Green Jobs and Adult Basic Skills from April 6 - 10. No. 571.

AAACE-NLA Colleagues,

The National Institute for Literacy's Special Topics Discussion List will address Green Jobs and Adult Basic Skills from April 6 - 10. To subscribe go to here. This discussion will help adult literacy practitioners to understand what new employment opportunities may existfor their students, and how to help students prepare for these "green" jobs. What exactly are "green" jobs? How many of them are there nationwide? Why are these jobs important to adult learners? What are the qualifications for these jobs? What role can adult literacy education programs play in helping students to prepare for "green" jobs? These and other questions about environmentally friendly work and adult literacy education will be addressed by our guests and by discussion participants.

Background on Discussion Guests

Alex Risley Schroeder has worked in the adult literacy and workforce development field for over twenty years. She currently works as a Green Careers Coach with adult literacy and ESOL learners and displaced and dislocated workers for the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board in western Massachusetts. She also works with the Massachusetts Workforce
Alliance on workforce development policy education and advocacy which is currently focusing on the opportunities the green economy presents. Alex has a consulting practice, Finding Earth Works, that assists ABE/GED/ESOL programs and staff and learners to consider ways to prepare for work in the green economy and to understand the environmental challenges we face.

Chris Cato is the Green Initiative Project Manager for YouthBuild USA. Chris's primary role is to support the Greening process for YouthBuild programs throughout the United States.

Vien Truong is the Senior Policy Associate at Green For All.

Kate Davenport has spent several years working and exploring the link between natural resource management, community assets, and economic development in both the private sector and non-profit sector. As part of the EcoVentures International team, she has managed green business and green jobs development projects, including trainings and analysis of environmental business industries.