Growth of Green Collar Jobs Highlighted by Oakland Tribune

Turning Blue Collars Green is an article in the April 20, 2008 issue of the Oakland Tribune that reports on the growth in green collar jobs.  The article examines the overall growth in green jobs and the opportunities that are available for workers across the economic spectrum.  It also includes specific example of green job growth in the San Francisco Bay Area:

Some solar installation firms, such as San Jose-based SunPower, which recently opened an office in Richmond’s historic Ford Building, say they already need more workers than they can easily find. SunPower officials expect to double their Richmond workforce of about 150 employees in the next year.

It’s the same story for SolarCity Inc. of Foster City, which manufactures and installs solar-energy systems. "We are planning on adding 200 workers in the next two years," said Lyndon Rive, chief executive of SolarCity. "The more we grow, the more we bring on jobs."

Borrego Solar Inc., whose northern California operations are based in Berkeley, also is growing rapidly. Its revenue doubled last year while its staff nearly doubled from 70 to 120 people.

"We expect to grow more than 100 percent again in 2008," said Chief Executive Mike Hall, adding that recruitment "is a big issue for us."

The article also discusses initiatives such as the Oakland Green Job Corps that are being developed to provide workers with training to help them obtain green jobs.

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