Counseling can be viewed as a battle of wills. I have a great deal of education and almost forty years experience in the field. I believe it is my responsibility to dispel misconceptions and help my customers view a positive interpretation of the universe. My customers are job seekers and fellow counselors.
There is a famous quote, “All forces, powers, and energies are neither good nor evil in themselves. They are completely neutral, but only become good or evil when they are intelligently directed.” Indeed, good and bad are value judgments and there are many different views of everything we experience.
The universe will place obstacles in our path. Few things unfold exactly as we expect. The future is a guessing game and even the most carefully constructed goals require fine tuning as we move forward. These are realities of walking the path called life.
Employment counseling customers have the experience of being unsuccessful and a myriad of reasons why they have not attained their wants, desires, goals. I understand that when challenges appear too formidable or something does not work in our favor, it is easier on our ego to cast blame or dispersion. I cannot help but think that avoidance and retreats (quitting, getting sick, substance abuse) are responses to the fear of facing our vulnerability. I see them as protection mechanisms designed to comfort fragile human façades. The past is filled with wounds and distortions. We all have memories of being chastised or laughed at when we’ve made “mistakes.”
Clearly the “myriad of reasons” or excuses may be quite valid. Certainly failures and rejection attack our self worth and it can become more difficult when others in our environment support negative views.
I may empathize, sympathize and understand, but I really do not care why they have failed. My job is to foster resilience because in the long run greatness belongs to those who challenge their fears and take the risks necessary for success. It is just not true that because something happened before that it will reoccur exactly as it has in the past. It is not true that the individual I am counseling is a “loser.” Each is unique with special gifts, an angle waiting to be set free. If they become consciously aware of the true obstacles, I believe we can move in a positive direction. And, when I really do well, we can embrace Marianne Williamson’s concept, “ Our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? “
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
PSG TV, part of a 21st Century Job Search
I have always argued that change becomes stressful and overwhelming only when you've lost any sense of the constancy of your life. You need firm ground to stand on. From there, you can deal with that change. ~ Richard Nelson Bolles
There are many illusions in the world of work. When job loss enters the picture, humans can be fairly fragile creatures. More than just a decrease in available money, our schedule is suddenly disrupted. We no longer are going to our place of business to associates with the people who may have been our co-workers for many years. It is too easy for the unemployed person to become isolated and some become quite depressed.
Self help support groups or job clubs are one of the most effective processes available to help dislocated workers return to gainful employment. In New Jersey many of the One Stop Career Centers have Professional Service Groups (PSG). In Pleasantville our group is facilitated by the very talented, Christine Berberich, who possesses the right mix of positive attitude and organizational skills. We provide a meeting place and create a new structure, with telephones, computers, fax machines and copiers to simulate a working environment. Our participants gather, discuss viable alternatives to help one another find suitable opportunities, form committees to accomplish agreed upon tasks and provide each other with the support necessary to cope with the challenges. One of the core ingredients is for participants to learn to deliver an “elevator speech,” a short, positive pitch that sells their personality and offers their special talents. We practice these presentations week after week until they flow with perfection.
Almost a year ago, our PSG members decided to create a television show designed around these elevator speeches. We created two demo tapes and got approval from the Department of Labor & Workforce Development to send them to our local NBC television affiliate. Channel 40 was receptive to our ideas and offered up to a minute and 15 seconds on the nightly news. Wow, we were thrilled. Next we pitched the idea to our Workforce Investment Board and got the grant needed to go into full production. Pictured is the taping of one of our first segments. The first employment minute aired on April 7, 2010.
All shows are available on You Tube searching for Michael C. Lazarchick videos or theWebsite as the PSG Enployment Minute. An example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1YxHLI0Aus
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Education, Marketing & Closing the Deal
Employers hire people they know first, pretty much all the time, everywhere. It is difficult to invest in an unknown entity. Professional employment counselors have been teaching “Networking” for decades as the primary mechanism for securing decent paying good jobs. 50 Cent How the Get a Job Lecture That has not changed, but today the availability of information has changed the job search process dramatically. Today we have the Electronic Highway!
The traditional job search process is chaotic, filled with illusions and has been described as designed to screen people out of consideration in an attempt to reach a manageable number to actually interview. People tell me that responding to newspaper ads and job bank postings or sending unsolicited resumes is frustrating and generally do not provide a decent return for time and money expended.
At our Career Center I advocate a three step approach to job seeking: Education, Marketing & Closing the Deal.
Education
Education includes the upgrading of skills, understanding what we have to “sell” and how we effectively search the labor market.
We must at minimum ensure that every job seeker is computer literate. We teach a basic how to use the computer class. We focus on how to complete an on-line application and construct short bios and resumes. O*NET is a great tool, in the public domain (no cost) and is continually being updated. I suggest searching every occupation or job one has performed. O*NET fully describes the positions, tasks performed, tools used, knowledge and skills displayed, abilities needed, work activities, work content, work styles, work values and related occupations. O*NET provides words to develop quality personal descriptions. To upgrade skills, Goodwill Community Foundation International offers an impressive group of free tutorials. We educate and build confidence in our job seekers and help them sell themselves as evolving and capable of moving in many directions. Of course we always encourage seeking out grants to finish degrees or attain certifications for those who have the will, the time and income to pursue more formal education.
While some employers are not successfully competing, others are coming into existence seeking talent. Debbie Flanagan’s tutorial or the Riley Guide provide more than enough information to research businesses. Personally I suggest “Google” searching employers by name or searching with various combinations of keywords. The more we know about potential employers, the closer we are to being hired. I advocate shopping for an employer.
Marketing
The 21st century has brought the concept of “Web Presence” to consider. Especially for better paying positions, employers increasingly “Google” the name of people they are considering. They look on “Linked-in” and similar networking sites. There is a strong trend emerging of employers searching the internet to learn as much as possible about an individual before making an offer. This is actually good news because technology today really allows us to demonstrate who we are and what we are capable of achieving. We can have our own professional looking website, with a personal domain name, for less than $10 a month (i.e., mlazarchick.com. We can Blog our thoughts and establish a level of expertise in an area where we feel comfortable (i.e., Employment Counseling for the 21st Century. Sites like Lulu will help us create and publish a book. Your own radio show can be broadcast on line using My Blog Radio or even your own television program using U Stream TV . Methods of communication are evolving at an incredible speed. Sites like Mashable show us how to most effectively use “social networking” tools on line. We are limited only by the extent of our personal creativity.
Closing the Deal
We are being judged all the time and everyone we encounter, potentially, can lead us to a source of income. I suggest business cards with name, e-mail address, telephone number and a quote or slogan expressing something about who we are. The task is to enter the consciousness of potential employers, while creating a favorable impression. In job clubs we practice and videotape, so job seekers can see their delivery and refine their presentations. Eventually the answers to who we are and what we do are succinct, flowing smoothly and effortlessly. We have discussed values and helped people come to terms with the direction they really want to take their life. When they get to a truly appropriate opportunity, it is easy to project confidence and enthusiasm. And, in the final interview they must remember one basic concept. Employers hire people that they like. A genuine, honest, positive, person to person discussion from the heart, will usually close the deal.
# GCDF #Get Certified # Michael C. Lazarchick
The traditional job search process is chaotic, filled with illusions and has been described as designed to screen people out of consideration in an attempt to reach a manageable number to actually interview. People tell me that responding to newspaper ads and job bank postings or sending unsolicited resumes is frustrating and generally do not provide a decent return for time and money expended.
At our Career Center I advocate a three step approach to job seeking: Education, Marketing & Closing the Deal.
Education
Education includes the upgrading of skills, understanding what we have to “sell” and how we effectively search the labor market.
We must at minimum ensure that every job seeker is computer literate. We teach a basic how to use the computer class. We focus on how to complete an on-line application and construct short bios and resumes. O*NET is a great tool, in the public domain (no cost) and is continually being updated. I suggest searching every occupation or job one has performed. O*NET fully describes the positions, tasks performed, tools used, knowledge and skills displayed, abilities needed, work activities, work content, work styles, work values and related occupations. O*NET provides words to develop quality personal descriptions. To upgrade skills, Goodwill Community Foundation International offers an impressive group of free tutorials. We educate and build confidence in our job seekers and help them sell themselves as evolving and capable of moving in many directions. Of course we always encourage seeking out grants to finish degrees or attain certifications for those who have the will, the time and income to pursue more formal education.
While some employers are not successfully competing, others are coming into existence seeking talent. Debbie Flanagan’s tutorial or the Riley Guide provide more than enough information to research businesses. Personally I suggest “Google” searching employers by name or searching with various combinations of keywords. The more we know about potential employers, the closer we are to being hired. I advocate shopping for an employer.
Marketing
The 21st century has brought the concept of “Web Presence” to consider. Especially for better paying positions, employers increasingly “Google” the name of people they are considering. They look on “Linked-in” and similar networking sites. There is a strong trend emerging of employers searching the internet to learn as much as possible about an individual before making an offer. This is actually good news because technology today really allows us to demonstrate who we are and what we are capable of achieving. We can have our own professional looking website, with a personal domain name, for less than $10 a month (i.e., mlazarchick.com. We can Blog our thoughts and establish a level of expertise in an area where we feel comfortable (i.e., Employment Counseling for the 21st Century. Sites like Lulu will help us create and publish a book. Your own radio show can be broadcast on line using My Blog Radio or even your own television program using U Stream TV . Methods of communication are evolving at an incredible speed. Sites like Mashable show us how to most effectively use “social networking” tools on line. We are limited only by the extent of our personal creativity.
Closing the Deal
We are being judged all the time and everyone we encounter, potentially, can lead us to a source of income. I suggest business cards with name, e-mail address, telephone number and a quote or slogan expressing something about who we are. The task is to enter the consciousness of potential employers, while creating a favorable impression. In job clubs we practice and videotape, so job seekers can see their delivery and refine their presentations. Eventually the answers to who we are and what we do are succinct, flowing smoothly and effortlessly. We have discussed values and helped people come to terms with the direction they really want to take their life. When they get to a truly appropriate opportunity, it is easy to project confidence and enthusiasm. And, in the final interview they must remember one basic concept. Employers hire people that they like. A genuine, honest, positive, person to person discussion from the heart, will usually close the deal.
# GCDF #Get Certified # Michael C. Lazarchick
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
ON THE FRONT LINES
I will be working the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Traditionally, it is the slowest week for employment in the public employment office. The majority of my staff will be on holiday leave. Most employers are closing out the year and all the anticipated extra help for the holidays is in place. Most people will be going to parties, spending time with family and friends, experiencing the holiday spirit. The people who come into the employment office are in a much different place. I will be there to hear their words. Anytime a counselor can help ease the pain of another human it is a gift to both.
When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. Thich Nhat Hanh
These are indeed extraordinary times for employment counseling. We have record numbers of people coming into the One Stop Career Center. People are struggling and fear is all too pervasive. Often displaced emotions are directed at the front line staff. We have no control over hiring and firing. We did not make the unemployment system nor do we determine whether or not someone is eligible to collect benefits. We are however, one of the few places of direct public contact. I discuss customer service at every staff meeting. I ask the staff not to take verbal attacks personally, but I also do not want them to take abuse. When they cannot handle a customer, they know my door will open.
Every day I encounter expressions of frustration and anger. I am experienced enough to shift most customers into a better state of consciousness. Some are not in a place to receive my guidance or acknowledge possible blame and consequences. Whether I like them or their decisions, I accept it is their counseling session. Sometimes I can do no more than listen and I have to trust that the experience will be therapeutic for both of us. Other times people open up and tell me their story and we are able to transcend the despair. And sometimes it seems like magic when we find a solution that really feels right. I do my best to offer an honest, caring and encouraging environment.
It is through our compassion that we care for the dignity, well-being and integrity of every person around us. Our capacity to embody this quality, simple as it may seem, is the strength that can change the world around us. Thich Nhat Hanh
On a global scale we are clearly in a time of great transition. Communications and the availability of knowledge have made our world “smaller.” When we think about renewable energy in the “green” revolution, let us not forget about the human resources. Counseling is about helping, healing and at its best, renewal of energy. I invite you to visit the Charter for Compassion website and perhaps add your signature.
http://charterforcompassion.org
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. Thich Nhat Hanh
These are indeed extraordinary times for employment counseling. We have record numbers of people coming into the One Stop Career Center. People are struggling and fear is all too pervasive. Often displaced emotions are directed at the front line staff. We have no control over hiring and firing. We did not make the unemployment system nor do we determine whether or not someone is eligible to collect benefits. We are however, one of the few places of direct public contact. I discuss customer service at every staff meeting. I ask the staff not to take verbal attacks personally, but I also do not want them to take abuse. When they cannot handle a customer, they know my door will open.
Every day I encounter expressions of frustration and anger. I am experienced enough to shift most customers into a better state of consciousness. Some are not in a place to receive my guidance or acknowledge possible blame and consequences. Whether I like them or their decisions, I accept it is their counseling session. Sometimes I can do no more than listen and I have to trust that the experience will be therapeutic for both of us. Other times people open up and tell me their story and we are able to transcend the despair. And sometimes it seems like magic when we find a solution that really feels right. I do my best to offer an honest, caring and encouraging environment.
It is through our compassion that we care for the dignity, well-being and integrity of every person around us. Our capacity to embody this quality, simple as it may seem, is the strength that can change the world around us. Thich Nhat Hanh
On a global scale we are clearly in a time of great transition. Communications and the availability of knowledge have made our world “smaller.” When we think about renewable energy in the “green” revolution, let us not forget about the human resources. Counseling is about helping, healing and at its best, renewal of energy. I invite you to visit the Charter for Compassion website and perhaps add your signature.
http://charterforcompassion.org
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Why Blog Executive Job Searcher?
“… as blogging evolves as a literary form, it is generating a new and quintessentially postmodern idiom that’s enabling writers to express themselves in ways that have never been seen or understood before. Its truths are provisional, and its ethos collective and messy. Yet the interaction it enables between writer and reader is unprecedented, visceral, and sometimes brutal. And make no mistake: it heralds a golden era for journalism.” ~ Andrew Sullivan
We are in the 21st Century in a period referred to as the “Age of Information.” Communication is instantaneous, worldwide and flowing through a myriad of forms. The potential customer who used to look in the yellow pages to confirm business legitimacy is now “Googling” a name. There is a library of information at our fingertips and people are “talking.”
Scarcely a decade ago, getting your words printed and read, depended upon a publisher’s blessing. Today we have tools that have opened fairly sophisticated self publishing venues to virtually everyone. One of those, the Blog (from Web Log) is gaining in popularity. You are reading mine which I started on June 25, 2009 at 14:40 pm. I like the idea that I am able to store my “thoughts” so easily, by date and time, on-line, with the ability to access from any computer. I chose “Employment Counseling for the 21st Century” because that is what I do and I know I need to continually research to keep in tune with my profession. Creating a piece helps me organize my thoughts. And web presence is becoming the standard. If I am going to help people find worthwhile jobs, I need to learn as much as possible about the electronic world. This is especially true when helping dislocated professionals who are pursuing a well paying opportunity.
The percentage of employers researching an individual’s web presence before making a job offer appears to be moving upward. If nothing is found on the internet the aspiring employee might be viewed as out of touch with modern communications. Careless remarks made on lets say “Facebook” might be viewed as inappropriate, suggesting caution before posting anything in a public forum. On the other hand, written communications are highly prized in the upper echelons of supervision and management. Publishing words on a subject we know helps build an image of expertise. So why Blog? It just might be the ticket into an executive suite.
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
We are in the 21st Century in a period referred to as the “Age of Information.” Communication is instantaneous, worldwide and flowing through a myriad of forms. The potential customer who used to look in the yellow pages to confirm business legitimacy is now “Googling” a name. There is a library of information at our fingertips and people are “talking.”
Scarcely a decade ago, getting your words printed and read, depended upon a publisher’s blessing. Today we have tools that have opened fairly sophisticated self publishing venues to virtually everyone. One of those, the Blog (from Web Log) is gaining in popularity. You are reading mine which I started on June 25, 2009 at 14:40 pm. I like the idea that I am able to store my “thoughts” so easily, by date and time, on-line, with the ability to access from any computer. I chose “Employment Counseling for the 21st Century” because that is what I do and I know I need to continually research to keep in tune with my profession. Creating a piece helps me organize my thoughts. And web presence is becoming the standard. If I am going to help people find worthwhile jobs, I need to learn as much as possible about the electronic world. This is especially true when helping dislocated professionals who are pursuing a well paying opportunity.
The percentage of employers researching an individual’s web presence before making a job offer appears to be moving upward. If nothing is found on the internet the aspiring employee might be viewed as out of touch with modern communications. Careless remarks made on lets say “Facebook” might be viewed as inappropriate, suggesting caution before posting anything in a public forum. On the other hand, written communications are highly prized in the upper echelons of supervision and management. Publishing words on a subject we know helps build an image of expertise. So why Blog? It just might be the ticket into an executive suite.
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Anguish of Unemployment
A Green Economy is beginning to emerge as growing numbers of companies embrace environmental policies and investors pump hundreds of billions of dollars into cleaner and renewable energies.United Nations Environmental Programme Yearbook 2008.
A year ago our One Stop Career Center was flooded with people seeking unemployment insurance claims. In New Jersey after a decade of downsizing we had few unemployment insurance representatives available in the local One Stops and not enough in our regional call centers. On my best days I had only three people with full access to the UI system. Customers could only establish a claim using a computer or the telephone. Unfortunately the sheer number of claims was more than the system could handle and the situation got worse each time a new federal extension came into being. Mistakes on the computer cut off the process and the people were directed to the telephones. While we have direct lines to the regional processing center, people were often on hold for over 20 minutes. The system was dropping calls before thirty minutes. Not only were people having difficulty starting claims, mistakes on the telephones for those with claims, stopped the claims. We had long lines of people each morning extremely frustrated. During this transition, I had my most senior employment staff at our reception desk as we devised a local process to help our stressed out UI representatives and frustrated, angry customers.
Eventually the computer and telephone “glitches” were fixed through a painful trial and error process and stimulus money allowed the hiring of new unemployment insurance representatives.
The flow of worried unemployed people has not stopped. I think it is fortunate that a professional employment counselor manages our one stop. I profess customer service, listening with empathy and optimistic creative problem solving. My door is always open, especially for the most difficult customers. We have listened to a lot of stories and that in itself is therapeutic. We have done our best to make the system work as well as possible. We have offered encouragement and fostered a belief that this too will pass. This is a time of great transformation and we must believe that a new stronger and greener economy will emerge.
Available for a free download, the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development has just published “The Anguish of Unemployment”
Green Job Today tells us how creating a strong green collar workforce will save America.
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
A year ago our One Stop Career Center was flooded with people seeking unemployment insurance claims. In New Jersey after a decade of downsizing we had few unemployment insurance representatives available in the local One Stops and not enough in our regional call centers. On my best days I had only three people with full access to the UI system. Customers could only establish a claim using a computer or the telephone. Unfortunately the sheer number of claims was more than the system could handle and the situation got worse each time a new federal extension came into being. Mistakes on the computer cut off the process and the people were directed to the telephones. While we have direct lines to the regional processing center, people were often on hold for over 20 minutes. The system was dropping calls before thirty minutes. Not only were people having difficulty starting claims, mistakes on the telephones for those with claims, stopped the claims. We had long lines of people each morning extremely frustrated. During this transition, I had my most senior employment staff at our reception desk as we devised a local process to help our stressed out UI representatives and frustrated, angry customers.
Eventually the computer and telephone “glitches” were fixed through a painful trial and error process and stimulus money allowed the hiring of new unemployment insurance representatives.
The flow of worried unemployed people has not stopped. I think it is fortunate that a professional employment counselor manages our one stop. I profess customer service, listening with empathy and optimistic creative problem solving. My door is always open, especially for the most difficult customers. We have listened to a lot of stories and that in itself is therapeutic. We have done our best to make the system work as well as possible. We have offered encouragement and fostered a belief that this too will pass. This is a time of great transformation and we must believe that a new stronger and greener economy will emerge.
Available for a free download, the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development has just published “The Anguish of Unemployment”
Green Job Today tells us how creating a strong green collar workforce will save America.
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Defining Green Jobs
There are many definitions of what is the green economy. Van Jones in his popular book The Green Collar Economy talks about energy, transportation, water, waste and land management. In a blog, Carl Burkett adds green buildings to the list.
Geographic Information System (GIS) analyst made the top ten on the Green Jobs List of the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada. I mention it because our local community college is offering a course of study. GIS was not in my vocabulary before a conversation with the college president at a recent Workforce Investment Board Meeting.
I like what the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Background Paper on Green Jobs stated in 2008.
http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/PDFs/Green-Jobs-Background-paper-18-01-08.pdf
“Greater efficiency in the use of energy, water, and materials is a core objective. The critical question is where to draw the line between efficient and inefficient practices. A low threshold will define a greater number of jobs as green, but may yield an illusion of progress. Given technological progress and the urgent need for improvement, the dividing line between efficient and inefficient must rise over time. Hence, “green jobs” is a relative and highly dynamic concept—in other words there will be “shades of green” in employment.”
Indeed, “greenwashing” is a fairly new term applied when marketing comes into play without a substantial set of corresponding actions. And of course there are websites that will measure the sincerity of each claim to being Green and clearly there is a movement to be on the green bandwagon. www.greenwashing.com
On the good side I place companies like The New Belgium Brewing Company in the Green category and not just because they are the first wind powered brewery in the United States. They are employee owned and spout values about being less wasteful, more efficient, reusing and recycling, being fiscally transparent and personally responsible. www.newbelgium.com
Of course I have heard the rhetoric from the champions of oil and the call to drill at home. And I have listened to the ethanol debate. Despite “green marketing,” I have heard that the cost is still too high, that we use as much energy to produce ethanol as we get and that gas mileage drops. All this while world hunger is further exacerbated by a corn shortage. It was a joy to my heart to watch the video about Valcent’s closed loop algae growing system that is suggesting a real 21st century alternative. Companies Researching Biodiesel Algae
EMSI (Economic Marketing Specialist Inc.) in "A Look at Green Occupations" suggests that it is results, not the type of efforts that define work in the new economy. The consensus among those economists who address these issues is that the designation “green” turns not on the specific tasks associated with an occupation, but rather on the specific outcome of an occupational effort. Accordingly, green jobs result in green investments. Green investments aim to drive households, companies and governments to act in more “environmentally stable” ways (e.g. reduce pollution, increase energy efficiency, curb carbon emissions, improve air, soil and water quality, etc) www.economicmodeling.com
So the building designer, the accountant who get financing, the electrician and carpenter who do the installation and the helper who does caulking and insulation all get to place “green” in front of their title if the building is solar powered. Obviously many people already have the technical skills necessary to participate in the green economy. It is the shift in consciousness that needs to fully take place.
Visiting our local One Stop Career Center we have people worried about paying their mortgage and feeding their family. They are scared, looking for answers. I cannot afford to be one of the individuals spreading negativity. I feel the need to understand the changes that are taking place and do the research necessary to help both employers and employees move in the directions necessary to participate in the new economy. Everyone sees the economic crises. Our environmental issues are glaring. We have mismanaged dreadfully and the clock is ticking. I choose to believe that now is the time to move forward, embrace further education and help create the shift in consciousness.
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
Geographic Information System (GIS) analyst made the top ten on the Green Jobs List of the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada. I mention it because our local community college is offering a course of study. GIS was not in my vocabulary before a conversation with the college president at a recent Workforce Investment Board Meeting.
I like what the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Background Paper on Green Jobs stated in 2008.
http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/PDFs/Green-Jobs-Background-paper-18-01-08.pdf
“Greater efficiency in the use of energy, water, and materials is a core objective. The critical question is where to draw the line between efficient and inefficient practices. A low threshold will define a greater number of jobs as green, but may yield an illusion of progress. Given technological progress and the urgent need for improvement, the dividing line between efficient and inefficient must rise over time. Hence, “green jobs” is a relative and highly dynamic concept—in other words there will be “shades of green” in employment.”
Indeed, “greenwashing” is a fairly new term applied when marketing comes into play without a substantial set of corresponding actions. And of course there are websites that will measure the sincerity of each claim to being Green and clearly there is a movement to be on the green bandwagon. www.greenwashing.com
On the good side I place companies like The New Belgium Brewing Company in the Green category and not just because they are the first wind powered brewery in the United States. They are employee owned and spout values about being less wasteful, more efficient, reusing and recycling, being fiscally transparent and personally responsible. www.newbelgium.com
Of course I have heard the rhetoric from the champions of oil and the call to drill at home. And I have listened to the ethanol debate. Despite “green marketing,” I have heard that the cost is still too high, that we use as much energy to produce ethanol as we get and that gas mileage drops. All this while world hunger is further exacerbated by a corn shortage. It was a joy to my heart to watch the video about Valcent’s closed loop algae growing system that is suggesting a real 21st century alternative. Companies Researching Biodiesel Algae
EMSI (Economic Marketing Specialist Inc.) in "A Look at Green Occupations" suggests that it is results, not the type of efforts that define work in the new economy. The consensus among those economists who address these issues is that the designation “green” turns not on the specific tasks associated with an occupation, but rather on the specific outcome of an occupational effort. Accordingly, green jobs result in green investments. Green investments aim to drive households, companies and governments to act in more “environmentally stable” ways (e.g. reduce pollution, increase energy efficiency, curb carbon emissions, improve air, soil and water quality, etc) www.economicmodeling.com
So the building designer, the accountant who get financing, the electrician and carpenter who do the installation and the helper who does caulking and insulation all get to place “green” in front of their title if the building is solar powered. Obviously many people already have the technical skills necessary to participate in the green economy. It is the shift in consciousness that needs to fully take place.
Visiting our local One Stop Career Center we have people worried about paying their mortgage and feeding their family. They are scared, looking for answers. I cannot afford to be one of the individuals spreading negativity. I feel the need to understand the changes that are taking place and do the research necessary to help both employers and employees move in the directions necessary to participate in the new economy. Everyone sees the economic crises. Our environmental issues are glaring. We have mismanaged dreadfully and the clock is ticking. I choose to believe that now is the time to move forward, embrace further education and help create the shift in consciousness.
#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick
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