Donning a Green Collar
Last year Congress passed the Green Jobs Act, a $25 million pilot program that will train participants in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Van Jones, creator of Green for All, an Oakland, Calif., organization started last year to focus on using the green economy to fight poverty, helped draft the act. Jones has created national momentum around this issue through appearances, including a charismatic speech last month at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Lowell. Jones, a mentor to MaGJC cofounder Kalia Lydgate, has given the organization guidance and support in its legislative efforts.
It was Hurricane Katrina that inspired Henry Alvarez to end a seven-year career as an emergency medical technician to explore jobs in waste-water management and water purification. Alvarez felt burnt out and wanted to focus on environmental issues.
"I saw the damage that was inflicted by Katrina and that level of destruction," says Alvarez, 36, of Lynn. "My thinking is I spent too long trying to heal the sick and injured."
Last year Alvarez started a 14-week environmental technology program at JFYNetWorks - a workforce development organization that targets career changers, immigrants, and the underemployed - where he learned how to handle hazardous materials. Two months ago he started working as a temporary laborer at a waste-water treatment center in Concord. If Alvarez passes a certification test in November, he can move up to a job as a waste-water treatment technician.
