Do you know anyone who actually got a green job? (Rant)

[jerryzflies 0]

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and some think tank noted that through their soft-definition, the recession began in Dec. 07.

That "some think tank" just happens to be the NBER, OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED by the US Government since 1930 as the authority on the business cycle, responsible for determining the actual dates when recessions begin and end.

Any other definition, including yours, is unofficial.

If you can't fix it with a hammer, the problem's electrical.

[billvon 3,085]

Just talked to someone who is about to graduate from an aviation school in preparation for his A+P. Apparently a lot of wind power companies are recruiting A+P's because they have a very similar skill set to wind-power engineers. They're lurking schools now to try to sign people up before they graduate.

[nerdgirl 0]

I know of one company, Noblis, who is has hired for a range of energy and environmental sustainability projects and is waiting to receive stimulus money to hire more people for specifically engineers for water projects, altho’ I think that one is looking for master’s or maybe even PhD level.

Another company, A123 Systems is planning to build a manufacturing plant & R&D facility in the US, rather than southeast/east Asia, if they receive stimulus funds.

Executing those contracts is likely to take more than 90 days. A few agencies are using mechanisms to fund proposed projects from the past fiscal year that were not funded due to lack of money, i.e., ones that have already been through merit-based competition.

For new projects, there is another complicating factor: contracting workforce (or in DoD-speak: acquisition-certified workforce). Had lunch on Saturday with a friend from the DoD who’s an SES overseeing USAF programs – they’re concerned that other agencies are going to “poach” their contracting workforce (who are substantially contractors rather than federal employees). This is one thing that SecDef Gates addressed in the proposed FY10 defense budget.

It’s my understanding that the ‘shovel-ready’ portion of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act refers to infrastructure projects at the State level.

/Marg

p.s. Good luck with the job search!

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[Gawain 0]

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and some think tank noted that through their soft-definition, the recession began in Dec. 07.

That "some think tank" just happens to be the NBER, OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED by the US Government since 1930 as the authority on the business cycle, responsible for determining the actual dates when recessions begin and end.

Any other definition, including yours, is unofficial.

Since I don't want to deny you the pleasure of beating this horse further, riddle me this:

YES or NO: At the time I posted my "R word" thread, had there been any official recognition of a recession?

...and finally...since you've found new worship of the NBER:

http://www.nber.org/info.html

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National Bureau of Economic Research is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization

...and back to the OP and his job search...

Nerdgirl noted A123 Systems will be building out a new plant in Michigan, workign with Li-Ion cells, etc. GE pumped a bunch of money into them and picked up a seat on their board. GE is definitely looking to benefit from the Green agenda, but I don't think their position is guaranteed. Some of their business dealings with subsidiaries doing work with Iran, et al, have been hounding their image, and could cause political drag on them.

Also, California just sold about $6B in bonds to support a whole bunch of infrasstructure projects, General Engineering type firms will be utilizaing a heavy amount of Project Mgt and will have a host of enviro issues to contend with. You may find a place for your talents there. As to green-granola-hemp-to-bio-fuel-running-corn-stalk-air-conditioning-to-trucks-running-on-grass-type-jobs...they just aren't there.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[billvon 3,085]

>Another company, A123 Systems is planning to build a manufacturing
>plant & R&D facility in the US, rather than southeast/east Asia, if they
>receive stimulus funds.

A123 is a very promising company in the battery field. If anyone can come up with cost effective electric-vehicle batteries in the next few years it will be them. Their LiFePO4 chemistry is rapidly becoming a new standard.

[kallend 2,113]

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All good points. Anyone familiar enough with the industry knows that there are relatively few firms that just do wind farms and PV. Most firms that do it also have a variety of other services. This helps keep people busy when one type or work slows down.

As for grad school, this has been one of the most competitive years ever according to one of my profs who manages that area at Virginia Tech. Everyone thinks that since the economy is so bad, they will just go to grad school for two years and wait it out. Well.. everyone does that and then it becomes a lot more competitive. I didn't apply- not right for me at this time, I'm tired of school and I need to make money!

The job offer rate for May 2009 engineering graduates from our school is currently 80%, which is not a whole lot different from normal at this time of the year. By the time they graduate next month I expect it to be up to 90%.

The picture is a lot less good for non-technical majors.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[VTmotoMike08 0]

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The job offer rate for May 2009 engineering graduates from our school is currently 80%, which is not a whole lot different from normal at this time of the year. By the time they graduate next month I expect it to be up to 90%.

The picture is a lot less good for non-technical majors.

I feel obligated to respond to defend myself and so everyone doesn't think that I totally suck at engineering. Last week, my professor asked all of us who had a job offer in my senior level civil engineering class to raise our hands. In a class of 40- 50 students, exactly three raised their hands. Civil engineering closely follows the construction industry, so that is part of the reason it may be worse for us than other types. Virginia Tech is known to have a good engineering dept so thats not the issue.

I have also been applying for jobs on the other side of the country (Denver), so when they see the distant address, I feel that scares some off from considering me because of the uncertainty. When it comes to being an entry level civil engineer, I have the total package. I have a decent GPA, several good internships, extra cirriculars, and have held several leadership positions. So if you were trying to suggest that I suck and am just bitching about being unemployed, well, thats just not accurate.

[kallend 2,113]

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The job offer rate for May 2009 engineering graduates from our school is currently 80%, which is not a whole lot different from normal at this time of the year. By the time they graduate next month I expect it to be up to 90%.

The picture is a lot less good for non-technical majors.

I feel obligated to respond to defend myself and so everyone doesn't think that I totally suck at engineering. Last week, my professor asked all of us who had a job offer in my senior level civil engineering class to raise our hands. In a class of 40- 50 students, exactly three raised their hands. Civil engineering closely follows the construction industry, so that is part of the reason it may be worse for us than other types. Virginia Tech is known to have a good engineering dept so thats not the issue.

I have also been applying for jobs on the other side of the country (Denver), so when they see the distant address, I feel that scares some off from considering me because of the uncertainty. When it comes to being an entry level civil engineer, I have the total package. I have a decent GPA, several good internships, extra cirriculars, and have held several leadership positions. So if you were trying to suggest that I suck and am just bitching about being unemployed, well, thats just not accurate.

No - not making any value judgement, just reporting some data. I haven't seen the breakdown between engineering majors, but mechanicals seem to be doing OK, Aero sucks, as does computer engineering.

Good luck.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kelpdiver 2]

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No - not making any value judgement, just reporting some data. I haven't seen the breakdown between engineering majors, but mechanicals seem to be doing OK, Aero sucks, as does computer engineering.

Good luck.

Is there a conclusion that specialization is bad? Or just that most of the common specialties are all suffering right now? (god help anyone in nuclear engineering the past couple decades)

[kallend 2,113]

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No - not making any value judgement, just reporting some data. I haven't seen the breakdown between engineering majors, but mechanicals seem to be doing OK, Aero sucks, as does computer engineering.

Good luck.

Is there a conclusion that specialization is bad? Or just that most of the common specialties are all suffering right now? (god help anyone in nuclear engineering the past couple decades)

No - non-specialized engineering programs are few and far between, and are generally considered as "parachute" programs for those who couldn't make it in a specialization.

Out of 1817 accredited engineering programs in USA, all but 68 are specialized: electrical (over 300 programs), mechanical (286 programs), environmental, chemical, etc...)

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[steve1 5]

Indian Reservations are getting mega bucks to try and solve the problems there. Things are more or less in the planning stages now, but there is big talk of hiring more mental health professionals to work in the schools, and the Indian Health Service.

All the licensed school counselors (at my school) were propositioned with job offers from IHS, a couple weeks ago. Supposedly this will be a big increase over our present salaries.

I wish I could say all this is well planned. It seems like many of the key players in all this are throwing big money at huge problems with little thought behind it.....

[billvon 3,085]

Been doing a little research:

====================
Gut Check: Green jobs — hope or hype?

By Miguel Llanos
updated 7:35 a.m. PT, Wed., April 22, 2009

SEATTLE - For Alla Weinstein, the ocean's not dark blue, it's green — as in profits, jobs and environmental friendliness.

As CEO of a company developing an offshore wind turbine, she's busy trying to line up investors and permits, and envisions a day when her industry provides electricity to millions of homes and jobs for tens of thousands of Americans . . .


But some green companies, such as Pacific Solar Radiant of Santa Cruz, Calif., say they need those workers now, not in the future.

"Our phone is ringing off the hook," marketing director Beth Shady told msnbc.com. "So what's our problem? Not enough qualified employees to install our systems."

The company, which installs solar home heating systems, has 14 employees and hopes to have up to 100 within five years.

"We look for qualified workers through the building community, the plumbers union and we advertise on CraigsList," Shady said. "Our field workers need to have the skills of a journeyman plumber."
======================

That fits in with what I have seen in the RE industry in San Diego. Orders are up, companies are trying to expand, but there just aren't enough people to fill the jobs yet. Hopefully that will change.

[steve1 5]

In reply to your writing, Bill, (about the shortage of union plumbers), I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth.

I used to work as a union plumber's apprentice. I got into the union on my own merit. That was seldom the case then. Usually to get in you needed to have a Dad who was a plumber, or some other close relative to pull some strings for you. They took very few apprentices each year. That way there would not be too many plumbers flooding the market. Wages are kept high for the same reason.

So, it's no surprise there are shortages of union plumbers. It's next to impossible to get into that union without being connected....

Correct me, if I am wrong on any of this. This was what I saw when I worked in that line of work, about thirty years ago.

I remember going to some union meetings that reminded me of a Klu Klux Klan rally. Really! Everyone would get all worked up and start shouting "Scab" this, and "Scab" that.

There was some problems with non-union plumbers working some jobs, and lot's of union workers were ready to go out and kill some of these "no good" Scabs.

I can't remember ever seeing so many angry people, all in one place, getting all riled up....I took it all in, and thought "Wow"! "This is really something!"

Since there wasn't much plumbing work available then, I decided to go back to work in the woods, and later back to college.... I guess I wasn't cut out to be a union plumber....This may explain why there are shortages in that line of work though.

[billvon 3,085]

Yep, that's a pretty common problem with unions. The IBEW isn't quite as bad, and installers are pulling in a lot of non-union people lately around here.

[VTmotoMike08 0]

Well, if anyone cares, I did end up getting an engineering job. It's not in renewable energy, or in Denver, but it is a good job and it pays enough for me to make a bunch of jumps, so I'm pretty happy. Its in water resources/ water treatment. It just feels good to have something signed!

[rushmc 23]

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Yep, that's a pretty common problem with unions. The IBEW isn't quite as bad, and installers are pulling in a lot of non-union people lately around here.

You are correct here. Something else to consider. Google line mechanics jobs for the US. The EEI is predicting huge shortages in lineman in the upcoming years. It is so bad in some areas that it is hard to bring in an aprentise because there are not enough journey people to train them

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[MikeForsythe 0]

Try looking HERE. I work for FPL at PMR and we broke ground about three months ago on a 75MW hybrid/thermal system. We also have three other sites in Florida that are building PV systems. The biggest project is our hydro system in the Gulf Stream. We have test monitors there now. If successful, it could produce as much as 40% of the electric needed. So there are a lot of opportunities in the next few years here.

Two weeks ago the contractor building our system here at PMG had a two day job fair for 1,100 positions, 8,000 people applied!

Time and pressure will always show you who a person really is!

[FreeflyChile 0]

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Well, if anyone cares, I did end up getting an engineering job. It's not in renewable energy, or in Denver, but it is a good job and it pays enough for me to make a bunch of jumps, so I'm pretty happy. Its in water resources/ water treatment. It just feels good to have something signed!

Congrats!

I hope that a growth in engineering-type jobs means more patents begin to be filed, so more patent lawyer jobs become available...

..i'm starting to look anywhere in the country, and haven't had much luck yet...

[Coreece 190]

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Well, if anyone cares, I did end up getting an engineering job.

I had my doubts....

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...