At this year's Greenbuild, the annual conference hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), green jobs takes center stage in the form of a Green Jobs Summit and Green Jobs Fair.
"Chicago is ripe with green job opportunities, making it an ideal platform to host the Green Jobs Summit and Green Jobs Fair," said Kimberly Lewis, Vice President of Conferences & Events, USGBC. "Acting as tireless advocates for building the green economy, Manuel Flores, Jane Oates and Terence O'Sullivan will round out a day full of constructive dialogue about green jobs and the green building industry, which is predicted to support or create nearly 8 million jobs between 2009-2013 and contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product."
"The green building industry shows promise as a job creator in communities across the country," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates." "It is important that we continue the green jobs conversation in the context of the continued challenging job market and ongoing economic recovery."
The Green Jobs Fair will feature jobs from around the Chicagoland area as well as nationally and is free and open to the public. The green jobs events will bring together trainers, funders, employers, policy-makers, advocates, community groups and job seekers for a half-day event covering green job policies, supply and demand for green jobs, green workforce development and credentials and success stories from the field.