‘Green’ jobs take spotlight in community environment forum

What are “green” jobs, and how do people prepare for them?

Panelists from the Madison area and beyond will consider this growing sector of the economy and the challenges and opportunities it presents for students, mid-career professionals and others seeking environmentally oriented careers in a series of free public discussions this fall at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

“Green Jobs for Wisconsin’s Economy” is the theme of the Community Environmental Forum, to be held on four Tuesdays from 5:30-7 p.m. in Room 1106 of the Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave. The forum is organized by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

The series kicks off Sept. 21 with a discussion about “Preparing for Work in a Changing Economy: Education and Training for ‘Green’ Jobs.” Panelists include Kathryne Auerback, co-leader, Sustainability Leadership Graduate Certificate Program, Edgewood College; Barbara Anderegg, director, Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technology, Madison College; Crystal Fey, program manager, Sustainable Management Bachelors Degree Program, UW-Extension; and Annette Miller, community services manager, Madison Gas & Electric. Tracey Holloway, director of the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, will moderate.

Additional topics in the series are “Developing Opportunities for a More Sustainable Economy: Employer Perspectives” (Oct. 5); Transformative Entrepreneurship: Not Business as Usual (Oct. 26); and Disruptive Change: Freiburg, Germany, as a Sustainable Model” (Nov. 9). Speakers for these programs are still being confirmed.

Bus service to the Mechanical Engineering Building is available via Metro routes 2, 3, 70, 71, 72, 19, 81, 14, and 15. Free parking is available in Lot 17, a ramp with access via Engineering Drive, off Randall Avenue.

UW-Madison’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Edgewood College are co-sponsors of the series. For more information, visit the Community Environmental Forum at http://www.nelson.wisc.edu/community/programs/community-environmental-forums/overview.html.