If you are following the Presidential race and the media's coverage (TV, print, radio, or bloggers), it's likely you've run across the term "green collar jobs."

As I've read the news coverage, I've noticed that the term "green collar jobs" is taking on a variety of definitions.

Unfortunately, applying several definitions to the same phrase can lead to confusion. The bloggers, in particular, are playing fast and loose with this term.

When you return to the primary sources, you discover that the term Green Collar Jobs refers to a specific subset of green jobs. Although, at first glance, these jobs may not appear to be relevant to your skills, education, and future direction, your future, and the future of our entire green economy, hinge on having enough trained workers to fill these Green Collar Jobs.

Here's How the Term Green Collar Jobs Developed

In June 1999, a small book by Alan Thein Durning came out called Green Collar Jobs: Working in the New Northwest about working in the timber towns in the Northwest.

In 2006 the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California realized that the safest neighborhoods where those with the best schools and the best jobs. With this realization, the organization began focusing on how to bring green collar jobs to Oakland to turn the tide of underemployment and overly polluted surroundings. Their goal is to create opportunities in the "green" economy for low income communities and communities of color "to lift people out of poverty."

In June 2007 Green Jobs Act passed the House Education and Labor Committee. The Green Jobs legislation was created to help train American workers for jobs in the renewable energy and energy-efficiency industries. Designed especially to help veterans, displaced workers from the farming and manufacturing sectors, and at-risk young people, the act provides funding to teach the skills necessary to install solar panels, increase the energy efficiency of homes and commercial buildings, create bio-fuels, build wind farms, and more. Having living wage jobs with the possibility of upward mobility that can't be outsourced can have a large impact on our economy while decreasing our dependence on foreign oil.

In December 2007 the Green Jobs Act was passed as part of the Energy Bill. Of the $125 million designated for green job training through out the US, some will be allocated to training low-income workers and some will be for re-training those who need to prepare for a new era in the industry they are in. Some of the money will also go toward research in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

From Summer 2007 through the present, some of the Presidential candidates have offered their own green jobs plans. Although each plan is funded through different means and has a different focus, they are seeing this issue as a key to jumpstarting the US economy by bringing economic stability and growth potential to those who work in the trades.

The majority of local green collar jobs do not require an advanced degree. The training usually is in the form of on-the-job training or training paid for by the employer. If training is required, workers can generally get the training through a certification course at a green training organization or a local community college.

Why Is the Status of Green Collar Jobs Important to You?

The three green economy sectors that are well-positioned to grow rapidly depend on a stable source of well-trained green collar employees to succeed.

• Solar companies are growing so rapidly they can't find installers fast enough to meet the demand.
• Wind power companies need workers to build the wind farms.
• Green building contractors must have workers for new construction, retrofitting, and weatherizing residential and commercial buildings.
• (When the alternative fuel industry is ready to go into mass production, they too will need a good supply of workers.)

Although you may not be in the right place in your career to take advantage of this growth opportunity, this situation might be a great fit for college students who are looking for steady work while they finish their education. Hands-on experience in a green company can be a great start to a resume that will grab employers' attention when they graduate from college.

If you hope to work in any of these renewable or building fields, the health, and even survival, of your entire target industry depend on solving the green collar worker training situation. I encourage you to pay attention to developments in your local community.

Better yet, is there a way for you to leverage your skills to be part of the solution?

• Can you become a member of a task force or create a task force to work with the local education institutions to move the green collar initiative along?
• Do you have the background and teaching skills to contribute your expertise to the students? Even part time could make a big difference.
• Are you in a good position to serve as a mentor to some of these young people?
• Do you see a way to highlight the Green Career Jobs situation in your town through publicity, public events, or editorials? Use your marketing, event planning, and writing skills to draw attention to this issue.

Even if you aren't able to receive payment for your efforts, the people you meet and the exposure you get will help you connect with key players in your community.