Building a green jobs alliance where safety and training comes first

The further development of a green safety and health movement recently occurred as key stakeholders gathered in Washington, DC on May 3, 2010 in advance of the Good Jobs Green Jobs conference to discuss resources and methods for ensuring that green jobs are safe and healthy jobs. Fifty participants met to explore new strategies while learning what others are doing in the field. They were interested in how federal agencies can better work together, such as the creation of an interagency working group on green jobs. In addition, participants addressed the following issues: how health and safety can be integrated and imbedded early into green jobs training; how to improve current health and safety programs; how to apply “lessons learned” to a program; and how to import green jobs training into construction and weatherization. The meeting was cosponsored by the Blue Green Alliance, a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Worker Education and Training Program (NIEHS WETP), a federal agency that funds a national network of non-profit safety and health training organizations.

This session will share insights into the next steps to implement this Sustainable Local/Federal Partnerships, provide the federal inventory of green jobs programs and engage recommendations from the audience on this strategy and implementation.