As a key component of the Green Talent Strategy of the St. Louis Climate Prosperity Project, the RCGA and the region's Workforce Investment Boards have begun a project to align the area's workforce and job training programs with the growing demands of the green economy. The project is supported by a Green Labor Market Information (LMI) grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development to the St. Louis area Workforce Investment Boards. The project will examine green jobs in the bi-state metropolitan St. Louis region, industry and occupational areas of growth, the skills needed to fill those jobs, and an analysis of the current green job training and education programs. The Green LMI Project partners include: the RCGA, St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment, St. Louis County Workforce Development, St. Charles County Workforce Development, Jefferson/Franklin Employment Consortium, MidAmerica Workforce Investment Board (St. Clair County) and the Madison-Bond Workforce Investment Board.
On June 10th, the Regional Green Workforce Taskforce had its initial meeting to review the project scope and deliverables. The Taskforce brings together area Workforce Investment Boards and employers from manufacturing, energy, waste/remediation, agriculture, building and construction and public administration sectors. This summer the RCGA will organize focus groups and survey area green employers regarding hiring forecasts and workforce demands. The results of this survey, along with occupational data and an inventory of green job training programs and curriculum, will be compiled into a Green Metrics Report. The project will be completed by the end of January 2011 and will culminate with a Green Economy Symposium and Showcase featuring the release of the Green Metrics Report and a showcase of area green employers, job training providers and education institutions. For more information on the Green LMI Project, contact Meredith Turk, Project Coordinator, at mturk@stlrcga.org
The Green Workforce Task Force met for the first time on June 10th to discuss green jobs in the St. Louis region.
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