Graduates Chase Green Jobs

Accuracy in Academia ^ | April 13, 2011 | Malcolm A. Kline

[Academiadotorg]

Colleges and universities are promising graduates “green jobs” at the end of their education, secure in the knowledge that if they fail to materialize, schools won’t be liable for damages under Truth in Advertising laws.

Google the phrase “college programs for green jobs” and you get more than four million results. “Green Jobs are a growth industry,” the University of Maryland promises in a recent advertisement. “Today’s fastest growing job opportunities are green.”

“Companies need professionals who can improve corporate safety, efficiency and compliance with government regulations. Be ready, with a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a certificate in environmental management from University of Maryland University College (UMUC).”

Note the way they dangle the master’s program, just in case a bachelor’s or certificate don’t get you in the door. Yet the door you are trying to get a foot in may not be the only opening that is hard to find.

“A report delivered by the Council of Economic Advisers today found that the clean energy investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are not only creating jobs today, but for the future,” Heather Zichal asserted in a White House blog on January 14, 2010. “The clean energy provisions of ARRA alone have already saved or created 63,000 jobs and are expected to create more than 700,000 by 2012.” Zichal is Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

“Yes, but getting these jobs is burning a hole in the national wallet,” Sean Higgins wrote in an Investor’s Business Daily blog on Jan. 08, 2010. “The problem is that even advocates like Obama concede that these programs are not very cost-effective in creating jobs.”

“Obama says the grants will create 17,000 cleantech jobs. Well, get out your calculator. $2.3 billion for 17,000 jobs equals $135,294 per

[Pecos]

My prediction is that this trend will create EVEN MORE pissed off clingers-to-the-public-teat liberals who demand that the government create jobs so they can get paid to do what they want to do. Yes, I know....too easy to predict, but I needed an easy win today.

[EyeGuy]

“Today’s fastest growing job opportunities are green.”

####

Only as long as the Communists, currently in control of the United States, are able to subsidize this sham, stealing from more legitimate, productive areas of the American economy.

The Green horse$hit would never stand on its own in the disciplining fiscal rigor of the free market.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

They are going to be very unhappy as they file for unemployment

[Red6]

No, you nailed it!

[Red6]

But you'll have a government that creates rules, policies, tax codes, subsidies, and so many different facets and layers of bureaucracy that you need someone with a degree in BS to navigate through it all. Before all is done they will create an official certification in BS, or a license and unless you have the official seal you can't practice BS in your state or with some federal bureaucracy....... Green is big business and all BS.

[Red6]

University of Maryland University College (UMUC)

My Alma Mater. I will admit, they suck.

[tbw2]

More likely solved with energy efficiency mandates - create jobs while supposedly saving energy. A simple order that the government must send in these green trainees to replace your old toilet, change out your light bulbs, put in insulation, and caulk your windows whether you like it or not. Then we pay for it for government programs or mandatory inspections by these same “greens”.

[familyop]

"...just in case a bachelor’s or certificate don’t get you in the door."

With the use of the word, or, he should have written, "doesn't." Much of the speech in the article, including quoted, prepared statements, is vague and confusing. Poor public use of our language by those from programs other than English is another problem in academia.

Yes, the green jobs subsidies are wastes of revenues. But the declines in unsustainable revenues will lead to general default and opportunities for better leadership. Our leadership class is stale at every level. That happens after a few generations of old business and government inheritances.

[familyop]

Unnecessarily prefer applicants with degrees, and eventually be put out of business. The technicians in business of tomorrow (post default) will see to it.

[gr8eman]

You voluntarily admit that? I wouldn’t...or at least I would point out that the name is a redundancy, so how good can it be?

[Red6]

I don’t have a “green” degree and I graduated two decades ago.

But yes, today the school sucks.

[Red6]

I generally have a low opinion of higher education in this country, so I might not be the best/fairest evaluator.

[Pecos]

Very good point. After all, how could the average American be expected to competently change out a light bulb or toilet? /sarc/