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Public Invited to Network for a Green Job at Opportunity Fair and Clean Energy Conference in Springfield On Nov. 22
Public Invited to Network for a Green Job at Opportunity Fair and Clean Energy Conference in Springfield On Nov. 22
Published 11-17-08
Submitted by Clean Energy Connections
AMHERST, Mass.- November 17, 2008 "“ Participants will hear what's hot and what's only hype in green jobs, financing and investment strategies at a Clean Energy Connections Conference and Opportunity Fair in Springfield on Saturday, Nov. 22, organized by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The event, aimed at business entrepreneurs, community leaders, investors and workers planning their next career move, is also sponsored by Western Massachusetts Electric and WGBY, among other organizations. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the MassMutual Center. An Opportunity Fair with exhibits by more than 30 area employers will begin at 1:45 p.m.
Paul Kostecki, UMass Amherst interim vice chancellor for research and engagement, notes that "clean energy can create local jobs, reduce pollution and stabilize energy costs. Even as the economy tightens, business and career opportunities in the green economy are projected to grow. Here in New England, we are at the forefront of a nationwide movement for clean energy. Our communities, our colleges and universities, and our companies all stand to benefit from the rising tide of federal, state and private sector investment in energy efficiency and renewable power."
He adds that the event will feature some of the key organizations and individuals who are "blazing a path toward our clean energy future."
Several panel discussions are planned. One will outline what organizers call "the whirlwind of recent legislative activity that is setting the stage for a dramatic acceleration of our clean energy economy." It features state Rep. Daniel Bosley, co-chair of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, with State Sen. Ben Downing and Phil Giudice, commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. Other panels are Good Jobs, Green Jobs, Business Success Stories, Financing Clean Energy Businesses, and Future Energy Careers.
The conference keynote speaker will be Bracken Hendricks, a founder of the national non-profit, Apollo Alliance. He recently collaborated with another speaker, UMass Amherst economist Robert Pollin, on a national "Green Recovery" study showing that a $100 billion national investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy would create at least two million jobs nationwide and more than 42,000 jobs in Massachusetts. Pollin will identify sectors where new jobs and growth might be expected.
Another conference highlight will be a series of shorter presentations by local experts on green building and construction, sustainable community development, green collar jobs, wind energy and recent scientific innovations that support a green economy.
Loren Walker, manager of the UMass Amherst campus's Advanced Energy Research Initiative, notes that possible clean-energy-driven economic growth is so compelling because it helps to create local jobs while reducing environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels. He notes that today some 14,000 people in Massachusetts have clean energy jobs, a number predicted to reach 75,000 in 10 years, according to a study by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Renewable Energy Trust.
Registration information and forms are available at www.umass.edu/green/registration.html.
