
The fourth best practice (“The program includes hands-on training with equipment of the type
likely to be used in the workplace”) requires the type of information about current technologies
that is needed to successfully map out the competencies individuals must acquire as they
progress through a career pathway. The fifth best practice (“The program provides workplace
experience for students through internship or apprenticeship opportunities”) provides students
with the opportunity to make connections and gain experiences that will advance them on their
career pathway and requires a mapping out of the correct linkages between education and
training programs and occupation-specific work experiences. Finally, the sixth best practice
(“The program is designed and implemented in partnership with the many agents involved with
green jobs promotion and preparation”) is a key feature of career pathway development. Not
only are partnerships needed to conduct the pathway mapping process, but partnerships are
necessary to build the linkages that facilitate students’ and workers’ progression along the
defined pathway.
Nationally-Recognized Example
Austin Community College, Renewable Energy Programming, Austin, Texas. Austin
Community College (ACC) has purposefully developed its renewable energy training programs
to meet the workforce development needs of a diverse student body. Beginning in 2004 with an
entry-level solar installer certificate program, the program has grown into a wide array of credit
and non-credit courses. This growth has been designed to encourage entry-level students to
embark upon green energy careers and to help more experienced workers to advance within
their chosen professions.
To make sure potential students have the information and support they need to begin renewable
energy training, ACC has worked closely with area workforce boards and other community
organizations. Through these partnerships they have developed the “Cool Austin Jobs” website
51
Jenkins and Spence, The Career Pathways How-to Guide, 5-6, 22-25.
51
to provide guidance about the renewable energy industry and related ACC programs. In
addition, agreements with local workforce boards have been established under which ACC
agrees to offer trainings on a flexible schedule to meet the needs of participating students. In
return, the workforce board recruits participants, pays their tuition, provides wrap-around
services such as assistance with transportation or childcare and offers career and placement
services.
Through a one-year grant from the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, ACC has also
launched a “Women in Green” campaign to encourage more women to enter the renewable
energy field. The campaign included extensive outreach in the form of focus groups, a speaker’s
bureau, a “Women in Green” website, a telephone hotline and the collaboration of local
workforce boards and non-profit agencies. In some of the targeted training classes, female
enrollment rapidly grew from 10 percent to 75 percent.
ACC has also made a concerted effort to identify the specific features of the green career
pathways their students are on, as opposed to more traditional career pathways. ACC has
participated in the Texas I-35 Renewable Energy Corridor Consortium, which has performed a
systematic assessment of certain renewable energy curricula for all schools along the I-35
corridor between Dallas and San Antonio. The purpose of the review was to identify the places
where green skills needed to be added or updated and then to make these “greened” curricula
available throughout the state. ACC also serves as a NABCEP testing facility and students
regularly sit for the NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam. At times, students have been able to accrue
enough installation experience on community-based projects to qualify for the more advanced
NABCEP PV Installer Certification Exam.
These continuing efforts to track the evolving skill sets and credentialing requirements of green
occupations, as well as extensive efforts to attract and support students, mean that Austin
Community College is positioned to help a wide array of students to enter and advance in the
renewable energy field.
Ohio Survey Results
Surveyed programs were asked about a few specific elements of career pathways, including
outreach to secondary schools, articulation agreements and program-specific career and
placement services. Table 9 summarizes their responses.
52
Table 9. Which of the following statements apply to your program?
The program performs outreach to secondary
schools (K-12 system) to recruit students.
The program has transfer articulation agreements
in place with other schools.
Students in the program are provided with programrelated career counseling and job placement
services.
Frequency
118
Percent
57.3%
129
62.6%
154
74.8%
Note: Sixty-three respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose
multiple responses.
Transfer articulation agreements are most associated with programs that produce associate’s
degrees (91.0 percent). Associate’s programs were also the degree type that most frequently
indicated performing outreach to secondary schools (71.8 percent).
Ohio Examples
The following case studies include an example of a systematic effort to map out green career
pathways for one region in Ohio. The additional case studies provide information on how other
Ohio schools have been able to implement some of the components of green career pathways,
including articulation agreements and outreach.
Lakeland Community College, Biotechnology Science Associate Degree and Certificate.
The Biotechnology Science program at Lakeland Community College has a number of
arrangements in place to help pave students’ way along a green career pathway. For students
entering the program, opportunities exist to receive college credit for biotechnology courses
their senior year of high school through a pilot program with Ohio’s TechPrep program.
Department of Labor Biotechnology scholarships are also available for entering students who
are unemployed, dislocated, or incumbent workers. For students already at the college level,
Lakeland Community College has transfer agreements for biotechnology courses with Ursuline
College, Case Western Reserve, Kent State University and Cleveland State University. An
additional agreement allows Ursuline College students to complete biology requirements with
Lakeland's Biotechnology Science courses and allows Lakeland students to transfer to Ursuline
College with junior-level status.
Penta Career Center, HVAC/R Program. Penta Career Center’s Adult HVAC/R training
program is approved by the Toledo Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors Association as a
substitute for the required 576 hours of classroom training needed in an apprenticeship
program. As a result, graduates hired as apprentices do not need to go back to school or repeat
classes. Students are attracted to the program through outreach activities to the Adult Basic and
Literacy Program and social agencies, as well as targeted mailings and collaboration with
Catholic Charities and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Students at Penta
53
Career Center may also take advantage of articulation agreements with Owens Community
College and Franklin University.
Zane State College, Energize Appalachian Ohio Program. According to Program Director
Dan Durfee, Zane State College’s Energize Appalachian Ohio Program has been carefully
“situated within a larger green energy career pathway.” The program is a Department of Laborfunded effort to provide customized training to unemployed, incumbent and dislocated workers
in the energy industry. In partnership with many educators, employers and government
agencies, the program targets 94 occupations and designs programming that gives workers the
basic and cross-functional technical skills needed to help them gain employment or advance in
their current job. Enrolled students are provided with job placement and retention services and
program coordinators also work with local WIA agencies to ensure they receive employability
skills training and have access to any required supportive services.
Region 5 Workforce Collaborative. Multiple partners in this Economic Development Region
established the Region 5 Workforce Collaborative (R5WC) in 2008 in order to develop a career
pathway approach for meeting workforce development needs in the areas of health care,
advanced manufacturing and green jobs. R5WC is composed of 16 member organizations
including adult career-technical centers, community colleges, universities, workforce
development consortia, state and local government agencies, a distance learning center and
Workforce Investment Boards. To develop the career pathway related to green jobs, R5WC’s
Green Job Task Force compiled a list of close to 80 green-related training programs in the
region and identified their linkages with environmental, mechanical, electrical and constructionrelated job tracks. The task force then developed a job ladder from entry-level to higher-level job
classifications and aligned educational requirements with each job level. The task force chose to
prioritize the development of the construction track in order to take advantage of complementary
work being done by the Greater Cincinnati Workforce Network.
Dennis Ulrich, Executive Director of the Workforce Development Center at Cincinnati State
Technical and Community College, says that two of the initial challenges faced by R5WC were
making sense of a complicated green jobs landscape and building collaborative relationships
among all partners. Beginning with a narrower focus on construction-related green jobs was one
way to tackle the difficult green jobs landscape. As for fostering collaboration among partners,
says Ulrich, “People had to sublimate their primary interest, which is generating revenue as
stand-alone entrepreneurial units.” Once this barrier was overcome, a career pathways
framework was able to highlight the complementary nature of much of the region’s green jobs
resources.
54
Green Pathways Database
Introduction
The greening of the economy presents both opportunities and challenges for Ohio’s education
and workforce development community, as reviewed in the introduction to this report. Many
institutions within the University System of Ohio have made substantial progress in addressing
these issues, as illustrated by the case studies and survey results provided in the preceding
chapter. These programs include green-specific ones such as those focusing on renewable
energy and green building as well as more traditional programs that have been enhanced with
green-related content such as those focusing on manufacturing, engineering or environmental
sciences. Currently, however, there is no centralized resource that educators, workforce and
economic development professionals, employers and those seeking jobs or education can
utilize to access information about how USO programs relate to occupations and sectors within
the green economy.
This chapter describes the development of a Green Pathways Database including over 1,300
green-related programs within the USO. Building upon the previous work of the Ohio Board of
Regents, the Ohio Environmental Council and the Ohio Green Pathways Advisory Panel, this
database is intended to assist:
• Education and job-seekers who are interested in obtaining information about programs
that may prepare them for careers related to the green economy;
• Employers who are seeking information about programs that can train workers with the
knowledge and skills required in the green economy;
• Educators who are seeking information to help them develop green-related programs or
to identify complementary programs that could be linked together through career
pathway approaches or other partnerships;
• Economic development professionals who need program and occupation information in
order to support business attraction and retention efforts;
• Workforce development professionals who need program and occupation information in
order to effectively guide education- and job-seekers; and
• Policymakers looking to assess, support, expand, or fill gaps in Ohio’s green-related
education and training infrastructure.
In developing content for the database, the Voinovich School reviewed several existing websites
as examples of how green jobs information can be organized and provided in an online
environment.52 Information from the resulting database will be provided in searchable format at
two complementary websites: http://ohiolmi.com/research/research.htm (to be established by
the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services) and http://www.ohiogreenpathways.org (to be
established by the Ohio Board of Regents). These websites will provide users with the
opportunity to search for green-related education programs in multiple ways including by sector,
52
See, for example, http://www.careeronestop.org/; http://www.mypathcareers.org/; http://www.onetonline.org/;
http://ohiolmi.com/asp/SB/SkillsBank.htm; http://www.iseek.org/.
55
occupation, economic development region and type of degree or certificate. For example,
individuals interested in pursuing a career in renewable energy could access a list of
occupations linked to the renewable energy sector and the degree and certificate programs
which may prepare them for these occupations. Alternatively, education seekers can search for
a particular type of degree program, such as an associate’s degree, to see the green
occupations and related educational opportunities in that degree category available in their
region.
The remainder of this chapter provides an overview of the information contained in the Green
Pathways Database, the sources and methods used to develop the database and some
methodological issues related to developing and maintaining the database. A more detailed
methodological description is provided in Appendix G.
Data Sources
The database contains three main types of information:
•
•
•
Green-related occupations linked to sectors of the green economy;
Green-related degree and certificate programs offered within the USO; and
A crosswalk which links programs to occupations.
Figure 1 provides an illustration of the key information categories in the database.
Figure 1. Key Information in Database
56
Green-Related Occupations and Sectors
A list of green-related occupations linked to twelve green economy sectors was obtained from
The Greening of the World of Work, a report published by the Occupational Information
Network.53 O*Net is a primary source of occupational information in the U.S, providing detailed
information including knowledge, skills and tasks for each occupation.
The introduction to this report provides definitions of the twelve green economy sectors and
three types of green-related occupations defined by O*Net: increased demand, enhanced skills
and new and emerging. These categories include traditional occupations which have increased
in demand due to the green economy as well as occupations for which the required skills and
knowledge have been substantially impacted by green economy activities and technologies.
These occupations are listed in Appendix B.
The sector-occupation linkages in the O*Net framework enable database users to see more
specifically the aspects of the green economy to which each occupation is related. In addition,
O*Net’s three categories of occupations can provide database users with a basic understanding
of why each occupation is characterized as green.
Green-Related Education and Training Programs
A list of green-related certificate and degree programs within the USO was generated through a
multi-stage research and screening process which built upon work previously completed by the
Ohio Board of Regents, the Ohio Environmental Council and the Ohio Green Pathways
Advisory Panel through the Ohio Green Pathways Project.54 As a result of this work, a catalog of
green-related programs in the USO’s two-year schools was produced in 2010, profiling over 500
programs at 23 community colleges and 13 adult career centers across the State of Ohio. 55 A
similar catalog for four-year schools within the USO was in development when Ohio University
began work on the program database, and a draft of this catalog was provided to Ohio
University by OEC in November, 2010.
In addition, in August, 2010, the researchers directly contacted 96 institutions within the USO –
including two-year schools, four-year schools and adult career centers – to solicit information
about green-related programming. Finally, a search of college and university websites was
conducted to identify additional green-related programs not captured previously.
The lists of green-related education programs were then combined and duplicates removed.
The resulting list of programs was screened through additional web searches in order to
determine the status of the program and to collect general program information.
Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) codes were assigned to each program to facilitate
the linking of programs to occupations within the program database. The CIP coding system is
53
Dierdorff et al., Greening of the World.
See “Ohio Green Pathways Advisory Panel,” University System of Ohio, accessed April 25, 2011,
http://www.uso.edu/opportunities/sustainability/green-pathways/index.php; and “Ohio Green Pathways: Unleashing
the Power of Green,” Ohio Environmental Council, accessed April 25, 2011, http://www.theoec.org/Pathways.htm.
55
See “Ohio Green Pathways”, link to development of a program catalog and Web site, Ohio.gov: University System
of Ohio, accessed April 25, 2001, http://www.uso.edu/opportunities/sustainability/green-pathways/documents
/GreenPathwaysCatalog.pdf.
54
57
produced and periodically updated by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within
the U.S. Department of Education and is commonly used for classifying post-secondary
instructional programs in the United States.56
Linking Occupations and Programs
The Occupational Supply Demand System (OSDS)57 was utilized to help draw connections
between occupations and the identified green-related programs. OSDS links the Standard
Occupational Classification (SOC) codes contained in the O*Net data to the CIP codes
assigned to the programs. This linkage is what permits users to identify programs that provide
the skills and knowledge required for each occupation included in the database.
Database Methodological Issues
Appendix G provides a detailed description of several methodological challenges encountered
during the development of the Green Pathways Database. These limitations are summarized
here.
First, the definition of green-related education and training programs is open to interpretation,
and USO institutions that have identified green-related programs to date have not utilized
identical criteria. For example, some of the institution-identified programs are linkable to greenrelated occupations and some are not. All programs identified by institutions were included in
the database along with information about whether or not each is linked to a green occupation.
For approximately nine percent of the programs in the database (124 out of 1,327), a link
between the program and one of the green occupations identified by O*Net could not be
established.
Second, the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System (IPEDS) was consulted as a
potential source for information on green-related programs in the USO since it is a recognized
source of information on post-secondary educational programs and institutions in Ohio and the
nation. The IPEDS database includes CIP codes for all listed programs, and in combination with
the SOC-CIP crosswalk from OSDS, it may be used to identify additional green-related
programs that are not included in the Green Pathways Database. However, because there is no
program name field that exists in both datasets to use to match a program in one dataset to the
other, these two databases cannot be merged.
IPEDS provides a different picture of the number of green-related programs within the USO and
the distribution of programs across program and institution types, compared to the Green
Pathways Database. To illustrate this, Appendices H and I include tables and maps regarding
green-related programs in the USO based on IPEDS data.
Third, the assignment of CIP codes to programs presents methodological challenges. In relation
to maintaining the Green Pathways Database, these challenges will continue to arise. Because
institutions typically assign CIP codes to their own programs, very similar programs may be
56
“Integrated Postsecondary Education Data,” IES National Center for Education Statistics, accessed May 27, 2011,
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Default.aspx?y=55.
57
“Occupational Supply Demand System,” Georgia Career Information Center, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://www.occsupplydemand.org/.
58
assigned different CIP codes by different institutions. Therefore similar programs may not
consistently link to the same green-related occupations within the database.
59
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Mariani, Matthew. “O*NET Update.” Occupational Outlook Quarterly (Fall 2001): 26-27.
Accessed April 25, 2011. http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2001/fall/art04.pdf.
Mariani, Matthew. “Replace with a Database: O*NET Replaces the Dictionary of Occupational
Titles.” Occupational Outlook Quarterly (Spring 1999): 3-9. Accessed April 25, 2011.
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/1999/Spring/art01.pdf.
MyPathCareers.org. “Learn More about Hundreds of Career Opportunities.”
http://www.mypathcareers.org/.
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http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Default.aspx?y=55
National Center for Education Statistics. “What Are the Steps in the IPEDS Data Collection
Process?” http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/submit_data/lifecycle_text.asp.
Nidumolu, Ram, C.K. Prahalad, and M.R. Rangaswami. “Why Sustainability is Now the Key
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%20Key%20Driver%20of%20Innovation%20Harvard%20Review.pdf.
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63
Appendix A: Acronyms Used in This Report
Acronym
ABET
ACC
AEP
ANSYS
AQIP
ATI
AWEA
BLS
CCCC
CIP
DACUM
DOL
EPA
ETA
FE
HVAC
HVAC/R
IPEDS
IREC
LATTC
LEED
MSSC
NABCEP
NAWRTC
NCES
NCSC
OGPAP
OBR
ODJFS
OEC
O*Net
OSDS
PNCECE
R5WC
RESNET
SCODE
SEED Center
SOC
STEM
USO
Detail
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Austin Community College
American Electric Power
Analysis System
Academic Quality Improvement Program
Agricultural Technical Institute
American Wind Energy Association
Burea of Labor Statistics
Cape Cod Community College
Classification of Instructional Program
Developing a Curriculum Method
Department of Labor
Environmental Protection Agency
Employment Training Administration
Fundamentals of Engineering
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System
Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Manufacturing Skill Standards Council
North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
North American Wind Research and Training Center
National Center for Educational Statistics
North Central State College
Ohio Green Pathways Advisory Panel
Ohio Board of Regents
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Ohio Environmental Council
Occupational Information Network
Occupational Supply Demand System
Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy
Region Five Workforce Collaborative
Residential Energy Services Network
Supply Chain Operations Decision Environment
Sustainaibility, Education and Economic Development Center
Standard Occupational Classification
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
University System of Ohio
64
Appendix B: O*Net Green Occupations 58 59
58
SOC code 99.999 in the following tables indicates that there is not a corresponding SOC code for the listed
occupation.
59
The sources for the information in the following tables are: Dierdorff, Erich C., Jennifer J. Norton, Donald W.
Drewes, Christina M. Kroustalis, David Rivkin, and Phil Lewis. Greening of the World of Work: Implications for
O*NET®-SOC and New and Emerging Occupations. Raleigh, NC: National Center for O*NET Development, 2009.
http://www.onetcenter.org/dl_files/Green.pdf; and http://www.onetonline.org/.
65
45-2011
17-3011
47-2011
53-3021
47-2051
17-2041
51-9011
51-8091
19-4031
19-2031
27-1021
15-1032
51-4011
47-2031
43-4051
51-4031
43-5032
51-4032
51-2022
49-2094
49-9051
47-2111
17-3023
51-2031
19-2041
25-9021
Agricultural Inspectors
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Boilermakers
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
Cement Masons and Concrete
Finishers
Chemical Engineers
Chemical Equipment Operators and
Tenders
Chemical Plant and System
Operators
Chemical Technicians
Chemists
Commercial and Industrial
Designers
Computer Software Engineers,
Systems Software
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool
Operators, Metal and Plastic
Carpenters
Customer Service Representatives
Cutting, Punching, and Press
Machine Setters, Operators, and
Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire,
and Ambulance
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool
Setters, Operators, and Tenders,
Metal and Plastic
Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Assemblers
Electrical and Electronics
Repairers, Commercial and
Industrial Equipment
Electrical Power-Line Installers and
Repairers
Electricians
Electrical and Electronic
Engineering Technicians
Engine and Other Machine
Assemblers
Environmental Scientists and
Specialists, Including Health
Farm and Home Management
Advisors
45-1011
45-1011
49-1011
51-1011
33-3031
19-4093
First-Line Supervisors of Farming,
Fishing, and Forestry Workers
First-Line Supervisors of Farming,
Fishing, and Forestry Workers
First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Mechanics, Installers, and
Repairers
First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Production and Operating Workers
Fish and Game Wardens
Forest and Conservation
Technicians
45-2011.00
17-3011.01
47-2011.00
53-3021.00
47-2051.00
17-2041.00
51-9011.00
51-8091.00
19-4031.00
19-2031.00
27-1021.00
Agricultural Inspectors
Architectural Drafters
Boilermakers
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
Cement Masons and Concrete
Finishers
Chemical Engineers
Chemical Equipment Operators and
Tenders
Chemical Plant and System
Operators
Chemical Technicians
Chemists
Commercial & Industrial Designers
re
&
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re
an
st
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ry
C
an ar
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d
St o n
or Ca
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an
s
sp
or
ta
tio
n
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
15-1032.00 Computer Software Engineers,
Systems Software
51-4011.00 Computer-Controlled Machine Tool
Operators, Metal and Plastic
47-2031.01 Construction Carpenters
43-4051.00 Customer Service Representatives
51-4031.00 Cutting, Punching, and Press
Machine Setters, Operators, and
Tenders, Metal and Plastic
43-5032.00 Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire,
and Ambulance
51-4032.00 Drilling and Boring Machine Tool
Setters, Operators, and Tenders,
Metal and Plastic
51-2022.00 Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Assemblers
49-2094.00 Electrical and Electronics
Repairers, Commercial and
Industrial Equipment
49-9051.00 Electrical Power-Line Installers and
Repairers
47-2111.00 Electricians
17-3023.01 Electronics Engineering Technicians
51-2031.00 Engine and Other Machine
Assemblers
19-2041.00 Environmental Scientists and
Specialists, Including Health
25-9021.00 Farm and Home Management
Advisors
45-1011.07 First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Agricultural Crop and Horticultural
Workers
45-1011.05 First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Logging Workers
49-1011.00 First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Mechanics, Installers, and
Repairers
51-1011.00 First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Production and Operating Workers
33-3031.00 Fish and Game Wardens
19-4093.00 Forest & Conservation Technicians
En
er
gy
Ag
ric
O
*N
ET
ul
tu
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cc
up
at
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n
C
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O
*N
Ro
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O
cc
up
at
io
n
R
oo
tS
O
C
Co
de
O*Net Green Increased Demand Occupations
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
66
45-4011 Forest and Conservation Workers
47-3012 Helpers--Carpenters
49-9098 Helpers--Installation, Maintenance,
and Repair Workers
19-2043 Hydrologists
17-2112 Industrial Engineers
49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics
11-3051 Industrial Production Managers
17-2111 Health and Safety Engineers,
Except Mining Safety Engineers
and Inspectors
53-7051 Industrial Truck and Tractor
Operators
47-2131 Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling,
and Wall
53-7062 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and
Material Movers, Hand
53-4011 Locomotive Engineers
19-2032 Materials Scientists
49-9044 Millwrights
51-9023 Mixing and Blending Machine
Setters, Operators, and Tenders
11-9121 Natural Sciences Managers
29-9011 Occupational Health and Safety
Specialists
47-2073
Operating Engineers and Other
Construction Equipment Operators
51-8012
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
43-5061 Production, Planning, and
Expediting Clerks
13-1021 Purchasing Agents and Buyers,
Farm Products
53-4031 Railroad Conductors and
Yardmasters
47-4061 Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance
Equipment Operators
49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and
Refrigeration Mechanics and
Installers
47-2031 Carpenters
51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and
Brazers
51-8021 Stationary Engineers and Boiler
Operators
47-2221 Structural Iron and Steel Workers
51-2041 Structural Metal Fabricators and
Fitters
51-2092 Team Assemblers
51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and
Brazers
19-1023 Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
re
&
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or Ca
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nc
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Tr
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tru
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an
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g
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an
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O*Net Green Increased Demand Occupations, cont.
45-4011.00 Forest and Conservation Workers
47-3012.00 Helpers--Carpenters
49-9098.00 Helpers--Installation, Maintenance,
and Repair Workers
19-2043.00 Hydrologists
17-2112.00 Industrial Engineers
49-9041.00 Industrial Machinery Mechanics
11-3051.00 Industrial Production Managers
17-2111.01 Industrial Safety & Health Engineers
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
53-7051.00 Industrial Truck and Tractor
Operators
47-2131.00 Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling,
and Wall
53-7062.00 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and
Material Movers, Hand
53-4011.00 Locomotive Engineers
19-2032.00 Materials Scientists
49-9044.00 Millwrights
51-9023.00 Mixing and Blending Machine
Setters, Operators, and Tenders
11-9121.00 Natural Sciences Managers
29-9011.00 Occupational Health and Safety
Specialists
47-2073.00 Operating Engineers and Other
Construction Equipment Operators
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
47-2031.02 Rough Carpenters
51-4121.07 Solderers and Brazers
19-1023.00 Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
x
x
x
51-8021.00 Stationary Engineers and Boiler
Operators
47-2221.00 Structural Iron and Steel Workers
51-2041.00 Structural Metal Fabricators and
Fitters
51-2092.00 Team Assemblers
51-4121.06 Welders, Cutters, & Welder Fitters
x
x
51-8012.00 Power Distributors and Dispatchers
43-5061.00 Production, Planning, and
Expediting Clerks
13-1021.00 Purchasing Agents and Buyers,
Farm Products
53-4031.00 Railroad Conductors and
Yardmasters
47-4061.00 Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance
Equipment Operators
49-9021.02 Refrigeration Mechanics & Installers
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
67
17-2011 Aerospace Engineers
19-4011 Agricultural and Food Science
Technicians
51-2011 Aircraft Structure, Surfaces,
Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
23-1022 Arbitrators, Mediators, and
Conciliators
17-1011 Architects, Except Landscape and
Naval
19-2021 Atmospheric and Space Scientists
49-3023 Automotive Service Technicians and
Mechanics
17-2051 Civil Engineers
47-4011 Construction and Building
Inspectors
47-2061 Construction Laborers
11-9021 Construction Managers
47-5041 Continuous Mining Machine
Operators
17-3023 Electrical and Electronic
Engineering Technicians
17-2071 Electrical Engineers
17-3024 Electro-Mechanical Technicians
17-2072 Electronics Engineers, Except
Computer
11-9041 Engineering Managers
17-3025 Environmental Engineering
Technicians
17-2081 Environmental Engineers
19-4091 Environmental Science and
Protection Technicians, Including
Health
11-9012 Farmers and Ranchers
13-2051 Financial Analysts
11-1021
General and Operations Managers
19-4041 Geological and Petroleum
Technicians
19-4041 Geological and Petroleum
Technicians
19-2042 Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists
and Geographers
47-4041 Hazardous Materials Removal
Workers
49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and
Refrigeration Mechanics and
Installers
17-3026
Industrial Engineering Technicians
51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters,
Samplers, and Weighers
Ag
ric
ul
tu
En
re
er
&
gy
Fo
an
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Tr
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on
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a
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e ne
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sp
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de
O*Net Green Enhanced Skills Occupations
17-2011.00 Aerospace Engineers
19-4011.01 Agricultural Technicians
x
51-2011.00 Aircraft Structure, Surfaces,
Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
23-1022.00 Arbitrators, Mediators, and
Conciliators
17-1011.00 Architects, Except Landscape and
Naval
19-2021.00 Atmospheric and Space Scientists
49-3023.02 Automotive Specialty Technicians
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
17-2051.00 Civil Engineers
47-4011.00 Construction and Building
Inspectors
47-2061.00 Construction Laborers
11-9021.00 Construction Managers
47-5041.00 Continuous Mining Machine
Operators
17-3023.03 Electrical Engineering Technicians
17-2071.00 Electrical Engineers
17-3024.00 Electro-Mechanical Technicians
17-2072.00 Electronics Engineers, Except
Computer
11-9041.00 Engineering Managers
17-3025.00 Environmental Engineering
Technicians
17-2081.00 Environmental Engineers
19-4091.00 Environmental Science and
Protection Technicians, Including
Health
11-9012.00 Farmers and Ranchers
13-2051.00 Financial Analysts
11-1021.00 General and Operations Managers
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
17-3026.00 Industrial Engineering Technicians
51-9061.00 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters,
Samplers, and Weighers
x
x
x
19-4041.02 Geological Sample Test
Technicians
19-4041.01 Geophysical Data Technicians
19-2042.00 Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists
and Geographers
47-4041.00 Hazardous Materials Removal
Workers
49-9021.01 Heating and Air Conditioning
Mechanics and Installers
x
x
x
x
x
68
17-1012 Landscape Architects
51-4041 Machinists
49-9042 Maintenance and Repair Workers,
General
11-2021 Marketing Managers
17-2141 Mechanical Engineers
17-2161 Nuclear Engineers
19-4051
Nuclear Technicians
51-8011 Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
29-9012 Occupational Health and Safety
Technicians
13-2052 Personal Financial Advisors
47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and
Steamfitters
47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and
Steamfitters
51-8013 Power Plant Operators
27-3031 Public Relations Specialists
53-7081 Refuse and Recyclable Material
Collectors
27-3022 Reporters and Correspondents
47-2181 Roofers
41-4011 Sales Representatives, Wholesale
and Manufacturing, Technical and
Scientific Products
51-9012 Separating, Filtering, Clarifying,
Precipitating, and Still Machine
Setters, Operators,
47-5013 Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas,
and Mining
47-2211 Sheet Metal Workers
43-5071 Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic
Clerks
19-1031 Conservation Scientists
11-3071 Transportation, Storage, and
Distribution Managers
13-1073 Training and Development
Specialists
11-3071 Transportation, Storage, and
Distribution Managers
53-6051
Transportation Inspectors
53-3032 Truck Drivers, Heavy and TractorTrailer
19-3051 Urban and Regional Planners
13-1022 Wholesale and Retail Buyers,
Except Farm Products
Ag
ric
ul
tu
En
re
er
&
gy
Fo
an
re
d
st
C
ry
an ar
d bo
St n
or Ca
En
ag p
er
e tur
gy
e
Ef
f ic
ie
nc
En
y
er
gy
Tr
En
a
vir
di
ng
on
m
G
e
ov
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al
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ne
Pr
m
ot
nt
ec
Ad a
t io
n
n
m d
in R
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ist
g
G
ra ul
re
t
a
io t o
en
n
ry
Co
ns
tru
ct
M
io
an
n
uf
a
Re
ct
ur
cy
in
cle
g
a
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O*Net Green Enhanced Skills Occupations, cont.
17-1012.00 Landscape Architects
51-4041.00 Machinists
49-9042.00 Maintenance and Repair Workers,
General
11-2021.00 Marketing Managers
17-2141.00 Mechanical Engineers
17-2161.00 Nuclear Engineers
19-4051.01 Nuclear Equipment Operation
Technicians
51-8011.00 Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
29-9012.00 Occupational Health and Safety
Technicians
13-2052.00 Personal Financial Advisors
47-2152.01 Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
13-1073.00 Training and Development
Specialists
11-3071.01 Transportation Managers
53-6051.07 Transportation Vehicle, Equipment
and Systems Inspectors, Except
Aviation
53-3032.00 Truck Drivers, Heavy and TractorTrailer
19-3051.00 Urban and Regional Planners
13-1022.00 Wholesale and Retail Buyers,
Except Farm Products
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
47-2152.02 Plumbers
51-8013.00 Power Plant Operators
27-3031.00 Public Relations Specialists
53-7081.00 Refuse and Recyclable Material
Collectors
27-3022.00 Reporters and Correspondents
47-2181.00 Roofers
41-4011.00 Sales Representatives, Wholesale
and Manufacturing, Technical and
Scientific Products
51-9012.00 Separating, Filtering, Clarifying,
Precipitating, and Still Machine
Setters, Operators, and Tenders
47-5013.00 Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas,
and Mining
47-2211.00 Sheet Metal Workers
43-5071.00 Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic
Clerks
19-1031.01 Soil and Water Conservationists
11-3071.02 Storage and Distribution Managers
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
69
99-9999 n/a
17-3027 Mechanical Engineering
Technicians
17-2141 Mechanical Engineers
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
51-8099 Plant and System Operators, All
Other
11-3051 Industrial Production Managers
11-9041 Engineering Managers
99-9999 n/a
51-8099 Plant and System Operators, All
Other
11-3051 Industrial Production Managers
11-9199 Managers, All Other
n/a
99-9999
99-9999
99-9999
11-1011
19-2041
11-9199
17-3029
17-3029
17-3029
13-1199
41-3099
17-2199
99-9999
19-3011
19-2041
13-2099
43-5011
17-2141
17-3029
15-1099
n/a
n/a
Chief Executives
Environmental Scientists and
Specialists, Including Health
Managers, All Other
Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
Business Operations Specialists,
All Other
Sales Representatives, Services,
All Other
Engineers, All Other
n/a
Economists
Environmental Scientists and
Specialists, Including Health
Financial Specialists, All Other
Cargo and Freight Agents
Mechanical Engineers
Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
Computer Specialists, All Other
15-1099 Computer Specialists, All Other
11-3051 Industrial Production Managers
49-9099 Installation, Maintenance, and
Repair Workers, All Other
11-2011 Advertising and Promotions
Managers
n/a
99-9999
n/a
99-9999
51-8099 Plant and System Operators, All
Other
11-3051 Industrial Production Managers
19-2041 Environmental Scientists and
Specialists, Including Health
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
13-2099 Financial Specialists, All Other
13-1081 Logisticians
13-1081 Logisticians
11-9199 Managers, All Other
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
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99-9999.99 Air Quality Control Specialists
17-3027.01 Automotive Engineering Technicians
x
x
17-2141.02 Automotive Engineers
17-2199.01 Biochemical Engineers
51-8099.01 Biofuels Processing Technicians
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
11-9199.02 Compliance Managers
17-3029.02 Electrical Engineering Technologists
x
17-3029.03 Electromechanical Engineering
Technologists
17-3029.04 Electronics Engineering Technologists
13-1199.01 Energy Auditors
x
41-3099.01 Energy Brokers
17-2199.03
99-9999.99
19-3011.01
19-2041.02
Energy Engineers
Environmental Certification Specialists
Environmental Economists
Environmental Restoration Planners
13-2099.01
43-5011.01
17-2141.01
17-3029.10
Financial Quantitative Analysts
Freight Forwarders
Fuel Cell Engineers
Fuel Cell Technicians
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
11-2011.01 Green Marketers
x
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Permitting
99-9999.99 Consultants
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report
99-9999.99 Verifiers
51-8099.04 Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
x
x
x
11-3051.06 Hydroelectric Production Managers
19-2041.03 Industrial Ecologists
x
x
17-3029.05 Industrial Engineering Technologists
Investment Underwriters
Logistics Analysts
Logistics Engineers
Logistics Managers
Manufacturing Engineering
Technologists
17-2199.04 Manufacturing Engineers
x
x
x
15-1099.07 Geographic Information Systems
Technicians
15-1099.06 Geospatial Information Scientists and
Technologists
11-3051.02 Geothermal Production Managers
49-9099.01 Geothermal Technicians
13-2099.03
13-1081.02
13-1081.01
11-9199.06
17-3029.06
x
x
11-3051.03 Biofuels Production Managers
11-9041.01 Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and
Product Development Managers
99-9999.99 Biomass Plant Engineers
51-8099.03 Biomass Plant Technicians
11-3051.04 Biomass Production Managers
11-9199.11 Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists
and Site Managers
Carbon Capture and Sequestration
99-9999.99 Systems Installers
99-9999.99 Carbon Credit Traders
99-9999.99 Carbon Trading Analysts
11-1011.03 Chief Sustainability Officers
19-2041.01 Climate Change Analysts
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
70
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
n/a
99-9999
11-3051 Industrial Production Managers
51-8099 Plant and System Operators, All
Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except
Drafters, All Other
19-4099 Life, Physical, and Social Science
Technicians, All Other
51-9199 Production Workers, All Other
53-1021 First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Helpers, Laborers, and Material
Movers, Hand
11-9199 Managers, All Other
13-1041 Compliance Officers, Except
Agriculture, Construction, Health
and Safety, and Transporta
19-2099 Physical Scientists, All Other
19-4099 Life, Physical, and Social Science
Technicians, All Other
13-2099 Financial Specialists, All Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
17-3024 Electro-Mechanical Technicians
41-3031 Securities, Commodities, and
Financial Services Sales Agents
47-1011 First-Line Supervisors/Managers of
Construction Trades and Extraction
Workers
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
47-4099 Construction and Related Workers,
All Other
41-4011 Sales Representatives, Wholesale
and Manufacturing, Technical and
Scientific Products
47-4099 Construction and Related Workers,
All Other
n/a
99-9999
11-9199 Managers, All Other
13-1199 Business Operations Specialists,
All Other
99-9999 n/a
n/a
99-9999
17-2051 Civil Engineers
19-3099 Social Scientists and Related
Workers, All Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
11-9121 Natural Sciences Managers
17-2051 Civil Engineers
47-4099 Construction and Related Workers,
All Other
17-2199 Engineers, All Other
11-9199 Managers, All Other
11-9199 Managers, All Other
49-9099 Installation, Maintenance, and
Repair Workers, All Other
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17-3029.09 Manufacturing Production Technicians
17-3029.07 Mechanical Engineering Technologists
17-2199.05 Mechatronics Engineers
Methane Capturing System
99-9999.99 Engineers/Installers/Project Managers
11-3051.05 Methane/Landfill Gas Collection System
Operators
51-8099.02 Methane/Landfill Gas Generation
System Technicians
17-2199.06 Microsystems Engineers
17-2199.09 Nanosystems Engineers
17-3029.12 Nanotechnology Engineering
Technicians
17-3029.11 Nanotechnology Engineering
Technologists
17-2199.07 Photonics Engineers
17-3029.08 Photonics Technicians
19-4099.02 Precision Agriculture Technicians
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
51-9199.01 Recycling and Reclamation Workers
53-1021.01 Recycling Coordinators
x
x
11-9199.01 Regulatory Affairs Managers
13-1041.07 Regulatory Affairs Specialists
x
x
19-2099.01 Remote Sensing Scientists and
Technologists
19-4099.03 Remote Sensing Technicians
13-2099.02
17-2199.08
17-3024.01
41-3031.03
x
x
Risk Management Specialists
Robotics Engineers
Robotics Technicians
Securities and Commodities Traders
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
47-1011.03 Solar Energy Installation Managers
x
17-2199.11 Solar Energy Systems Engineers
47-4099.01 Solar Photovoltaic Installers
x
x
Solar Power Plant Technicians
41-4011.07 Solar Sales Representatives and
Assessors
x
x
47-4099.02 Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
x
Solar Thermoelectric
Plant/Concentrating Thermal Power
99-9999.99 (CSP) Plant Operators
11-9199.04 Supply Chain Managers
13-1199.05 Sustainability Specialists
99-9999.99 Sustainable Design Specialists
Testing Adjusting and Balancing TAB
99-9999.99 Technicians
17-2051.01 Transportation Engineers
19-3099.01 Transportation Planners
17-2199.02
11-9121.02
17-2051.02
47-4099.03
17-2199.10
11-9199.09
11-9199.10
49-9099.02
Validation Engineers
Water Resource Specialists
Water/Wastewater Engineers
Weatherization Installers and
Technicians
Wind Energy Engineers
Wind Energy Operations Managers
Wind Energy Project Managers
Wind Turbine Service Technicians
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
71
Appendix C: Organizations Identified by Survey Respondents
Organization Name
AALAS (American Association for Laboratory Animal Science)
AAMA (The American Association of Medical Assistants)
ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)
ABIH (American Board of Industrial Hygiene)
ACCE (American Council for Construction Education)
ACS (American Chemical Society)
AEE (Association of Energy Engineers)
AFS (American Fisheries Society)
AHRI (Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute)
AIC (American Institute of Constructors)
AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers)
AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners)
AIP (American Institute of Physics)
APICS (Advancing Productivity, Innovation, and Competitive Success from
The Association for Operations Management)
APLD (Association of Professional Landscape Designers)
ARC/STSA (Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical
Technology and Surgical Assisting)
ARI (Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute)
ASBMB (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)
ASE (Automotive Service Excellence)
ASEM (American Society for Engineering Management)
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Engineers)
ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects)
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
ASQ (American Society for Quality)
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)
ATMAE (The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied
Engineering)
AWEA (American Wind Energy Association)
AWMA (Air & Waste Management Association)
AWS (American Welding Society)
AWWA (American Water Works Association)
BEAC (Board of Environmental, Health and Safety Auditor Certifications)
BPI (Building Performance Institute)
CEPH (Council on Education for Public Health)
CIG (Certified Interpretative Guide)
CMA (Certified Medical Assistant)
CSCMP(Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals)
CSI (Construction Specifications Institute)
EHAC (Environmental Health Accreditation Council)
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
EPA 608 Refrigerant Recycling Rule (Environmental Protection Agency)
ETA (Electronics Technicians Association)
FDA's GLP (U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Good Laboratory
Practices)
IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)
IEC (The International Electrotechnical Commission)
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
IGHSPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association)
IIE (Institute of Industrial Engineers)
Identified by
Survey
Respondents*
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Key
Organizations
Identified by
Research
Team**
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
72
Organization Name
Identified by
Survey
Respondents*
Key
Organizations
Identified by
Research
Team**
ISA (The International Society of Automation)
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners)
NAHB (National Association of Home Builders)
NATE (North American Technician Excellence)
NATEF (National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation)
NCCER (The National Center for Construction Education and Research)
NEC (National Electric Code)
NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association)
NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies)
NIMS (National Institute of Metalworking Skills)
NJATC (National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee)
NOCTI (The National Occupational Competency Testing Institute)
NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers)
ODA (Ohio Department of Agriculture)
ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation)
OFA (Ohio Florists Association)
Ohio EPA (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency)
Ohio EPA Operator Certification (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency)
Ohio Peace Officers Training Commission
ONLA (Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association)
OPRA (Ohio Parks & Recreation Association)
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Pharmacy Technicians Certificate
PHIUS (Passive House Institute US)
PLANET (Professional Landcare Network )
PMI (Project Management Institute)
REHS (Registered Environmental Health Specialist)
RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network)
RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society)
RUS (Rural Utilities Service)
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)
SAF (Society of American Foresters)
SITES (Sustainable Sites Initiative)
SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)
SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers)
State of Ohio Body of Knowledge for Stationary Steam Engineer
STNA (State Tested Nursing Assistant)
TAC (Technology Accreditation Commission)
TWS (The Wildlife Society)
US DOL (Department of Labor)
USDA (United State Department of Agriculture)
USDOT (United State Department of Transportation)
WEF (Water Environment Federation)
WFR (Wilderness First Responder)
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
*These organizations were selected from a list provided in the survey or written in by educators. In many
cases, respondents only provided the organization's acronym and the Voinovich School researchers
identified the organization name.
**These were identified as key certifying organizations through the Voinovich School's research regarding
best practices in green-related education and training.
73
Appendix D: Educator Survey Methodology
Survey Overview
A survey of green-related programs within the University System of Ohio was developed in
order to query educators regarding the implementation of best practices in green jobs education
and training. In addition, the survey collected information about the programs’ demographics
including student enrollment data, sector identification and the depth of preparation provided for
work in the green economy.
Question Development
Survey questions were designed to focus on the seven best practices in green jobs education
and training described in the body of this report. Previous surveys reviewed as resources for
question development included the Missouri Green Training Provider Survey60 and New York
Green Jobs Training Survey.61 The survey instrument sought to collect information on programs’
size, their role in the green economy, curricula creation, program evaluation and program
partnerships. The unit of analysis for the survey is the program level. The survey instrument
went through a review process with project partners and was pilot tested with educators, green
employers and various other individuals familiar with post-secondary education in Ohio and
green programming in particular. The survey instrument is provided in Appendix E.
Program Selection
Project staff created a web version of the survey for distribution via e-mail to a contact person
identified for programs in the Green Pathways Database. Identifying these individuals and
locating their e-mail address was a major undertaking involving the following activities.
Phase 1
• All programs in the Green Pathways Database62 that do not appear to offer a degree or
certificate or appear to be exclusively on-line programs were omitted from the survey
contact list. The exclusively on-line programs were excluded because the third-party
vendors of these online programs are typically responsible for program content.
Phase 2 (974 programs)
• School websites were reviewed and departments were contacted as needed to
determine the most appropriate contact person for each program, potentially including:
o A program chair, coordinator or advisor
o A listed contact individual
o Faculty/staff in the department with relevant teaching emphasis
o Administrative assistants/department secretaries
Phase 3 (Detailed follow-up with 503 programs)
• Individual contacts associated with five or more programs were contacted in order to:
60
https://worksmart.ded.mo.gov/includes/secure_file.cfm?ID=36&menuID=5193
http://www.urbanresearch.org/lmis/new-york-green-jobs-training-survey
62
The final Green Pathways Database includes programs that were not selected for the survey as well as programs
that were added after the survey was deployed. Please see Appendix G for a detailed description of the process by
which green education and training programs were identified.
61
74
•
o Verify that they were the correct contact
o If not, request help to find the most appropriate contact
Additional attempts were made to find a contact person for programs still lacking a
contact person following the completion of Phase 2 activities.
Ultimately, 519 persons were identified as contacts for the survey, including 316 contacts
associated with one program each and 203 contacts associated with two or more programs. For
example, some institutions have only one contact person for multiple certificate and associate’s
programs connected to industrial training programs. At the extreme, it was confirmed that one
educational institution had a single contact person responsible for 23 green-related programs. In
order to encourage participation in the survey, project staff limited the number of surveys any
individual contact would receive and established a prioritization process for selecting the
programs to be surveyed.
Program Prioritization
In consultation with representatives of project sponsors and partners, researchers limited survey
distribution to no more than three surveys per contact. For the remaining 39 contacts associated
with four or more programs each, a prioritization process was established for selecting three
programs for each contact:
•
•
Emphasis was given to programs associated with the largest number of jobs. These are
typically certificate and associate’s degree programs, not bachelor’s degree, master’s
degree or other advanced programs. Associate’s degree programs were selected over
certificate programs of the same title since cursory research indicated that associate’s
programs tend to graduate more students.
Emphasis was given to programs preparing students for employment in the seven
industry sectors of primary interest: renewable energy, advanced energy, energy
efficiency, bioscience, manufacturing, agriculture/biomass and green building.
Using these guidelines, project sponsor and partner representatives made the final selection of
the programs to include in the survey. Where it was impossible to prioritize three programs, a
randomization technique was applied to select three programs. The survey sample was not
randomly selected, and therefore is most likely not fully representative of all programs listed in
the Green Pathways Database, and some programs were added to the database after the
survey was disseminated.
Distribution and Response
On February 24, 2011, 803 web-surveys were distributed to 521 contacts via e-mail using the
Voinovich School’s dedicated software program. Weekly e-mail reminders were sent to nonresponding contacts for two weeks. The list of survey contacts was continually updated as
responses were received from initial contacts. During the deployment, three additional programs
were added to the sample. One program contact requested to complete the survey in paper
form, and this request was accommodated. At the conclusion of the survey deployment, 269
surveys were available for analysis for a response rate of 33.4 percent. Responses to the
survey were used to update information in the Green Pathways Database, including updating
program names, removing programs that are no longer in operation and other details.
75
As with all surveys, non-response bias is an important consideration. One factor that may have
caused such bias in this survey is the extent to which the program contacts believe their
programs are green. Program contacts that believe their programs are green may have been
more likely to participate in the survey than those contacts that do not self-identify as green.
Analysis
For the survey items, the analysis included frequencies, comparisons between groups and
means, where appropriate. The research team reviewed categorical items and collapsed or
recoded as necessary. Due to item nonresponse, the number of respondents varied across
questions. All percentages are based on the number of responses to that particular item.
Frequency tables for the survey questions are located in Appendix F.
76
Appendix E: Educator Survey Instrument
GREEN JOBS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SURVEY
Please answer the following questions about your (degree type) in (program name)
offered at (school name).
For each question, please circle the answer that best describes your program and if
applicable, provide us with additional details. If you do not know the answer to a
question, please choose “Don’t know” and continue to the next question.
1. Is the above program name and certificate/degree type correct?
•
Yes
•
No
2. If you answered “Yes” above, please skip to question #3. If “No,” please enter the correct
information below.
Correct program name______________________________________
Correct certificate/degree type _______________________________
3. How long has your program been in place?
•
The program has not yet been offered
•
Less than one year
•
Between 1 and 2 years
•
Between 3 and 5 years
•
More than 5 years
•
This program has been discontinued
•
Don’t know
If your program has not yet been offered or has been discontinued, please discontinue
the survey now and we thank you for your participation.
77
4. What industry sector(s) does your program prepare students to work in?
Please select all that apply.
• Renewable Energy
o This sector covers activities related to developing and using
alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and
biomass.
• Advanced Energy
o This sector covers activities related to traditional sources of energy
(such as oil, coal, gas and nuclear) that are undergoing significant
green technological changes in order to increase energy output
without increasing carbon dioxide emissions.
• Energy Efficiency
o This sector covers activities related to increasing energy efficiency
(broadly defined), making energy demand response more effective,
constructing "smart grids," and other energy efficient activities.
• Bioscience
o This sector covers activities related to processing agricultural products
into biofuels and manufacturing products from organic materials. This
sector also includes research and development in the fields of
biotechnology, engineering and physical and life sciences related to
reducing dependence on fossil fuels or increasing energy efficiency.
• Manufacturing
o This sector covers activities related to industrial manufacturing of
green technology as well as energy efficient manufacturing
processes.
• Agriculture/Biomass
o This sector covers activities related to growing crops that can be used
to produce alternative fuels.
• Green Building
o This sector covers activities related to constructing new green
buildings, retrofitting residential and commercial buildings and
installing other green construction technology.
•
Other (Please specify)________________________________
78
5. Which of the following statements best describes the extent to which your program
should be considered green? Please select only one.
By green, we mean related to reducing the use of fossil fuels, decreasing pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the efficiency of energy usage, recycling
materials and/or developing and adopting renewable sources of energy.
•
•
•
•
•
Green skills education/training is embedded in all of your program’s required
coursework.
Green skills education/training is embedded in some of your program’s
required coursework.
Green skills education/training is not required, but is available in elective
courses.
This program does not provide green skills education/training in required or
elective courses, however it is important to the green economy.
This program has no role in preparing students for the green economy.
6. How many students were enrolled in your program between July 1, 2009 and June 30,
2010? If you are unsure, please provide your best estimate.
Number of students _________
7. What is the minimum length of time expected to complete this program?
Time
Years
Months
Weeks
Days
Hours
______
______
______
______
______
8. Do students receive academic credit for your program?
•
Yes
•
No
If you answered “No” above, please skip to question #11. If “Yes,” please continue
below.
9. How many students were awarded a degree or certificate from your program between
July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010? If you are unsure, please provide your best estimate.
Number of students: ______________
79
10. How many credit hours are required to be awarded this degree or certificate?
Minimum number of credit hours: _____________
11. Which of the following statements apply to the creation of your program?
Please select all that apply.
• The program was created in response to employer requests for
education/training in this field.
• The program was created in response to student requests for
education/training in this field.
• The program was created in response to a perceived current need in the
labor market.
• The program was created in response to a perceived future need in the labor
market.
• The program was created because of increased funding for green
education/training.
• Other (Please specify)_______________________________
• Don’t know
12. Were industry standards and/or certification criteria used to develop your program’s
curriculum?
• Yes
•
No
•
Don’t know
If you answered “No” or “Don’t know,” please skip to question #14. If “Yes,” please
continue below with question #13.
80
13. If you answered “Yes” to the above question, which organizations’ industry standards
and/or certifications were consulted?
Please select all that apply.
• ACCE (American Council for Construction Education)
•
AEE (Association of Energy Engineers)
•
ASEM (American Society for Engineering Management)
•
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Engineers)
•
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
•
ASQ (American Society for Quality)
•
AWEA (American Wind Energy Association)
•
BEAC (Board of Environmental, Health and Safety Auditor Certifications)
•
BPI (Building Performance Institute)
•
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
•
IGHSPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association)
•
IIE (Institute of Industrial Engineers)
•
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
•
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners)
•
NAHB (National Association of Home Builders)
•
NATE (North American Technician Excellence)
•
NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies)
•
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
•
RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network)
•
RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society)
•
SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)
•
Other (please specify)__________________________ ___________
•
Don’t know
14. Do students sit for a certifying exam (such as NABCEP’s entry-level certification or BPI’s
Building Analyst certification) as part of your program or upon successful completion of
your program?
• Yes
•
No
•
Don’t know
If you answered “No” or “Don’t know,” please skip to question #16. If “Yes,” please
continue below with question #15.
81
15. If you answered “Yes” to the above question, what organizations sponsor a certifying
exam that students sit for as part of your program or upon successful completion of your
program?
Please select all that apply.
• AEE (Association of Energy Engineers)
•
ASEM (American Society for Engineering Management)
•
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Engineers)
•
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
•
ASQ (American Society for Quality)
•
BEAC (Board of Environmental, Health and Safety Auditor Certifications)
•
BPI (Building Performance Institute)
•
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
•
IGHSPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association)
•
IIE (Institute of Industrial Engineers)
•
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
•
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners)
•
NATE (North American Technician Excellence)
•
NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies)
•
RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network)
•
RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society)
•
SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)
•
Other (Please specify)__________________________ ___________
•
Don’t know
16. Which of the following instructional methods are used in your program’s required
courses? Please select all that apply.
•
Classroom instruction
•
Web-based instruction
•
Hands-on training (other than co-op, internship or apprenticeship)
•
Don’t know
17. If your program’s courses contain hands-on-training, about what percentage of the
required coursework is spent on hands-on training?
Percentage of required coursework _______________%
82
18. Is an internship or co-op offered as part of your program?
•
An internship or co-op is a required part of this program.
•
An internship or co-op is an optional part of this program.
•
An internship or co-op is not offered as part of this program.
•
Don’t know
19. Is there an apprenticeship opportunity associated with your program?
•
Yes
•
No
•
Don’t know
20. Does your program use any of the following methods to evaluate its effectiveness?
Please select all that apply.
•
The program curriculum is formally reviewed on an annual or semi-annual
basis.
•
Students are asked to provide formal feedback on their experience in the
program.
•
There is a system in place to track students’ employment status after
completion of the program.
•
Employers of program graduates are asked for formal feedback on the
program.
•
Other measures of evaluation or review are used.
(Please specify)__________________________________________
•
Don’t know
21. Which of the following statements apply to your program? Please select all that apply.
•
•
•
•
The program performs outreach to secondary schools (K-12 system) to
recruit students.
The program has transfer articulation agreements in place with other schools.
Students in the program are provided with program-related career counseling
and job placement services.
Don’t know
83
The following question asks about any formal or informal partnerships your program
may have with other groups involved with green jobs training and promotion. These
partners may assist your program in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to)
providing advice about the program curriculum, helping with internships or job
placement and/or referring students to your program.
22. Does your program have a partnership with any of the following types of organizations?
Please select all that apply.
• Educators at other schools
•
Labor unions
•
Local employers
•
State and local government agencies
•
Non-governmental organizations that are interested in green jobs
education/training (such as professional organizations, chambers of
commerce and local non-profit training programs)
•
None of the above
•
Don’t know
For each of the potential partners listed above, there is a question regarding the services
they provide. If you answered “None of the above” or “Don’t know,” please skip to
question #28. For any partners identified, please find the appropriate question(s) below.
23. If “Educators at other schools” are involved with your program, are any of these services
provided to your program by educators at other schools? Please select all that apply.
•
Assistance with curriculum development
•
Review existing curriculum
•
Participation in the program’s advisory committee
•
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship opportunities for students
•
Assistance with job placement for students
•
Referring students to your program
•
Donation of training equipment
•
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or adjunct faculty, providing
tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
•
Other (Please specify)________________________
•
Don’t know
84
24. If “Labor unions” are involved with your program, are any of these services provided to
your program by labor unions? Please select all that apply.
•
Assistance with curriculum development
•
Review existing curriculum
•
Participation in the program’s advisory committee
•
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship opportunities for students
•
Assistance with job placement for students
•
Referring students to your program
•
Donation of training equipment
•
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or adjunct faculty, providing
tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
•
Other (Please specify)________________________
•
Don’t know
25. If “Local employers” are involved with your program, are any of these services provided
to your program by local employers? Please select all that apply.
•
Assistance with curriculum development
•
Review existing curriculum
•
Participation in the program’s advisory committee
•
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship opportunities for students
•
Assistance with job placement for students
•
Referring students to your program
•
Donation of training equipment
•
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or adjunct faculty,
providing tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
•
Other (Please specify)________________________
•
Don’t know
85
26. If “State and local government agencies” are involved with your program, are any of
these services provided to your program by State and local government agencies?
Please select all that apply.
•
Assistance with curriculum development
•
Review existing curriculum
•
Participation in the program’s advisory committee
•
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship opportunities for students
•
Assistance with job placement for students
•
Referring students to your program
•
Donation of training equipment
•
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or adjunct faculty, providing
tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
•
Other (Please specify)________________________
•
Don’t know
27. If “Non-governmental organizations” are involved with your program, are any of these
services provided to your program by non-governmental organizations? Please select
all that apply.
•
Assistance with curriculum development
•
Review existing curriculum
•
Participation in the program’s advisory committee
•
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship opportunities for students
•
Assistance with job placement for students
•
Referring students to your program
•
Donation of training equipment
•
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or adjunct faculty, providing
tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
•
Other (Please specify)________________________
•
Don’t know
86
28. Is there any other information about your program, in particular, or green
education/training, in general, that you would like to include?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your participation in this project. When the Green Jobs Report is published on
the web, we will forward you the link to this report.
87
Appendix F: Green Jobs Training and Education Survey
Frequency Tables
3. How long has your program been in place?
Frequency
Less than one year
15
Between 1 and 2 years
11
Between 3 and 5 years
23
More than 5 years
220
Total
269
Percent
5.6%
4.1%
8.6%
81.8%
100.0%
If your program has not yet been offered or has been discontinued, please discontinue the survey
now and we thank you for your participation.
4. What industry sector(s) does your program prepare students to work
in? (Please select all that apply.)
Renewable Energy
Advanced Energy
Energy Efficiency
Bioscience
Manufacturing
Agriculture/Biomass
Green Building
Other
Frequency
124
102
117
78
111
63
78
84
Percent
47.5%
39.1%
44.8%
29.9%
42.5%
24.1%
29.9%
32.2%
Note: Eight respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
88
5. Which of the following statements best describes the extent to which
your program should be considered green?
Frequency
Percent
20
7.9%
123
48.8%
46
18.3%
50
19.8%
13
252
5.2%
100.0%
Green skills education/training is embedded in all your
program's required coursework.
Green skills education/training is embedded in some
of your program's required coursework.
Green skills education/training is not required, but is
available in elective courses.
This program does not provide green skills
education/training in required or elective courses.
This program has no role in preparing students for the
green economy.
Total
Note: Seventeen respondents did not answer this question.
6. How many students were enrolled in your program between July
1, 2009 and June 30, 2010?
Mean
71.1
Median
30
Minimum
0
Maximum
2,000
Note: Seventeen respondents did not answer this question.
7. What is the minimum length of time expected to complete this
program?
Frequency
46
112
11
74
11
254
One year or less
13 months to 2 years
25 months to 47 months
4 years
More than 4 years
Total
Percent
18.1%
44.1%
4.3%
29.1%
4.3%
100.0%
Note: Fifteen respondents did not answer this question.
8. Do students receive academic credit for your program?
Yes
No
Total
Frequency
255
7
262
Percent
97.3%
2.7%
100.0%
Note: Seven respondents did not answer this question.
89
If you answered "No" above, please skip to question #11. If "Yes," please continue below.
9. How many students were awarded a degree or certificate from
your program between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010?
Mean
15.7
Median
7
Minimum
0
Maximum
300
Note: Sixteen respondents did not answer this question.
Question #10 (How many credit hours are required to be awarded this degree or certificate?) was
omitted due to inconsistency of responses.
11. Which of the following statements apply to the creation of your
program? (Please select all that apply.)
The program was created in response to employer
requests for education/training in this field.
The program was created in response to student
requests for education/training in this field.
The program was created in response to a perceived
current need in the labor market.
The program was created in response to a perceived
future need in the labor market.
The program was created because of increased
funding for green education/training.
The program has been in place for many years.
Other
Frequency
Percent
137
59.3%
73
31.6%
148
64.1%
120
51.9%
5
16
13
2.2%
6.9%
5.6%
Note: Thirty-eight respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
12. Were industry standards and/or certifications used to develop your
program's curriculum?
Yes
No
Total
Frequency
142
81
223
Percent
63.7%
36.3%
100.0%
Note: Forty-six respondents did not answer this question.
If you answered "No" or "Don't know," please skip to question #14. If "Yes, please continue below
with question #13
90
13. Which organization's industry standards and/or certifications were
consulted? (Please select all that apply.)
ACCE (American Council for Construction Education)
AEE (Association of Energy Engineers)
ASEM (American Society for Engineering
Management)
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration
and Air Conditioning Engineers)
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
ASQ (American Society for Quality)
AWEA (American Wind Energy Association)
BEAC (Board of Environmental, Health and Safety
Auditor Certifications
BPI (Building Performance Institute)
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
IGHSPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump
Association)
IIE (Institute of Industrial Engineers)
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design)
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy
Practitioners)
NAHB (National Association of Home Builders)
NATE (North American Technician Excellence)
NICET (National Institute for Certification in
Engineering Technologies)
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration)
RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network)
RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society)
SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)
Other
Frequency
9
1
Percent
7.2%
0.8%
1
0.8%
9
12
9
8
7.2%
9.6%
7.2%
6.4%
1
11
16
0.8%
8.8%
12.8%
1
3
0.8%
2.4%
20
16.0%
14
9
7
11.2%
7.2%
5.6%
1
0.8%
51
4
4
12
81
40.8%
3.2%
3.2%
9.6%
64.8%
Note: Seventeen respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
91
14. Do students sit for a certifying exam as part of your program or upon
successful completion of your program?
Yes
No
Total
Frequency
36
217
253
Percent
14.2%
85.8%
100.0%
Note: Sixteen respondents did not answer this question.
If you answered "No" or "Don't know," please skip to question #16. If "Yes," please continue
below with question #15.
15. What organizations sponsor a certifying exam that students sit for as
part of your program or upon successful completion of your program?
ASQ (American Society for Quality)
BPI (Building Performance Institute)
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design)
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy
Practitioners)
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration)
SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)
Other
Frequency
1
2
Percent
2.9%
5.9%
1
2.9%
5
14.7%
7
1
29
20.6%
2.9%
85.3%
Note: Two respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
16. Which of the following instructional methods are used in your
program's required courses? (Please select all that apply.)
Classroom instruction
Web-based instruction
Hands-on training (other than co-op, internship, or
apprenticeship)
Frequency
252
93
Percent
99.2%
36.6%
200
78.7%
Note: Fifteen respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
92
17. About what percentage of the required coursework is spent on
hands-on training?
24% or fewer
25% to 49%
50% to 74%
75% or more
Total
Frequency
55
45
65
16
181
Percent
30.4%
24.9%
35.9%
8.8%
100.0%
Note: Nineteen respondents did not answer this question.
18. Is an internship or co-op offered as part of your program?
Frequency
Percent
An internship or co-op is a required part of this
program
An internship or co-op is an optional part of this
program
56
22.9%
103
42.0%
An internship or co-op is not offered as part of this
program
Total
86
245
35.1%
100.0%
Note: Twenty-four respondents did not answer this question.
19. Is there an apprenticeship opportunity associated with your program?
Yes
No
Total
Frequency
44
189
233
Percent
18.9%
81.1%
100.0%
Note: Thirty-six respondents did not answer this question.
93
20. Does your program use any of the following methods to evaluate its
effectiveness? (Please select all that apply.)
The program curriculum is formally reviewed on an
annual or semi-annual basis.
Students are asked to provide formal feedback on their
experience in the program.
There is a system in place to track students'
employment status after completion of the program.
Employers of program graduates are asked for formal
feedback on the program.
Other measures of evaluation or review are used.
Frequency
Percent
160
68.7%
197
84.5%
124
53.2%
100
64
42.9%
27.5%
Note: Thirty-six respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
21. Which of the following statements apply to your program?
(Please select all that apply.)
The program performs outreach to secondary schools
(K-12 system) to recruit students.
The program has transfer articulation agreements in
place with other schools.
Students in the program are provided with programrelated career counseling and job placement services.
Frequency
Percent
118
57.3%
129
62.6%
154
74.8%
Note: Sixty-three respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
22. Does your program have a partnership with any of the following types
of organizations? (Please select all that apply.)
Educators at other schools
Labor unions
Local employers
State and local government agencies
Non-governmental organizations that are interested in
green jobs education/training
None of the above
Frequency
133
15
158
101
Percent
55.6%
6.3%
66.1%
42.3%
92
39
38.5%
16.3%
Note: Thirty respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
If you answered “None of the above” or “Don’t know” to question #22, please skip to question
#28. For any partners identified, please answer the appropriate question(s) below.
94
23. Are any of these services provided to your program by educators at other
schools? (Please select all that apply.)
Assistance with curriculum development
Review existing curriculum
Participation in the program's advisory committee
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship
opportunities for students
Assistance with job placement for students
Referring students to your program
Donation of training equipment
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or
adjunct faculty, providing tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
Other
Frequency
43
60
56
Percent
37.7%
52.6%
49.1%
29
22
82
13
25.4%
19.3%
71.9%
11.4%
46
7
40.4%
6.1%
Note: Nineteen respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
24. Are any of these services provided to your program by labor unions?
(Please select all that apply.)
Assistance with curriculum development
Review existing curriculum
Participation in the program's advisory committee
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship
opportunities for students
Assistance with job placement for students
Referring students to your program
Donation of training equipment
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or
adjunct faculty, providing tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
Other
Frequency
7
8
10
Percent
63.6%
72.7%
90.9%
8
8
9
3
72.7%
72.7%
81.8%
27.3%
7
1
63.6%
9.1%
Note: Four respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple responses.
95
25. Are any of these services provided to your program by local
employers? (Please select all that apply.)
Assistance with curriculum development
Review existing curriculum
Participation in the program's advisory committee
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship
opportunities for students
Assistance with job placement for students
Referring students to your program
Donation of training equipment
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or
adjunct faculty, providing tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
Other
Frequency
93
106
125
Percent
60.4%
68.8%
81.2%
121
101
97
74
78.6%
65.6%
63.0%
48.1%
98
4
63.6%
2.6%
Note: Four respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple responses.
26. Are any of these services provided to your program by state and local
government? (Please select all that apply.)
Assistance with curriculum development
Review existing curriculum
Participation in the program's advisory committee
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship
opportunities for students
Assistance with job placement for students
Referring students to your program
Donation of training equipment
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or
adjunct faculty, providing tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
Other
Frequency
29
33
43
Percent
31.9%
36.3%
47.3%
56
43
52
13
61.5%
47.3%
57.1%
14.3%
34
4
37.4%
4.4%
Note: Ten respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple responses.
96
27. Are any of these services provided to your program by non-government
organizations that are interested in green jobs education/training?
(Please select all that apply.)
Assistance with curriculum development
Review existing curriculum
Participation in the program's advisory committee
Help with internship, co-op and/or apprenticeship
opportunities for students
Assistance with job placement for students
Referring students to your program
Donation of training equipment
Teaching assistance (serving as guest instructors or
adjunct faculty, providing tours of relevant facilities, etc.)
Other
Frequency
28
32
47
Percent
38.4%
43.8%
64.4%
39
35
42
19
53.4%
47.9%
57.5%
26.0%
26
1
35.6%
1.4%
Note: Nineteen respondents did not answer this question. Respondents could choose multiple
responses.
97
Appendix G: Green Pathways Database Methodology
Introduction and Overview
This appendix supplements the Green Pathways Database chapter by providing methodological
details regarding the development of the database. Information from the database will be
provided in searchable format at two complementary websites to be established by the Ohio
Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Board of Regents, respectively:
http://ohiolmi.com/research/research.htm and http://www.ohiogreenpathways.org.
Key Resources Utilized
To develop the program database, the researchers utilized the following key resources:
•
•
•
Institutions within the University System of Ohio (USO)
The Occupational Information Network (O*Net)
The Occupational Supply Demand System (OSDS)
Institutions within the University System of Ohio (USO)
Individual USO institutions provided information about green-related education and training
programs through a process described in the Green Pathways Database chapter of this report.
The Occupational Information Network (O*Net)
A 2009 O*Net document entitled The Greening of the World of Work was utilized as the basis
for defining green occupations and linking occupations to sectors of the green economy.63
O*Net’s definitions of green occupations and sectors are provided in the introduction to this
report, and a list of O*Net-defined green occupations is provided in Appendix B.
The Occupational Information Network (O*Net) was created by the U.S. Department of Labor
and several other partners in 1998 and has since become a robust repository of occupational
information in the United States.64 O*Net utilizes the Standard Occupational Classification
(SOC) system for assigning codes and titles to occupations and provides detailed information
about skills, knowledge, abilities and other aspects of each SOC code and title.65 In recent
years, O*Net has directly performed or compiled a substantial amount of research in relation to
green jobs.66
63
Dierdorff et al., Greening of the World.
Mariani , Replace with a Database; Idem, O*NET Update. See http://www.onetonline.org/ for occupational
information available online.
65
“Standard Occupational Classification,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed April 25, 2011,
http://www.bls.gov/soc/home.htm; and “The O*NET® Content Model,” O*NET Resource Center, accessed April 25,
2011, http://www.onetcenter.org/content.html.
66
“The Green Economy,” O*NET Resource Center, accessed April 25, 2011, http://www.onetcenter.org/green.html.
64
98
The Occupational Supply Demand System (OSDS)
The Occupational Supply Demand System (OSDS) was utilized to help draw connections
between occupations and education and training programs. OSDS provides “units of analysis”
that link occupational codes (SOC codes and titles) to Classification of Instructional Program
(CIP) codes and titles.67 Linking SOC codes and CIP codes first required assigning the
appropriate CIP codes to Ohio programs – a challenge discussed in detail below.
It should be noted that the SOC-CIP connections shown within the OSDS “units of analysis” are
not identical to those shown at O*Net Online. OSDS includes only a subset of the occupational
and instructional code linkages that are evident at O*Net Online because one of OSDS’s
primary purposes is to facilitate the comparison of educational supply with occupational
demand. In facilitating such comparisons, the OSDS “units of analysis” exclude some SOC-CIP
relationships shown at O*Net Online in an effort to avoid demand for certain occupations being
counted multiple times in relation to a number of different CIP codes.68 OSDS was chosen as
the preferred source for the SOC-CIP crosswalk utilized in developing the Green Pathways
Database because it is consistent with the use of the OSDS “units of analysis” by the State of
Ohio’s Labor Market Information Bureau in other applications.69
Methodological Challenges
There were three persistent methodological challenges in creating the green program database:
•
•
•
Defining green-related programs;
Reconciling program information provided directly by USO institutions with program
information available from the Integrated Post-Secondary Educational Data System
(IPEDS); and
Assigning Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) codes to programs.
Defining Green-Related Programs
Two issues were confronted in defining green-related programs – one relating to occupational
linkages and one related to degree- or certificate-granting status.
First, the definition of green-related education and training programs is open to interpretation,
and USO institutions that have identified green-related programs to date have not utilized
identical criteria. For example, some of the institution-identified programs are linkable to greenrelated occupations and some are not. All programs identified by institutions were included in
the database along with information about whether or not each is linked to a green occupation.
For approximately nine percent of the programs in the database (124 out of 1,327), a link to a
green occupation identified by O*Net could not be established.
67
“Occupational Supply Demand System,” Georgia Career Information Center, last modified February 2011, accessed
April 25, 2001, http://www.occsupplydemand.org/.
68
Pamela Frugoli, Employment Training Administration, e-mail message to Zachary Holl, June 1, 2011.
69
See, for example, “Ohio Skills Bank Data,” Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: Ohio Labor Market
Information, last modified February 3, 2010, accessed April 25, 2011, http://ohiolmi.com/asp/SB/SkillsBank.htm; and
Schaff, “Labor Market Information,” 10-12.
99
Second, researchers attempted to narrow the database to programs that granted a degree or
certificate, but were unable to ascertain with certainty whether this criterion was met by each
program. If an institution identified a program as green-related but researchers could not confirm
that the program yields a degree or certificate for students, the program was kept in the
database but its degree- or certificate-granting status was noted as unclear. There are 157
programs (about 12 percent of the total) in this category.
Reconciling Institution-Identified Programs with IPEDS-Identified Programs
Researchers utilized two basic approaches to identify green-related education and training
programs in the University System of Ohio. One approach focused on the programs defined as
green-related by USO institutions themselves through the process explained in the Green
Pathways Database chapter. A second approach focused on programs listed in a database
obtained from IPEDS.
The two approaches differ mainly in how programs are named. There is no program name field
that exists in both datasets that can be used as a way to match a program in one to a program
in the other. The set of institution-identified programs includes program names and descriptions,
but no CIP titles or codes, while the reverse is true for the IPEDS database, which provides CIP
codes and CIP titles, but not the program names that institutions actually use in their own
course catalogs or in other media. As a result of these differences, it is not possible to reconcile
and combine the two sets of programs into a single, unified database of non-duplicated
programs.
While some matches can be reasonably made between CIP titles in the IPEDS database and
program names in the school-identified dataset, these cases are in the minority. For most
programs in the institution-identified dataset, there is no reasonable match to a CIP title in the
IPEDS database. Table 10 provides an illustration of this challenge in reference to one example
school in the database.
100
Table 10. Green-Related Programs at an Ohio Technical College
Green-related Programs in IPEDS Dataset (n=24)
Green-related Programs in School-Identified Dataset (n=10)
Accounting
Building Preservation/Restoration (1)
Architectural Engineering Technology/Technician
Civil Engineering Technology(1)
Business Administration and Management, General
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) (1)
Business Communications
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) (2)
Business Information and Data Processing Services, Other Industrial Electronics (1)
Business, General
Power Plant Technology (1)
Child Growth, Care and Development Studies
Tooling and Machining (1)
Computer and Information Sciences, Other
Tooling and Machining (2)
Computer Graphics
Welding Technology (1)
Computer Programming
Welding Technology (2)
Corrections/Correctional Administration
Data Processing Technology/Technician
Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering
Technology/Technician
Engineering Technology, General
Enterprise Management and Operation, General
General Office/Clerical and Typing Services
Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Technology/Technician
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist
Machinist/Machine Technologist
Management Information Systems and Services, Other
System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager
Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources
Design
Welder/Welding Technologist
Welding Technology/Welder
Sources: IPEDS and Green Pathways 2-year program catalog. O'Net Online was consulted in order to complete
instructuional program titles that were incomplete in IPEDS.
Notes: (1) = Associate's Degree Program, (2) = Certificate Program
Since these two datasets cannot be reconciled and combined, only one could be realistically
utilized as the foundation for the Green Pathways Database. The school-identified programs
were chosen over the IPEDS-identified programs for this purpose for two reasons. First, building
on the recent work of USO institutions to identify green-related programs is preferable to
building an IPEDS-based online database that does not align well with the information provided
by these institutions. Second, in order for an online program inventory to be user-friendly, the
information it provides must align well with the information provided by schools in their own
course catalogs, websites and other media. Since the programs in the IPEDS database cannot
be reasonably linked to the actual program names used by schools, it becomes impractical to
populate the database with important program details available in school materials but not
included in IPEDS.
Assigning CIP Codes to Programs
CIP codes present both benefits and challenges in identifying green-related programs. On the
benefit side, CIP codes provide an efficient and consistent way to link programs to green
occupations (SOC codes) using the SOC-CIP crosswalk from OSDS. However, assigning the
appropriate CIP codes to programs entails two essential methodological issues.
101
First, like traditional occupations, green occupations can be related to multiple CIP codes. For
example, Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians can be potentially related to eleven different
CIP codes within OSDS’s “unit of analysis” for General Construction.
Second, since the CIP-SOC crosswalk from OSDS was utilized to make program-occupation
linkages in the Green Pathways Database, it is essential to assign CIP codes that are included
in this crosswalk rather than selecting from the longer list of potential CIP codes available from
the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).70 For example, there is a CIP code and title
– 15.0505: Solar Energy Technology – that seems like a potentially good option to consider for
the Solar Thermal Installation program. However, this CIP code is not among the eleven options
linked to the Solar Thermal Installer and Technician occupation in OSDS.
To identify the most appropriate CIP code for each program in the Green Pathways Database,
Voinovich school researchers attempted to create the strongest alignment among four key
variables: program description, SOC code and title, reported green occupation and CIP code
and title. Reported green occupations are occupational titles identified by O*Net in developing
The Greening of the World of Work and are listed in the appendices to that document. This
process was applied somewhat differently in each case depending on the relative strength of
these alignments. Ultimately, CIP code assignments fell into the following five categories.
Category 1 (43 percent of programs): There is clear alignment across program
information, CIP code, SOC code and reported occupation. Among the programs in the
database, these are the best-case scenarios because there are relatively clear relationships
among the four variables being considered. For example, the Bachelor’s (B.S.) in Construction
Management program at the University of Cincinnati is described as follows on the school
website:
The bachelor of science degree in construction management is a recognized credential
for a professional executive career in construction. Graduates typically are employed by
general contractors, specialty contractors, construction management firms, building
owners, corporate builders, developers, engineering firms, manufacturers, utility
companies, government agencies, educational and health institutions. They often gain
responsibility quickly, becoming job-site superintendents, project managers and officers
of companies. Placement opportunities are available worldwide.71
This description aligns relatively well with a green occupation reported by O*Net (Construction
Manager), which in turn links to a similar SOC title (11-9021: Construction Managers) and the
CIP title that was ultimately assigned to the program (52.2001: Construction Management).72
70
“CIP 2010,” National Center for Education Statistics, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Default.aspx?y=55
71
“Construction Management,” University of Cincinnati, accessed April 25, 2011,
http://www.uc.edu/degreeprograms/Program.aspx?program=20BSCM-CM.
72
Other green occupations identified by O*NET that are linked to SOC 11-9021: Construction Managers and CIP
52.2001 Construction Management are Energy Efficient Site Foreman, Site Supervising Technical Operator,
Weatherization Operations Manager, Environmental Construction Engineer, Program Manager –Environmental
Construction, Solar Commercial Installation Electrician Foreman, and Solar Installation Manager/Project Foreman.
See Dierdorff et al., Greening of the World, 64-80.
102
Category 2 (19 percent of programs): There is alignment between the program
information and at least one reported green occupation, but there is more than one
reasonable CIP code aligned with the reported green occupation(s). For example, the
Associate’s in Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Columbus State is described as
follows on the school’s website:
Columbus State’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program prepares students to
enter this growing profession where the pool of applicants does not meet the demand.
The program presents an inside look at the manufacturing process, as well as highlights
skills with drafting, computers and troubleshooting. Coursework includes an introduction
to manufacturing technology, hydraulics, robotics, materials science and computer aided
drafting and manufacturing. Students get their hands on the college’s Solar Car and can
be part of the team that designs the next winner of the Society of Automotive Engineers
MiniBaja® competition.73
Table 11 shows the reported green occupations that appear to align with this program
description, along with the associated SOC and CIP codes and titles. The three reported green
occupations that are bolded appear to have the strongest relationship to the program
description. Therefore, the CIP code linked to the SOC code associated with these reported
green occupations was assigned to this program (CIP 15.0000: Engineering Technology,
General and SOC 17-3029: Engineering Technicians, except Drafters, All Other, respectively). If
only CIP and SOC titles were considered, the other CIP option (CIP 15.0805) probably would
have been selected due to the commonality of the term “mechanical engineering” among the
program name, SOC title and CIP title.
Table 11. Potential CIP codes for a Mechanical Engineering Technology Program
CIP Code
15.0805
CIP Title
Mechanical
Engineering/
Mechanical
Engineering
Technology
SOC Code
17-3027
SOC Title
Mechanical
Engineering
Technicians
Reported Green Occupations
Automotive Engineering Technicians
Electrical Engineering Technologists
Electromechanical Engineering Technologists
Electronics Engineering Technologists
Engineering
Engineering
Industrial Engineering Technologists
15.0000
Technologies/
17-3029
Technicians
Manufacturing Engineering Technologists
Technicians, Other
Manufacturing Production Technologists
Mechanical Engineering Technologists
Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists
Sources: O'Net, Greening of the World of Work ; occupationsupply.org
73
“Mechanical Engineering Technology (MECH),” Columbus State Community College, accessed April 25, 2011,
http://www2.cscc.edu/academics/programs/mech/.
103
Category 3 (34 percent of programs): There are no reported green occupations that
clearly align with the program description, but there are SOC codes/titles that do.
For example, the Associate’s in Plastics Engineering Technology program at Northwest State is
described as follows on the school’s website:
Plastics is one of the fastest growing manufacturing industries today…Students will
receive specialized training in thermoplastic materials, injection molding and plastics
testing. Graduates will also be skilled in various processes such as blow molding,
extrusion and thermoforming. Career Options: Job titles in this field can include Molding
Technician, Production Supervisor, Design and Development and Quality Control
Technician to name a few...An increase in workers trained in the field will stem from
manufacturers substituting plastic parts for those that had been manufactured from
metal in the past.74
In this example, there are no reported green occupations in O*Net’s The Greening of the World
of Work that appear to align directly with the emphasis of the program – in this case, plastics.
However, a search of SOC codes identified several codes related to plastics and/or other
aspects of the online program description, as shown in Table 12. All of these SOC codes are
related to CIP 48.0501: Machining Tool Technology, which is the CIP code ultimately assigned
to this program. It is interesting to note that there is a CIP code for Plastics Engineering
Technology (15.0607), but it maps to an SOC code that does not appear to be as strongly
related to the emphasis of this particular program.75
74
“Plastics Engineering Technology,” Northwest State Community College, accessed April 25, 2011,
http://www.northweststate.edu/Academics/Engineering/pdf/Plastics.pdf.
75
This CIP code maps to SOC 17-3029:Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other, which is related to the
following reported green occupations: Electrical Engineering Technologists, Electromechanical Engineering
Technologists, Electronics Engineering Technologists, Industrial Engineering Technologists, Manufacturing
Engineering Technologists, Manufacturing Production Technologists, Mechanical Engineering Technologists. See “13
O*Net SOC codes matching ‘17-3029,’” O*Net Online, accessed May 23, 2011,
http://www.onetonline.org/find/quick?s=17-3029.
104
Table 12. SOC Codes Related to CIP 48.0501: Machining Tool Technology
SOC Code
51-4011
51-4021
51-4031
51-4032
51-4033
51-4034
51-4035
51-4041
51-4052
51-4061
51-4062
51-4072
51-4081
51-4191
51-4193
51-4194
51-4199
Sources:
SOC Title
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal and
Plastic
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and
Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators,
and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and
Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool
Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and
Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and
Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Machinists
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal and
Plastic
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters,
Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders,
Metal and Plastic
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders,
Metal and Plastic
Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and
Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other
O'Net, Greening of the World of Work ; occupationsupply.org
Reported Green
Occupation
CNC Operators
None
Cutting, Punching and
Press Machine Operators
Drilling & Boring Operators
None
None
None
Geo-thermal Heat Pump
Machinists
Hydro-electric Component
Machinists
Machinists
Wind Turbine Machinists
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
Category 4 (3 percent of programs): There are no reported green occupations or SOC
codes/titles that align well with the program description. This is the least preferred
approach to matching programs to CIP codes because the occupational linkages are very
unclear. For programs in this category, an appropriate match to the program description could
not be found among the SOC titles included in the OSDS “units of analysis” or the reported
green occupations provided in O*Net’s The Greening of the World of Work. In some cases, this
may be explained by the fact that the OSDS “units of analysis” only include a subset of potential
SOC-CIP relationships as described previously in this appendix. In these cases, the CIP codes
associated with the closest SOC options available were assigned to the program. Example
105
program names in this category include Master of Public Administration, Public Health,
Entrepreneurship and International Hospitality.
Category 5 (less than 1 percent of programs): There is no CIP code associated with the
program or SOC code. In a small number of cases, programs in the database could not be
reasonably linked to any SOC or CIP code. Example program names in this category include
Going Green at Home and Going Green in the Workplace. In these cases, no CIP code was
assigned.
The methodology described above for assigning CIP codes to programs does not always offer
the specificity and/or flexibility necessary to manage all possible situations. As is evident at the
OSDS website and in several of the examples discussed above, CIP codes often link to more
than one SOC code and vice versa. There are numerous CIP codes that could be reasonably
assigned to some programs in the database, each of which may then be linked to multiple SOC
codes and reported green occupations. Therefore, assigning only one CIP code to each
program in the database has the potential to suggest a more limited range of programoccupation linkages than is actually the case for some programs.
Nonetheless, this approach was taken in an effort to most clearly highlight the linkages between
programs and the green economy. Given the limiting nature of this approach, the researchers
made every reasonable effort to avoid characterizing any program too narrowly. Where
possible, a general CIP code – typically ending in .0000 (general) or .9999 (other) – was
selected over more specific options in order to avoid suggesting a program description that is
too narrow. In reference to the Solar Thermal Installation program described above, for
example, the pertinent SOC code maps to fairly specific CIP titles such as Ironworking and
Plumbing as well as Construction Trades, General. In such cases, the more general option was
typically selected.
It would certainly be reasonable to assign more than one CIP code to some programs so that an
SOC-CIP crosswalk would illustrate more program-occupation relationships than the Green
Pathways Database currently does. However, it is probably advisable to seek some level of
input or consensus among USO institutions regarding the assignment of CIP codes to programs
for the purposes of the green program database. Such an effort is probably best facilitated by
first reviewing the single CIP codes currently assigned to each program and then moving on to
multiple-code assignments as warranted and agreed upon by participating institutions.
Additional Comments on Database Contents and Methodology
A detailed data dictionary has been provided to the project sponsors in order to explain all of the
fields in the Green Pathways Database. Below are comments regarding some of the fields.
Degree Types. Degree types were collapsed into broad categories in order to minimize the
number of unique degree types within the database and make it more user-friendly. For
example, there are three different types of associate’s degrees among the identified programs:
A.A.B., A.A.S. and A.T.S. The database has one field that collapses such degree variants into
one category – in this case, associate’s degree – and then another field that provides more
specific information about degree type as appropriate.
106
School Contact Information. The database does not include individual people as contacts for
each program since it is anticipated that such information is likely to become inaccurate as
personnel involved in each program may change. Rather, a school webpage address is
provided for each program. Every effort was made to find the specific web page that has the
closest relationship to the program and was an active page as of March 30, 2011. In cases
where there is a pdf document that provides information about the program, the webpage from
which the pdf can be accessed was provided instead of a link to the pdf itself, so that users
would then be able to navigate to other parts of the respective websites.
107
Appendix H: Overview of Green-Related Programs in the
University System of Ohio Based on IPEDS Data
As discussed in the body of this report and in Appendix G, it is not possible to reconcile the two
key datasets regarding green-related programs in Ohio: the programs identified by USO
institutions and the programs identified within a database obtained from the Integrated PostSecondary Educational Data System (IPEDS). Consequently, only one of these datasets could
be used as the initial foundation for the Green Pathways Database. The set of programs
identified by institutions was chosen for this purpose primarily because the information it
contains is more consistent with the information provided by schools themselves in school
media.
However, to provide an overview of green-related education and training programs in the
University System of Ohio, the IPEDS database has important strengths.
The IPEDS database includes the CIP codes and titles assigned to each program by the
respective schools. CIP codes, in turn, enable programs to be linked systematically to greenrelated occupations (SOC codes) using the O*Net and OSDS resources described in Appendix
G. For this reason, the IPEDS database provides a more inclusive approach to identifying
green-related programs, compared to the set of school-identified programs. For illustration,
there is only one accounting program among the set of institution-identified programs because
only one school reported such a program as being green, whereas the IPEDS database
includes many accounting programs that may be considered green, because they are linked to
a green occupation (Financial Analyst) through a CIP-SOC crosswalk.76
For these reasons, some green-related programs within the USO that are identifiable in the
IPEDS database are not currently included in the Green Pathways Database. The Green
Pathways Database includes 1,327 programs, while the IPEDS database includes 2,450
programs within the USO that can be defined as green based on CIP-SOC linkages. As a
consequence, the set of IPEDS-identified programs may more accurately convey the extent of
the green-related educational infrastructure within the University System of Ohio. Table 13
summarizes the number of USO programs identifiable as green, by institution type, within the
IPEDS database compared to the Green Pathways Database.
76
SOC 13-2051: Financial Analyst is an “enhanced skills” green occupation linked to the following reported green
occupations in the O’NET framework: Alternative Financing Specialists/Government Incentives, Energy Efficiency
Finance Managers, Green Material Value-added Assessors, and Renewable Energy System Finance Specialists.
Dierdorff et al., Greening of the World, 64-80.
108
Table 13. Programs by Type of Institution in the Green Pathways Database and IPEDS
Number of Programs
Adult Career Two-Year
Centers
Colleges
Four-Year
Universities
Total
Green Pathways Database
191
592
544
1,327
IPEDS
176
928
1,346
2,450
The following tables are based upon IPEDS data.77 Appendix I provides maps showing the
locations of the USO institutions with green-related programs included in the IPEDS database.
Public and Private Postsecondary Green-Related Programs
As Table 14 indicates, there are over 4,000 public and private post-secondary programs in the
State of Ohio that can be defined as green-related according to IPEDS and an SOC-CIP
crosswalk. About 60 percent of these programs (2,450 programs) are public programs, and
about 40 percent (1,597 programs) are private.
Table 14. Public and Private Green-Related Programs
Economic
Development
Region
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Total
Total Percent
Source: IPEDS
Number of Programs
Private
Public
264
348
56
253
383
63
80
201
378
106
196
122
2,450
60.5%
Private for profit Private non-profit
61
46
8
60
55
21
106
41
2
22
422
10.4%
153
46
98
170
89
134
41
283
96
37
28
1,175
29.0%
Total
478
440
162
483
527
197
142
590
515
145
224
144
4,047
100.0%
77
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services provided an IPEDS database to Ohio University in December
2010. This database includes information on programs for the calendar year beginning July 1, 2008 and ending June
30, 2009, and was the most recent version of IPEDS data available for the purposes of this report. For more
information on the IPEDS data collection process, see National Center for Educational Statistics, “What are the
Steps,” http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/submit_data/lifecycle_text.asp.
109
Green-Related Programs in the USO by Type of Institution
Table 15 shows green-related programs in the USO by type of institution. Among the 2,450
green-related programs in the USO, according to IPEDS and an SOC-CIP crosswalk, over half
(54.9 percent) are provided by four-year universities, while 37.9 percent are provided by twoyear schools and 7.2 percent are provided by adult career centers.
Table 15. Public Green-Related Programs in the USO by Type of Institution
Number of Programs
Economic
Development
Region
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Total
Total Percent
Source: IPEDS
Adult Career
Centers
21
17
12
11
8
12
17
20
24
15
5
14
176
7.2%
Two-year
Technical and
Community
Colleges
59
147
40
158
120
47
21
103
52
81
77
23
928
37.9%
Four-year
Colleges and
Universities
184
184
4
84
255
4
42
78
302
10
114
85
1,346
54.9%
Total
264
348
56
253
383
63
80
201
378
106
196
122
2,450
100.0%
110
Green-Related Programs in the USO by Type of Degree or Certificate
Table 16 shows green-related programs in the USO by type of degree or certificate. Among the
2,450 green-related USO programs according to IPEDS and an SOC-CIP crosswalk, the largest
degree/certificate categories are associate’s degrees (29.6 percent of the total), postsecondary
awards, certificates and diplomas (25.9 percent) and bachelor’s degrees (23.5 percent). The
remainder is comprised of master’s degrees (14.7 percent of the total), doctoral degrees (6.1
percent) and first professional degrees or certificates (0.30 percent).
Table 16. Green-Related Programs in the USO by Type of Degree or Certificate
Economic
Development
Region
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Total
Total Percent
Source: IPEDS
Postsecondary
Awards,
Certificates,
Diplomas
41
70
25
72
84
36
31
65
99
40
44
27
634
25.9%
First
Professional
Degrees or
Certificates
1
1
1
2
2
7
0.3%
Associate’s
Degrees
50
128
27
103
90
23
35
67
55
66
50
31
725
29.6%
Bachelor’s
Degrees
66
89
4
47
104
4
14
36
109
55
47
575
23.5%
Master’s
Degrees
57
49
29
68
26
80
33
17
359
14.7%
Doctoral
Degrees
49
11
2
36
5
33
14
150
6.1%
Grand Total
264
348
56
253
383
63
80
201
378
106
196
122
2,450
100.0%
Table 17 shows postsecondary awards, certificates and diplomas among the USO’s greenrelated programs by subcategory. Among the green-related USO programs that grant awards,
certificates, or diplomas, over 90 percent are either one-year or one-to-two-year programs (52.2
percent and 39.9 percent, respectively).
111
Table 17. Green-Related Postsecondary Awards, Certificates and Diplomas in the USO by
Subcategory
Economic
Development
Region
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Total
Total Percent
Source: IPEDS
Postsecondary Awards, Certificates, or Diplomas
Less than 1
year
23
33
13
42
32
22
15
12
67
19
34
19
331
52.2%
1-2 Years
14
32
12
29
47
14
16
44
12
21
8
4
253
39.9%
2-4 Years
1
1
1
1
1
5
0.8%
PostBaccalaureate
Certificates
2
4
4
9
18
2
4
43
6.8%
Post-Master’s
Certificates
1
1
2
0.3%
Total
41
70
25
72
84
36
31
65
99
40
44
27
634
100.0%
112
Green-Related Programs in the USO by Green Sector
Table 18 illustrates how the USO’s green-related programs relate to sectors of the green
economy based upon O*Net’s definition of green sectors, IPEDS and an SOC-CIP crosswalk.
Because programs can relate to more than one green occupation, and green occupations can
relate to more than one sector, the total number of programs (6,076) includes duplicates and
therefore does not match the total number of green-related programs in the USO (2,450) shown
in previous tables.
113
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
39
37
6
38
35
12
13
28
45
18
15
11
297
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
60
80
14
75
86
22
18
57
79
29
35
28
583
9
20
4
12
20
6
1
9
28
4
9
7
129
95
86
14
54
103
10
18
40
128
22
75
33
678
61
92
17
66
101
20
19
58
103
23
47
27
634
50
56
6
47
69
13
14
41
60
17
28
23
424
63
131
22
93
112
27
36
76
96
49
42
35
782
1
10
1
2
3
2
4
1
45
72
8
58
57
16
13
45
70
25
28
24
461
128
193
30
141
251
28
32
113
229
50
115
73
1,383
60
101
21
77
100
20
21
66
101
27
51
34
679
To
ta
l*
ur
in
g
Re
W cy
a s cle
te a
Re nd
du
Re
ct
io
ne
n
w
ab
G le
en E
er n e
at rg
Re
io y
se
n
ar
an ch
d ,D
C
on e s
Se s u ign
rv ltin
ice g
s
Tr
an
sp
or
ta
tio
n
an
uf
ac
t
M
ul
Fo tu re
re &
st
ry
En
e
Ca r g
rb y a
o
n
an n C d
d ap
St t u
or re
ag
En
e
er
gy
Ef
f ic
ie
nc
y
En
er
gy
Tr
ad
in
g
En
vir
o
Pr nm
ot en
ec ta
tio l
G
ov
n
er
n
Re em
n
Ad gul t a
m ato nd
in ry
ist
ra
t io
n
G
Co re e
ns n
tru
ct
io
n
Ag
ric
Ec
o
De n o
ve mic
lo
p
Re me
gi nt
on
Table 18. Green-Related Programs in the USO by Green Sector
611
878
143
663
937
174
187
533
943
265
445
297
6,076
2
Total
26
Source: IPEDS
*Because programs can relate to more than one green occupation, and green ocupations can relate to more than one sector, the total number includes duplicates and therefore does not match the
total number of public programs (2,450 programs) shown in Table 2.
114
Appendix I: Maps of University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
115
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
90
EDR
2
EDR
8
77
80
EDR
12
80
76
EDR
3
EDR
9
71
75
23
EDR
6
33
77
EDR
4
EDR
1
EDR
10
70
70
35
71
EDR
11
33
75
74
EDR
5
EDR
7
32
50
50
23
35
0 5 10
20
30
40
Miles
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Note: EDR = Economic Development Region
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
116
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 1
Ohio Hi Point
Joint Vocational
School District
LOGAN
71
23
UNION
33
Delaware Area
Career Center
DELAWARE
Career and Technology
Education Centers
(CTEC) of Licking
The Ohio State
UniversityMain Campus
70
Adult & Community
Education,
Columbus City Schools The Ohio State
UniversityNewark Campus
Central Ohio
Technical
College
70
Columbus State
Community College
MADISON
LICKING
FRANKLIN
Eastland-Fairfield
Career and
Technical Schools
FAIRFIELD
Ohio UniversityLancaster Campus
PICKAWAY
0
2
4
8
12
71
Miles
33
FAYETTE
35
23
33
35
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
117
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 2
The University
of Toledo
FULTON
WILLIAMS
Toledo City Schools
Adult & Continuing
Education
LUCAS
Owens
Community
College
Penta Career
Center
Northwest State
Community
College
80
OTTAWA
Sandusky
Career
Center
75
DEFIANCE
HENRY
Bowling Green State
University-Main
Campus
Terra Community
College
Vanguard-Sentinel
Career Center
SANDUSKY
WOOD
EHOVE
Career
Center
Bowling Green State
University-Firelands
ERIE
23
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
0
4
8
16
24
Miles
118
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 3
23
PAULDING
PUTNAM
Vantage
Career
Center
HANCOCK
VAN WERT
75
Rhodes
State
College
ALLEN
Apollo
Career
Center
Wright State
University-Lake
Campus
The Ohio State
University-Lima
Campus
HARDIN
AUGLAIZE
33
MERCER
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
0 1.5 3
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
6
9
Miles
119
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 4
SHELBY
33
Upper Valley Joint
Vocational School
Edison Community
College
DARKE
CHAMPAIGN
MIAMI
CLARK
Miami Valley Career
Technology Center
Sinclair
Community College
70
Clark State
Community College
Wright State
University
Greene County
Career Center
PREBLE
MONTGOMERY
Central State
University
35
GREENE
75
71
CLINTON
0
2 4
8
12
Miles
74
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
120
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 5
Miami
University-Oxford
Warren County
Career Center
WARREN
BUTLER
Butler Technology &
Career Development
Schools - D. Russell
Lee Career Center
HAMILTON
74
Cincinnati State
Technical and Community
College
University of
Cincinnati-Main
Campus
71
75
Great Oaks
Institute of Technology
and Career Development
University
of Cincinnati-Raymond
Walters College
University of
Cincinnati-Clermont
College
32
CLERMONT
0
2
4
8
12
Miles
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
121
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 6
80
75
HURON
SENECA
Pioneer Career
and Technology
Center
North Central
State College
CRAWFORD
WYANDOT
ASHLAND
Ashland
County-West Holmes
Career Center
23
The Ohio State UniversityMansfield Campus
RICHLAND
MARION
Marion
Technical
College
Madison Adult
Career Center
71
Tri-Rivers
Career Center
The Ohio State UniversityMarion Campus
MORROW
0
2.5
5
10
15
KNOX
Miles
33
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
122
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 7
71
Southern State
Community
College
33
Pickaway Ross
Joint Vocational
School District
35
ROSS
Ohio UniversityChillicothe Campus
VINTON
50
50
33
HIGHLAND
23
PIKE
32
35
0
JACKSON
Gallia Jackson Vinton
Joint Vocational
School District
Scioto County
Career Technical
Center
BROWN
ADAMS
2
4
8
12
Miles
SCIOTO
Shawnee
State
University
GALLIA
LAWRENCE
Institution Type
Lawrence County
JVSD-Collins
Career Center
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Ohio UniversitySouthern Campus
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
123
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 8
LAKE
Auburn
Lakeland
Career
Community Center
College
90
Cuyahoga Community
College
Lorain County
Community
College
Cleveland
State University
Kent State UniversityGeauga Campus
GEAUGA
Cleveland Metropolitan
School District
CUYAHOGA
77
80
Polaris Career
Center
LORAIN
71
Lorain County
Joint Vocational
School District
80
77
80
0
2.5
5
10
15
76
76
Miles
77
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
124
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 9
80
PORTAGE
Medina County
Career Center
Kent State
University
SUMMIT
The University
of Akron
MEDINA
76
71
Alliance City SchoolsAdult Education and
Alliance Career Centre
Portage Lakes
Career Center
Wayne County
Schools
Career Center
The University of Akron
Wayne College
WAYNE
The Ohio State University
Agricultural Technical
Institute
0
2
4
8
Stark State College
of Technology
Kent State
UniversityStark Campus
77
Canton City Schools
Adult Education
STARK
12
Miles
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
125
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 10
76
Kent State
UniversitySalem Campus
71
Columbiana County
Career and
Technical Center
COLUMBIANA
Kent State
University-East
Liverpool Campus
Kent State CARROLL
UniversityTuscarawas Campus
HOLMES
Buckeye Joint
Vocational School
JEFFERSON
TUSCARAWAS
77
COSHOCTON
HARRISON
MUSKINGUM
Ohio UniversityZanesville Campus
Zane
State
College
GUERNSEY
Ohio UniversityEastern Campus
Eastern Gateway
Community
College
Belmont
Technical
College
BELMONT
70
Adult Center
for Education
(A Division of Mid-East
Career and Technology
Centers)
0
2
4
8
12
Miles
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
126
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 11
70
NOBLE
PERRY
MONROE
77
MORGAN
WASHINGTON
HOCKING
Hocking
College
Tri-County
Career Center
Washington State
Community College
ATHENS
Washington County
Career Center
Ohio
University
0
2
4
8
12
Miles
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
MEIGS
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
Four-year Colleges and Universities
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
127
University System of Ohio Institutions
with Green-Related Programs
Economic Development Region 12
Kent State
UniversityAshtabula Campus
Institution Type
Adult Career Centers
Two-year Technical and Community Colleges
90
Four-year Colleges and Universities
ASHTABULA
Sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS), Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources,
Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
0
2
4
8
Miles
Ashtabula
County Joint
Vocational School
TRUMBULL
12
Kent State
UniversityTrumbull Campus
Trumbull Career and
Technical Center
80
Youngstown State
University
Choffin Career and
Technical Center
Mahoning County
Career and
Technical Center
76
MAHONING
128
Ohio Centers of Excellence Related to Green Jobs *
16 5
90
EDR
2
22
2
17
80
EDR
8
EDR
12
77
1
80
20
19
EDR
3
75
EDR
6
23
21
76
EDR
9
71
33
77
EDR
4
15
24
6
EDR
1
70
18
11
70
13
8
9
10
3
35
14
71
EDR
11
33
75
EDR
5
23
74
4
23
12
Center of Excellence Type and Name
Advanced Energy
Bowling Green State Univ. - Sustainability and the Environment
Case Western Reserve Univ. - Great Lakes Energy Institute
Central State Univ.-Emerging Technologies
Univ. of Cincinnati-Sustaining the Urban Environment
Univ. of Toledo-Advanced Renewable Energy and the Environment
Ohio State Univ.- Climate, Energy and the Environment
Ohio Univ. - Energy and the Environment
Univ. of Dayton-von Ohain Fuels & Combustion Center
Univ. of Dayton-Emerging Center of Excellence in Strategic
Energy and Environmental Informatics
Advanced Transportation and Aerospace
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
7
EDR
7
32
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
EDR
10
Wright State Univ. - Advancing Aerospace and Transportation
Wright State Univ. - Human-Centered Innovation
Univ. of Cincinnati - Intelligent Air & Space Vehicle Energy Systems
Univ. of Dayton - High Performance Materials
Univ. of Dayton - Optoelectronics and Sensors
Ohio State Univ. - Transportation for TomorrowÆs Economy
Univ. of Toledo - Transportation and Logistics
Case Western Reserve Univ. - Aerospace Engineering
50
0
5 10
20
30
40
Miles
35
Sources: Ohio Board of Regents, Ohio Dept. of Natural
Resources, Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Dept. of
Development
Map Creation: D. Simon
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Ohio University
April 2011
*This map shows Centers of Excellence in four categories.
It does not include two other categories of Ohio Centers of
Excellence that are not as strongly related to green jobs:
Biomedicine and Health Care, and Cultural and Societal
Transformation.
Note: EDR = Economic Development Region
Agriculture, Food Production & Bioproducts
18 Ohio State Univ. - Food Production, Supply, and Safety
Enabling Technologies: Advanced
Materials & Sensors
19 Univ. of Akron - Polymers and Advanced Functional Materials
20 Kent State Univ. - Liquid Crystal, Bioscience, Nanotechnology
21 Youngstown State Univ. - Emerging Center of Excellence in
Materials Science and Engineering
22 Case Western Reserve Univ. - The Institute for Advanced
Materials
23 Univ. of Cincinnati - Nanoscale Sensor Technology
24 Ohio State Univ. - Materials, Manufacturing Technologies,
and Nanotechnology
129
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