Resource Center

Instructions

The Resource Center is a curated collection of information organized around 7 green economy “Sectors” and 7 “Topics.” In time, more Sectors will be added. Topics represent those areas in which educators and workforce development professionals continue to seek direction.

You can search by sector or by topic. Or across all sectors and/or all topics.

You can also perform a keyword search of all resources on the top right of this page.

Overview

Solar

The solar industry is expected to show steady growth over the coming decade largely due to rising energy prices, advances in technology through public/private partnerships and investments, and continued enactment of federal and state policies and financial incentives. more >>

Wind

Wind power is considered a leading source of new electricity generation in the United States, with the potential of providing 20% of the nation’s energy needs by 2030. more >>

Green Building

The green building market has expanded five fold over the last three years to a $48 billion national market—and is projected to triple in the next five years. more >>

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is considered the foundation of a vibrant and sustainable green economy, and one of the most cost effective ways to lower energy consumption, reduce operating costs, and mitigate carbon emissions. more >>

Sustainability Education

Sustainability education refers generally to learning experiences that enable students to develop the knowledge, behaviors and skills to help create healthier ecosystems, social systems, and economies. For the purposes of the SEED Center, this includes resources to help build non-credit continuing education for the incumbent workforce and integrating sustainability curriculum into existing credit programs. more >>

Sustainable Ag., Food & Land

The Sustainable Ag., Food & Land sector covers the areas of organic farming, horticulture, culinary art, and landscaping. This sector includes organizations and resources that integrate environmental, social and economic factors into land use, food preparation, and land specific practices in an attempt to create a more sustainable future. more >>

General Clean Tech

The General Clean Tech sector is a space for resources that encompass multiple ‘green’ sectors. Many are applicable to the broader clean economy and sustainability-related technology and will serve the general clean tech community. Resources also provide valuable information on sectors that are experiencing substantive development in the sustainability realm, like manufacturing and smart grid. more >>

Transportation and Fuels

The Transportation & Fuels sector covers the area of electric and hybrid vehicle development and maintenance, other forms of alternative and sustainable transportation, natural gas, fuel cells, battery storage, and renewable fuels sources including ethanol, biodiesel, algae, and methane. more >>

Certifications and Industry Credentials

Certainly, one of the biggest challenges facing green educators is the rapid and mostly uncoordinated emergence of green certifications and credentials. more >>

Curricular Materials

These resources and materials have been vetted by industry and education experts, and while not in the form of specific educator tools, will assist in creating quality curricula for your classroom. more >>

You will find more specific educator tools (e.g. syllabi, lab manuals, lesson plans, special classroom projects, equipment lists, etc.) submitted by SEED member colleges in our Curricular Materials Sharing Portal.

Employment Industry Projections

While job training providers have been quite active in past years working with local industry to define the emerging green jobs market and potential job growth areas, most still struggle to forecast accurately regional occupational demand. The U.S. Department of Labor has made recent strides toward classifying green occupations and competencies which will help communities define and track green jobs (and colleges to design appropriate education and training programs). Given the uncertain renewable energy and efficiency industry outlook, and rapidly changing technologies, access to the most up-to-date industry studies and employment projections will be critical. more >>

Innovative Practices & Partnerships

The job creation potential of the green economy has led to some unique job training and economic development partnerships and collaborations. more >>

Professional Development Resources

This section includes promising facilitated learning opportunities, including “train the trainer” programs, standing conferences, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice for faculty and staff seeking to further their knowledge of industry trends and requirements. more >>

Policy & Funding Sources

Included you will find links and descriptions of agencies and organizations that typically fund sustainability and green job training initiatives as well as those that provide important information on national legislation and policies relevant to the clean energy sector. CHECK BACK AS MORE ARE ADDED. This section also highlights resources that provide guidance on how to supply input into program and grant design for certain agency solicitations. more >>

Skill sets, Competencies & Career Pathways

This section includes lists and assessments of skill sets and competencies tied to the green economy – across the broad industry as well as within specific sectors. It also includes some critical resources that colleges can use to align programs and facilitate student transitions. Included are green energy competency models and newly-developed career pathways that allow movement across educational and training programs. more >>

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Topic:

Featured Resources

National Gas Vehicle Institute (NGVi)

NGVi provides training and consulting on natural gas as a transportation fuel. NGVi provides curriculum and training in safety for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Vehicles, CNG Inspector Training, Fueling Station design, operation, and maintenance certifications, as well as other technical training. View the Training Section of their website for information on Public, In-House, and Interactive Training. Also view their Publications Page for helpful reports.

Professional Development Resources: SAE International

SAE International provides training and education materials for the automotive industry for both Online (E-Learning) and Classroom use. For alternative transportation and fuels, view their events for Fuels and Energy Sources as well as Power and Propulsion.

Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)

PERC carries out programs, projects, and activities in safety practices, training, and research and development. View their Autogas resources to review strategic activities for vehicles operated on propane, as well as their Propane Agriculture site for information on the use of Propane to reduce environmental impacts. Also view their Research and Development section for a Library and downloadable information on other Research Programs.

Webinar: Help Your Students and Their Employers Understand How to Grow Green Jobs

This webinar shares concepts, learning outcomes and learning activities you can easily incorporate in your courses to create more success for your students and for the businesses where they will work. Educating our students for green jobs and careers often requires going beyond the teaching of technological skills and knowledge. A successful green business employee also needs an understanding of how to effectively communicate about the green product and how to help the employer understand and utilize the successful green business models. Yet these items are often missing in our curricula. Standard marketing, sales and business courses do not address this problem.

More Resources

Advanced Biofuels USA - For Teachers

While this section of Advanced Biofuels USA provides information for K-12 education, it also serves as a great resource for educational materials. Educators will find useful links and information on education programs, lesson plans, and many other helpful resources for educational use.

Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC)

The Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC) has free materials in energy efficiency, renewable energies, and other environmental topics. In addition to curricula and instructional materials, it includes occupational analyses and workforce analyses and trends.

Driving Change: Greening the Automotive Workforce

This resource assists in finding new careers for displaced autoworkers through the chronicling of the auto industry and supply chain's transformation while providing information on alternative career pathways and necessary skills for these industries.

Energy Education & Workforce Development (DOE: EERE)

The Energy Education & Workforce Development website, brought to you by the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy resource, provides you with clean energy literacy and career information, teaching materials, and information on programs and other topics. Also view the Teach page for many creative lesson plans, labs and projects.

Biofuels Programs by State

This website list and describes biofuels education programs.

CareerOneStop - Competency Model Clearinghouse

A clearinghouse of competency model frameworks. Includes high-growth industries such as Energy Generation, Transmission, and Distribution and Advanced Manufacturing (including green manufacturing principles). Developed through a collaborative effort involving the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and various industry organizations.

North Carolina Solar Center

The North Carolina Solar Center, at N.C. State University, advances a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies, practices, and policies. The N.C. Solar Center serves as a resource for innovative, clean energy technologies through demonstration, technical assistance, outreach and training. It also administers the Database of Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), a resource providing financial incentives and policies.

Problem & Case Based Learning: Making Learning Real

This site provides informational resources on a desired pedagogy for quality sustainability education - how to educate via real world problem based learning, Education for a sustainable future teaches students systemic thinking and change agent skills so they can help solve societal problems.

Diesel Technology Forum

The Diesel Technology Forum is an industry based forum that highlights cleaner technology for diesel engines. View their resources for multiple case studies, state fact sheets, and other information for policy makers and educators (http://www.dieselforum.org/index.cfm?objectid=5BF96160-937D-11E0-98E9000C296BA163).

Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA)

The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) is an advocacy organization dedicated to the commercialization of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies. View their policy & regulations site for information on state and national policies in the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry. (http://www.fchea.org/index.php?id=16) Also view their resources site for reports, fact sheets, and other education materials. (http://www.fchea.org/index.php?id=37)

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