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igreen: green skills for the future workforce

The igreen program is a joint initiative of Steplight and Dusseldorp Skills Forum. Last year saw the implementation of the first round of igreen programs (in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania).

Watch the video below for a brief summary of the program.

What is igreen?

Quotes from the igreen video:

It’s a program for those kids that are going to be looking for a job when they complete school… They actually have to go out into their community: introduce themselves to their community and do house assessments. It gives them a realisation that they can go further with it, to gain further accreditation.

- Maggie MacFie (Central Coast Youth Connections)

The igreen program starts with students and young people assessing exactly how they impact on the environment and by having young people then showing this concern and going out into the community. It’s spreading the message. It’s really a powerful message for people to take in – that they, in their own homes make a significant difference to the overall environmental resources in this country and across the world.

We wanted to have the igreen program at Gorokan High School for a number of reasons but I suppose a primary one is the environmental factor.

- Les Clark (Principal, Gorokan High School)

I think it’s the sort of program that will help me in the future because I’ve got the credentials and know what needs to be done and I’ve got the certificates to show it. It might get me a job in home sustainability.

- Student

The Training

For the training that we did, we had three different [types] of training: some in the classroom where we worked out of a booklet [...] And then we learnt how to use the software on the internet [...] And we also went out on day trips to practice using the information.

- Student

When students are taking up the issues of the environment and they’re going out and meeting members of the community and going into their homes to help those people assess their energy use, it’s a significant thing for students, and it really does build up their confidence.

- Les Clark

The Benefits

I’d tell other people to do this because it’s fun and it’s a real hands-on course where you get to go out and learn stuff on the job.

- Student

I think a lot of schools would benefit from taking on this program. It has the capacity to engage students and it is a significant program in terms of our environmental responsibilities for the future, for future students and their families.

- Les Clark

I’d recommend this program because it’s really educational and it can help in future life as well.

- Student

It puts these young people in quite a unique position where they actually will be providing advice and giving information to people that are much older than themselves. So they have to come across as credible. [These are] really good skills to learn for the future work force.

Green skills are important. They are the skills of the future.

- Maggie MacFie

To find out more please visit the igreen website or send us an enquiry about igreen.

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Green jobs or greener jobs?

Published 7 July 2010 igreen , Steplight , Y Green Leave a Comment
Tags: dusseldorp skills forum, green collar, green jobs, green skills, green training, home sustainability assessment, igreen program, Ross Gittins, Sydney Morning Herald, y green program

In today’s Sydney Morning Herald, Ross Gittins poses the questions: what is a green job? and, why are we aiming to create them anyway? He makes the point that simply putting the focus on creating ‘green jobs’ could do little to meet the goal of a low-carbon economy.

He goes on to outline the conundrums surrounding defining what a green job might be:

If, for instance, a job maintaining a wind turbine is a green job, what about a job in the business that makes the turbines?

And if it’s green to manufacture steel turbines, what about the jobs of the people who mine the iron ore and coking coal needed to make the steel? But if it’s not green to be a miner, would it be better for us to import all the turbines we need so the sin of being non-green was on someone else’s head?

We tend to agree – there probably won’t ever be a suitable description of a green job. Here at Steplight our focus is on delivering quality educational outcomes to those we work with, so we’re not too caught up in defining ‘green jobs.’ The outcome we are aiming for is more informed people who are empowered and equipped to take action in reducing their ecological footprint. This can take many shapes: from helping a business complete a review of their energy consumption, delivering sustainability training to a community, or supporting the delivery of home sustainability assessment programs.

Two of our programs, which are a joint initiative of Steplight and Dusseldorp Skills Forum, go one step further by including practical experience and employment opportunities for young people. The Y Green program is a home sustainability project where young people are trained and then employed to conduct sustainability assessments in their local community (see video below). The igreen program, on the other hand, involves high school students completing accredited training and then going on to complete a number of home sustainability assessments in their local community as practical experience.

In reality, very few of the participants in these programs will actually end up being full-time home sustainability assessors. But that’s not the point. By completing a course in sustainability and then applying this knowledge in their community, participants in these programs gain valuable experience not just in sustainability, but also customer service, workplace safety, and so on. Whatever field they go on to work in we hope they’ll be making more informed decisions about the broader environmental impact of their every-day actions.

So maybe it’s time we put the focus on greener jobs and creating valuable green skills. Then everyone’s job can be a ‘green job.’

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Jump into a Green Career – Y Green in Fairfield and Penrith

Published 17 June 2010 Steplight , Y Green 1 Comment
Tags: Fairfield City Council, green collar, green jobs, green skills, green training, MTC work solutions, penrith city council, Steplight, y green

The Y Green Western Sydney project is a residential sustainability project where local young people are trained and then employed to conduct home sustainability assessments in their community. The assessments involve providing advice and information on household energy and water efficiency and the products that are available to reduce energy and water usage. The project is now looking to recruit participants for its next intake…

Are you a good communicator? And passionate about the environment? Are you 16 – 25 years old? Want to get paid to learn?

Can I get some training?

You’ll be trained as a Home Sustainability Adviser through a nationally accredited short course. You’ll complete the Course in Home Sustainability Assessment (21854VIC) which includes not only the technical information needed to complete a residential sustainability consultation, but also includes customer service skills, first aid, and occupational health and safety.

Is this a form of employment?

You’ll get paid for the training phase and to provide Home Sustainability Assessments to local households and offer advice to householders about what they can do to make their homes greener. And you’ll receive all the tools and training you need to do it. All Y Green Home Sustainability Advisers work in pairs. Most of the work is in the afternoons/evenings and weekends when most householders are at home.

How do I apply?

We are currently recruiting for 25 young people in the Fairfield and Penrith local government areas. To apply for Y Green training program please contact our Project Coordinator, Steve Fleischmann steven.fleischmann [at] ygreen.com.au or 0425 301 436.

An information session will be held on Monday 5th July. Please contact us for details.

For more information visit www.ygreen.com.au

This program is funded by the Australian Government through the Jobs Fund Get Communities Working Stream. The Y Green Western Sydney project is operated by MTC Work Solutions.

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FREE Sustainability Training for Secondary School Teachers

Published 8 April 2010 igreen , Steplight Leave a Comment
Tags: Bankstown City Council, Blacktown City Council, blue mountains city council, Camden Council, Campbelltown City Council, City of Ryde, Evans Shire Council, Fairfield City Council, green skills, Hawkesbury City Council, Holroyd City Council, Hornsby Shire Council, igreen program, Kiama Municipal Council, Lithgow City Council, liverpool city council, Parramatta City Council, penrith city council, Rylstone Shire Council, Shellharbour City Council, Shoalhaven City Council, The Hills Shire Council, vocational training, Wingecarribee Shire Council, Wollondilly Shire Council, Wollongong City Council, youth

Dusseldorp Skills Forum, in partnership with Integral Energy, is offering 15 Secondary School Teachers an opportunity to complete a Nationally Accredited Course in Home Sustainability Assessment (21854VIC). This is the course that forms part of the igreen program:

igreen is a secondary school program which assists households in becoming more sustainable and creates opportunities for the development of green skills in young people. It involves students completing an accredited training program and then going on to complete a number of home sustainability assessments in their local community. The assessments involve providing advice and information on household energy and water efficiency.

The course runs over five days and will take place in Sydney from Monday 21st to Friday 25th June. Some travel and accommodation costs will be covered and some teacher relief may also be available.

Upon completion, the participants will be qualified to teach this course (under auspicing arrangements) to secondary school students in Years 9, 10 and 11.

The requirements for teacher participation:

All participants need to have completed a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
The school must implement the igreen program within 12 months of completing the training
The school must be prepared to approach local government and/or other local sponsors to support the implementation of the igreen project.
The area where the school is located must be serviced by the Integral network. This includes the following local government areas: Bankstown, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Evans, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Holroyd, Hornsby, Kiama, Greater Lithgow, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith, Ryde, Rylstone, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly, Wollongong

Why participate?

By 2011, ‘mandatory disclosure’ of household sustainability is likely to be in place. This means all houses sold and leased in Australia will be required to provide some form of energy efficiency certification.

This will provide you, as the teacher, with a vocational opportunity in the burgeoning sustainability industry. Importantly, it will also provide your students with a distinct vocational advantage, particularly those interested in property services and the building and construction industry.

Sign up now:

To register your interest, or if you have any further queries, please e-mail Lesley Tobin on lesley [at] dsf.org.au or on mobile number 0409 033 161.

Applications are due 14th May 2010.

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Posts Tagged 'green skills'