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The USA needs more local job training shops stocked with machine tools.

Some high schools and community colleges currently have woodworking and auto mechanic shops that are open for continuing adult education, as well as student vocational education.

But product fabrication facilities is a new idea that is making progress.  High tech approaches to sensors, controllers, photovoltaics, LED lighting, etc. could spur advancement of innovation, as well as prepare the workforce for these cutting edge jobs.

CNC equipment like mills and lathes and a variety of other advanced tools and processes including biotech systems are needed to prepare people for the current revolution in manufacturing.

These shops might be seen as public extensions of local schools, essentially turning the shops of public schools into a public library of tools.

A few variations on this concept have been developed
Men's Shed,  http://www.mensshed.org/
FabLab,   http://fab.cba.mit.edu/
TechShop,  http://techshop.ws/
100KGarages,  http://100kgarages.com/

And books like David Morris' "Neighborhood Power: The New Localism" propose similar approached to distributed technical education.

A related article is "The Case for Working With Your Hands":
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html

Note from the Australian Men's Shed Association:  "Communities are keen to provide activities, identity and meaning for vast numbers of older, unemployed, job-redundant, 'downsized', isolated, depressed and happily retired, active, creative, enthusiastic men. Men's Sheds are fast being recognized as vital, viable places to fulfill these needs and provide relaxed, happy creative spaces for men to enjoy."

Green jobs and green careers are based on a new set of job performance tools -- they could be called the "ecometrics" of the new green economy.  As explained by a professor of mechanical engineering...wow!... the same new tools being used by businesses to measure their environmental impact, are also the new tools needed by employees in the green economy.

"Interface CEO, Ray Anderson, developed 'Ecometrics' as the term for their measurement system to track their progress. These indicators include waste reduction, renewable energy, carbon emissions, water and energy usage, and percentage of recycled and biobased materials in products. Much more detail on their site includes data on the reduction of energy used per unit of product manufactured, waste diverted landfills, etc. They are green manufacturers and one of the leaders of developing a business strategy for green manufacturing and, eventually, sustainability," says David Dornfeld,  a mechanical engineering professor.

The New Career "Ecometrics"

Environmental indicators include

• waste reduction
• renewable energy
• carbon emissions
• water and energy usage
• percentage of recycled materials in products.
• biobased materials in products

How do you add these new career tools to your credentials?  Some of them come from field experience ... knowing the core operations of your business.  But some are new methods of accounting, product design, and marketing strategies that weight different features and factors in new ways. 

Waste reduction is an example.  In sustainability and green manufacturing, nothing is defined as "waste".  It's kind of like "Prince" who changed his name to ... "the person formerly known as 'Prince"!

Waste materials are now either reduced into non-existence...or seen as valuable resources to be reclaimed and reused in your own operations or by someone else.  Energy is one of the most widely affected "waste".  Energy efficiency reduces wasted energy.  Heat reclamation can use wasted energy in internal processes.  And used petroleum can be recycled or reclaimed.  Packaging can use recycled content and use manufacturing and printing processes that make the material more easily recycled in a future generation. 

Certifications can help you learn these new job skills, and industry metrics.  New certifications are being developed by many trade associations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations to help expand these new skills, and share them with the workforce in the field.

Our new website, "GreenJobWizard.com" is a directory of certification programs that help you upgrade your career skills to today's cutting edge green, sustainable and high-performance metrics... you could call them the "ecometrics" of the new economy.  

Gen Ys are wired differently from the rest of the workforce.  

Generation Y is the fastest growing segment of the workforce, growing from 14% to 21% over the past few years.

Gen Y is young, independent, wired differently than any other generation.

Generation Y is changing the face of the business world as we know it.

Employers are disecting the value of Gen Yers and are examining new ways to recruit and manage younger workers. Joe Hammill, director of talent acquisition for Xerox says, "Gen Y is very important. Xerox and other Fortune-type companies view this emerging workforce as the future of our organization."

What sets Gen Y apart?

Generation Y is more diverse than any generation before it.

• One in three is not Caucasian
• One in four lives in a single-parent household and
• Three in four have working mothers (OnPoint Marketing and Promotions).
• Gen Yers are exposed to more foreign media by the age of 10 than most baby boomers see in their lifetimes.

Above all else, Gen Y also grew up with a massive amount of technology right at their fingertips.

Youngsters these days are performing Google searches before they go to kindergarten. To Generation Y,

• the internet isn't new,
• home computers always were,
• and the Jetsons lifestyle doesn't seem too far in the future.

But the major player in Gen Y's technological boost to career stardom may surprise you: video games.

Gaming Strategies Become Real Life Skills

Boston.com conducted a nationwide survey of about 2,500 business professionals with a goal of distinguishing between those who grew up playing video games and those who did not. They found that professionals who grew up playing video games make better business people.

• They are more serious about achievement
• More attached to the company they work for and the people they work with
• More flexible, persistent problem-solvers
• More willing to take only the risks that make sense

Different?  Yes!

The challenge to organizations is to quickly figure out how to capture their talent and keep them challenged.  Those that do, will likely find themselves with a cadre of "game changers" that will have a significant positive effect on their future.  Keeping them challenged is the key.   With this diverse, motivated and capable generation, that has never been "in the box", providing them with "outside the box" challenges may be the key to retention and loyalty.

New business models are bursting on the scene.  New scientific applications.  New ways of gathering data.  New ways of collaborating and synthesizing opportunities.

Observe Gen Yers...they're here to stay and are already making their new ways felt in business, government -- yes, the Obama administration is full of Gen Y staffers!

Read the excellent articles by Jim Kissane for more insights. 

 More than 1300 green building professionals have already signed up to participate in the LEED Credentialing Maintenance Program (CMP) since it was launched just three weeks ago, according to The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). 

The CMP maintenance program, which supports the LEED AP and LEED Green Associate credentials, ensures that LEED professionals in the field are up to date with the most relevant and useful information by requiring a commitment to ongoing participation in green building project, learning and service activities.

"Since the program's launch on August 3, we've seen a steady upward trend in enrollment," said Arnold Kee, Continuing Education Manager, GBCI.  "Professionals who are keeping up with the rapidly evolving knowledge base of the green building industry by enrolling recognize the competitive advantage they'll gain.  As businesses learn that their pursuit of sustainability leads to innovation and increased efficiency, they will need professionals that can help them reach that goal.  In turn, GBCI will help the business community meet that need--by credentialing LEED professionals who are ready to work and innovate."

In May 2009, GBCI put in place a number of changes and enhancements to the LEED professional credentialing program, including the introduction of the LEED Green Associate and specialties within the LEED Accredited Professional program to better reflect market practice areas.  LEED AP specialty programs include operations & maintenance, homes, building design & construction and interior design & construction.  The specialty for neighborhood development will be available in 2010.  The specialties allow LEED professionals to differentiate themselves in the market and focus on specific areas of expertise or practice.    

A number of activities qualify to earn LEED credential holders credit toward credentialing maintenance. Those activities include continuing education as well as the practical application of LEED on green building projects and active participation in the green building community. A CMP Guide is available at www.gbci.org that outlines CMP-eligible activities and the requirements for maintaining all LEED professional credential programs.

Enrollment is available at no charge to those LEED APs who have passed one of the retired exams. Invitations to enroll in CMP are being sent out to these credential holders from August to October according to a schedule published on the GBCI website.  All newly credentialed professionals are automatically enrolled when they pass the LEED Green Associate or LEED AP specialty exam.  Enroll at: http://www.gbci.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=201.

About GBCI
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third party confirmation that specific criteria related to LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing continues to be developed in accordance with best practices for credentialing and certification programs. To underscore this commitment, GBCI is undergoing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation process for personnel certification agencies complying with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 17024.

Early in 2009, GBCI assumed responsibility for administering the LEED building certification program for the more than 30,000 commercial projects seeking third-party verification of compliance with the industry's leading green building rating system. For more information, please visit www.gbci.org.

The recommendation is driven by rising medical expenses, along with anticipated cost increases that stem from recent California Workers' Compensation Appeals Board decisions in what are known as the "Almaraz/Guzman" and "Ogilvie" cases, the WCIRB said in a statement.

It is up to Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner to decide whether he will pass the recommendation on to insurers, who are free to set their own rates in California.

The commissioner last month rejected the WCIRB's previous rate recommendation. He said he rejected that requested rate increase because he found insurers were inefficient and not applying available tools to control costs.

Given that finding, the commissioner said he will closely scrutinize the WCIRB's new request.

If the full 22.8 percent increase is approved by the commissioner, pure premium rates in January still would be 55 percent lower on average than in 2003, the WCIRB said.

Filed by Roberto Ceniceros of Business Insurance, a sister publication of Workforce Management.

Fall 2009 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships For Graduate Environmental Study

URL: http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2009/2009_star_gradfellow.html

Open Date: 08/19/2009  -  Close Date: 10/22/2009

Summary: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master's and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline is October 22, 2009 at 4:00 PM for receipt of paper applications, and October 22, 2009 at 11:59:59 PM ET for submittal of electronic applications to Grants.gov. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 120 new fellowships by June 30, 2010. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support per fellowship.

FYI, Green Jobs Network recently published a three-part article series on Finding Green Jobs. The goal of this series is to provide basic information to help answer a fundamental question -- how can a job seeker locate green jobs? The three parts of this article are:

* Part 1 - Job Boards
* Part 2 - The Hidden Green Job Market
* Part 3 - Future Green Jobs

Find this series of article on the Green Collar Blog

You need to find ways to work smarter today. We are visual creatures...and are becoming more so with the progressive development of digital media, color printing, ... even comic books as literature.

Fortunately there are easy ways to become more efficient right now, and increase the bottom line of your business.  SmartDraw provides the following tips that use their business graphics software for a wide variety of illustrations that fit well in documents, presentations, and on the web.

Here are seven of the most effective ways to work smarter with visuals:

1. Optimize your operations with a process map.
With process maps and flowcharts you can achieve efficient and predictable results every time. 

2. Organize your team with an org chart.
Org and team charts clarify roles and responsibilities increasing the efficiency of your team. 

3. Manage your work more effectively with a project chart.
Meet deadlines and exceed expectations by using this simple but powerful visual tool. 

4.Organize your ideas with a mind map.
Organize your ideas to effectively plan presentation and projects.

5.Hone in on your market and sell smarter with a positioning matrix, selling proposition chart, market focus diagram, and sales funnel chart. It's easier than you think.

6. Choose more wisely by using a decision tree.
Formalizing the decision-making process helps you and your organization make smarter choices. 

7. Avoid mistakes by using visual communication.
It's a fact that visuals communicate faster and are more memorable.

Thinking and communicating visually is a powerful way to be more productive right now. SmartDraw makes it possible. In fact you can create any of these diagrams in just minutes. Click here to try SmartDraw for free.

Infographics have fascinated me for years...well, decades.  American Demographics magazine spoiled me years ago by creating pictorial pie charts and bar charts that just intrigued me no end. They were so compelling.  And I've been struggling with Excel ever since to showhorn some graphics into charts and graphs with limited results.  But now...with the push of a button...they say!

Isn't it amazing what American ingenuity comes up with?  I've been looking for a way to add info-graphics to my writing and publishing efforts...and I'm eager to explore SmartDraw's capabilities.  I can't vouch for them at this early date, but wanted to share this discovery with you so you can test it for yourself.  I'll be reporting on how it works as I progress ...