Green Jobs Training Programs

Philadelphia is at it again! The City of Brotherly Love has put another foot forward in its efforts to promote a safer and more energy efficient society. Philly is known for being at the forefront of instituting new green technology and eco-friendly programs to keep its residents safe and healthy. One of the city's latest accomplishments is the Energy Coordinating Agency's Green Jobs Training Center, which offers individuals of all backgrounds the opportunity to "learn about, work in, and create a greener tomorrow."

What is the Energy Coordinating Agency?
The Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1984 with a mission to "help people conserve energy and to promote a more sustainable and socially equitable energy future for the Philadelphia region," according to the ECA website. For the past 25 years, the ECA has provided millions of dollars of aid in services for low-income Philadelphia families. These services have included budget and energy counseling, bill payment assistance, energy conservation treatments, and energy education. Now, the organization is doing even more. The new "Green Collar Jobs" program is designed to accredit new and existing building contractors with the knowledge and expertise necessary to safely practice three key areas of home improvement: lead remediation, weatherization, and energy auditing.

Lead Remediation Training Program
Many buildings that were built prior to 1978 were painted with what we now know to be dangerous lead-based paints. The toxins from these paints can be released by common renovating activities like sanding, cutting and demolition. Lead that gets into the blood stream through ingestion of lead dust or paint chips can lead to serious damages in the brain and nervous system. Lead is harmful to adults, but poses an even more serious threat to children because growing bodies can absorb more of the toxic chemicals than the bodies of adults.

To protect against such toxic ingestions, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued a rule that requires all contractors working in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities to become certified in the use of lead-safe practices. Following through on its mission and obligations, Philadelphia's ECA is now offering a one-day theory-based class designed to teach painters, builders, and maintenance workers how to keep themselves and their clients safe when working around interior and exterior lead paint. The course emphasizes three main rules: 1) Contain the work area. 2) Minimize dust. 3) Clean up thoroughly. The Lead Remediation Training course is 8 hours long and costs $200.

Call 215-609-1075 for more information and to register.

Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Certification
Weatherization is a service that many construction contractors offer in order to protect buildings and their interiors from the elements, as well as to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency. All Pennsylvania auditors, crew leaders and installers are now required to have specific state weatherization certification to perform this kind of work. Philly's ECA is therefore providing 9 different certificate courses on different weatherization occupations and techniques.

The courses range from 1 to 4 days and are tailored to new, entry-level employees and existing workers. The entry-level weatherization training program covers a number of basic skills, including residential energy efficiency, carpentry, air sealing, insulation, and heater maintenance. The certification courses for existing contractors and sub-contractors include subjects like lead safety, combustion with oil and gas, advanced diagnostics, and customer service. Contractors who have already studied these subjects may test out of the required courses by passing a 2-hour written test and a 2-hour practicum test.

Check out the ECA Web site for upcoming test dates, or call 215-609-1450 to register and get more information. You can also email questions to Sherleen Laboy at sherleenl@ecasavesenergy.org.

Building Performance Institute (BPI) Training and Certification
All energy auditors throughout the United States will be required to have a nationally approved Building Analyst certification from the Building Performance Institute by July of 2011. This certification allows individuals to work as private contractors or within the national Home Performance with Energy Star Program. To become certified, one must take a 1-week in-person training course and pass both a written and field exam. This course is recommended for individuals with prior experience in construction, architecture, real estate or engineering. In Philadelphia, the ECA will be adding this course to its repertoire at the Green Jobs Training Center. The course fee is $1705.

For those who do not have extensive energy auditing experience or simply want an energy audit refresher, BPI also offers an optional 6-week online course called Saturn Online. This course prepares students for the mandatory training course by reviewing the basics of residential heat and air flow, and includes a self-paced syllabus, course guide, books, online discussion forum, as well as access to an ECA instructor who can answer questions. Students can choose how quickly they want to complete the course, but it is designed to take one hour a day, five days per week. The fee for Saturn Online plus the 1-week BPI training course is $1895.

Lead remediation, weatherization and energy auditing are just three of the programs that we've highlighted from the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia. Click here to find out more about their many other programs, activities, and upcoming events.

Posted by: Sirena Rubinoff