Training Programs – Overview

Posted on 04. Feb, 2009 by admin in Veterans Green Jobs Academy

2009 GREEN JOBS TRAINING PROGRAMS

Energy Efficiency and Weatherization
Alternative Fuels Production and Vehicle Conversion
Disaster Preparedness and Response
Green Construction and Retrofit
Outdoor Conservation
Urban Reforestation and Agriculture
Program Cost

Energy Efficiency & Weatherization

Home Energy Audit Training (HEAT™) Program
It is widely recognized that investing in energy conservation is the most cost effective way for America to both save energy and create thousands of new employment opportunities. On the leading edge of this trend, Veterans Green Jobs has established its Home Energy Audit Training (HEAT™) to assist veterans in becoming a sought after workforce for this industry. The HEAT™ program incorporates five core objectives for successfully supporting veterans to become leaders in the energy efficiency field:

1. Rapid Placement—HEAT™ provides short duration, highly concentrated training that enables participants to quickly gain the necessary skills to become employable by the energy conservation industry.
2. Highest Standards/Highest Quality—HEAT™ provides participants with the highest possible quality program to enable them to be recognized by the industry as exceeding national standards for technicians in the field.
3. Accessible and Cost Effective—The HEAT™ program removes, as much as possible, any financial barriers to participation, both in program cost, and in the ability of participants to support themselves and their families while participating.
4. Versatile and Evolutionary—The HEAT™ program gives participants the broadest possible series of options following completion. It also encourages and supports participants in continuing to build and expand their skills as the industry evolves and matures.
5. Ongoing Support—Veterans Green Jobs is committed to continuing to support participants following graduation to ensure that they are successful either as employers or entrepreneurs.

Home Energy Audit Training (HEAT™) Program Structure

Pre-Program Homework
Participant outreach and admissions activities are ongoing for this program. During the 3-4 weeks prior to the program, admitted participants will be encouraged to participate in several on-line, self-study programs that will provide a basic introduction to home energy efficiency and green principals. Admitted participants will receive and be expected to read a student handbook and fill out all necessary forms.

Week One—Green 101
Week 1 will be an outdoor based program orientation and team building. Major objectives of this week are: to develop teamwork and a support network with other participants; and to be oriented to both the program structure and the range of resources available to them during and after the program; and to introduce curriculum elements providing an overview and critical thinking exercises for green principals and practices.

Week Two—Energy Efficiency 101
During Week 2, participants will be introduced to basic principals and practices in home energy efficiency and conservation. One of the likely text’s used during this week will be Green Awareness, a primer on energy efficiency basics developed by Ferris State University for several major trade union and building industry associations. Participants will also receive Residential Energy: Cost Savings and Comfort for Existing Buildings by John T. Krigger and Chris Dorsi. This is the text book used for most energy efficiency training programs nationwide and is the core textbook for the RESNET/BPI certified auditor/rater training that will be conducted in week three.

Week Three—RESNET/BPI Auditor/Rater Certification
Week 3 will follow the course outline stipulated for use in the RESNET/BPI certification program being released in early 2009. At the end of this seven day training, participants will be given an industry-wide standardized test. Those who successfully pass the test and participate in 3 supervised home audits will then be certified to begin working as independent auditor/raters under the sponsorship of a qualifited and sanctioned auditing business. Sanctions are granted by a joint National RESNET/BPI standards committee. This formal designation is necessary for auditors work to be recognized for use in most public and private sector financial transactions in which auditing or rating is a required element. Each state program will also add components to ensure that graduates will also be qualified to conduct the less rigorous home energy assessments conducted by public entities as part of low income energy assistance of other state energy programs.

Where possible, these training program elements will be developed and delivered in coordination with a local community college.

Week Four through Eight—On-the-Job Training
The remaining duration of the program will be primarily focused on supervised field work. Participants will initially work in teams of two conducting home energy assessments or audits. All data gathered will be integrated into state-of-the-art energy efficiency modeling and tracking software that will provide quantitative mechanisms to determine the most energy and cost effective conservation measures to be implemented. It will also provide the baseline data to which subsequent home energy performance can be measured and documented. The analysis and interpretation of this data will be an important part of the program training activities.

If you are interested in participating in Veterans Green Jobs HEAT™ Program in 2009, please fill out and submit the contact form in the footer of this page.
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Alternative Fuels Production and Vehicle Conversion

A critical challenge facing the US both domestically and internationally is our dependence on foreign energy sources for transportation. Veterans Green Jobs Academy is developing an alternative fuels and vehicle conversion training program as part of its New Orleans training center. Participants will learn how to manufacture biodiesel from used cooking oil as well as develop vegetable oil conversions for diesel vehicles. This program will interface with the Academy’s Disaster Preparedness and Response Training Program (see below) and the HEAT™ energy audit training program to develop a fleet of biofuel-powered vehicles that will be used for both energy efficiency, disaster preparedness and disaster response. Please note: This program is currently in development and is not offered at this time.
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Disaster Preparedness and Response

It is now clear that climate change is magnifying chaotic weather patterns leading to “Super-Storms” and other natural disasters that place huge populations in jeopardy. Veterans Green Jobs will is developing its first disaster preparedness and response training program in New Orleans, the site of one of America’s worst disasters. Veterans Green Jobs Academy participants will be trained to work directly with communities to empower both individual households and whole neighborhoods to plan ahead for disaster events. This preparedness will improve community safety and security, both prior to and during disasters. A priority will be to identify those most vulnerable in disasters, creating a database for rapid response to help those most at-risk. Response plans will also include provisions for identifying evacuation locations and contact networks so families and communities remain connected during chaotic disaster situations. This will include provisions for emergency email networks enabling families and neighborhoods to quickly locate each other if separated. Please note: This program is currently in development and is not offered at this time.
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Green Construction and Retrofit

America’s buildings consume almost half of the energy used in this country and as a result generate over 40% of the green houses gases we contribute to the Earth’s atmosphere. With new practices and materials, it is possible to build houses and businesses that can cut these energy uses and missions by 50% or more. Substantial savings are also possible in the renovation of existing buildings. The Veterans Green Jobs Academy is working with leaders in the green building and energy efficiency fields to develop training and hands-on learning experiences in this exciting field.
One huge unmet need is the green renovation and preservation of the hundreds of thousands of historic structures in this country. At several of its training sites, Veterans Green Jobs is establishing trainings that integrate green building principals with historic building techniques to create high-paying job opportunities in this unique field. Please note: This program is currently in development and is not offered at this time.
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Outdoor Conservation

Working with both the Washington Veterans Conservation Corps and the Southwest Conservation Corps, Veterans Green Jobs has launched conservation training programs that integrate classroom centered curriculum in environmental sciences with hands-on field training in land stewardship and restoration. Our partnership with the Southwest Conservation Corps has created Veterans Green Corps. Participants will get real-world experience in projects ranging from watershed restoration, invasive species eradication, wildfire hazard reduction, sustainable forestry, and a variety of other land stewardship and conservation fields. Immediate openings are available in this Veterans Green Corps program.
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Urban Reforestation and Agriculture

Urban areas are typically the greatest polluters in terms of thermal and greenhouse gas emissions, and trees maintain a significant potential to naturally and aesthetically address these issues. Tree planting in urban locations is useful for: shade cover to reduce home cooling costs, carbon dioxide sequestration, and storm water control. Veterans Green Jobs is developing training and education programs for veterans to get involved in sustainable urban tree nurseries, landscaping, and arboriculture. We are exploring the potential of training and employing homeless veterans in this program, as veterans make up a disproportionate percentage of homeless individuals in urban settings. Please note: This program is currently in development and is not offered at this time.
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Program Cost

Another unique feature of the Veterans Green Jobs approach is the recognition that in many cases, returning military personnel have families or other financial obligations that make it difficult to participate in conventional education and training programs. Recognizing this, most of the Academy programs will be structured around work-and-learn settings in which participants spend a portion of their time in class and a portion in an on-the-job training context. The work component will take place in real-world professional service projects that generate revenue to support both the Veterans Green Jobs Academy and a living stipend for each participant.

This stipend, in combination with the new GI benefits package (soon to be available for recently released military personnel) will, in most cases, provide all or most of a participants necessary educational and material costs. It is our goal to ensure that all participants’ living expenses are covered while in the program.

As an example, Veterans Green Jobs’ Home Energy Audit Training (HEAT™) provides intensive training leading to an industry-recognized Home Energy Auditor Certification. Participants will then spend a significant portion of their training in the field actually conducting Home Energy Audits. They will earn a monthly stipend throughout this portion of the training. Participants can exit the program and become full-time auditors, or remain in the program, working part-time and completing additional certifications in implementing the energy conservation measures that will be required on the homes they have just audited or surveyed.

Veterans Green Jobs and its partners will work with each participant to ensure they are able to access GI benefits and other VA programs to which they are entitled.
Please check back frequently for updated information on tuition and fees for particular Veterans Green Jobs training programs.
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See also…

Intro to Green Jobs Training