GREEN JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS

The vast majority of jobs in the green economy will require skills you may already have. But much of the work will have new aspects, and may require additional training or certifications.

Here are some tips to help you find the green job that's right for you and to get the training you need.

First, identify what kind of work you think you would like to do, or that you would be well suited for.

Contact and visit companies that do this work. Talk to employees on the job. What do they like about the work? What don’t they like about it? How does what they say fit your expectations? How did they get into the line of work? Were there training programs that worked for them?

Talk to employers. Ask them what kinds of training they believe is needed. What are the skills and experience they are looking for? What schools or programs do they recommend?

The answers to these questions can help you determine what kind of training you need and where to look for it.

Once you've settled on the field and type of training you're interested in, use the websites below to identify possible schools.

Visit the schools that offer programs you're interested in. While you're there, assess the programs. Are there too many students in a class? Are the instructors knowledgeable? Are they experienced in the field? Do you think they would be good teachers? Are the classrooms and labs up to date? How many of their graduates find jobs upon completion of the program? Does the school help students find work placements or apprenticeships? Can they provide any examples of success stories?

Talk to students. What do they think of the program? Are they up to date? Are they confident?

Depending on your employment history and where you live, you may be eligible for a grant or other subsidy to help finance your training. Check your province's or territory's website or talk to a someone at a local employment office to see if you may be eligible

Listed below are websites for each province and territory. They are good starting points to find training institutions and programs. Check out apprenticeship options as well. Training programs and courses are always changing. To find up to date listings and to stay on top of new developments, check in with the following sites on a regular basis.

British Columbia: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/institutions/welcome.htm

Alberta: http://www.aacti.ca/ourmembership.php

Saskatchewan: http://www.gov.sk.ca/universities-colleges

Manitoba: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ael/unicoll/colleges.html

Ontario: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu/

Colleges Ontario recently published a report detailing 35 new green programs that have been introduced provincewide in the past three years. Check it out here

Quebec: http://www.fedecegeps.qc.ca/index.php?section=14

New Brunswick: http://www.gnb.ca/0105/ps/index-e.asp

Prince Edward Island: http://www.gov.pe.ca/ial/index.php3?number=1027713&lang=E

Nova Scotia: http://novascotiaeducation.com/AbsPage.aspx?id=1014&siteid=1&lang=1

Newfoundland: http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/postsecondary/index.html

Yukon Territory: http://www.education.gov.yk.ca/advanceded/index.html

Northwest Territory: http://www.gov.nt.ca/agendas/education/index.html

Nunavut: http://www.edu.gov.nu.ca/apps/authoring/dspPage.aspx?page=3