Green Jobs Program Offers Opportunities for Educators and Students
The Bluegrass Greensource Green Jobs Program is wrapping up its first year with some great events – the Green Business Tour and 3 regional Green Career Fairs. We are pleased to share that this program has been well received by participating schools in the Bluegrass. These established partnerships with schools have the potential to offer Green Jobs programming and career readiness training to more than 16,800 students in Central Kentucky!
As part of the Green Jobs Program, we are excited to offer a new educator tour this year focused on green businesses and career pathways. “I am so excited to not only be able to showcase the wonderful green businesses in our region,” says Amy Sohner, Executive Director of Bluegrass Greensource, “but also to help young people plan for a career that will help them find a satisfying job and improve our environment. This tour will prove to be one of the best professional development opportunities you have this year!”
Educators will tour Alltech, FoodChain, Big Ass Solutions, and Kentucky American Water and will be able to speak with representatives from each business. The goal of the green business tour is to expand participating educators’ understanding of green jobs and identify factors that enable or inhibit an adequately skilled labor force to support economic growth in the green sector in the Bluegrass Region. Businesses participating in the tour offer field trip possibilities, internships, scholarships, and even job opportunities for educators to bring back to their students. The Green Business Tour will be held Friday, September 26th from 8am to 4pm. If you are an educator and are interested in participating in the tour, please contact Ashley Bryant Cheney for more information or view the informational flyer for the event here.
Bluegrass Greensource is also organizing three Green Career Fairs aimed at focusing students’ attention on the green jobs that are available in Central Kentucky. The fairs will be targeted toward high school students and will incorporate green job training programs and green business/career possibilities. We also hope to begin to build collaborative relationships among schools, students, and the green business sector.
Green Career Fairs will be held on October 2nd at Danville High School, October 17th at Locust Trace Agriscience Farm, and October 21st at Kentucky State University. Here’s what Kathleen Campbell of Franklin County Schools had to say about partnering with Bluegrass Greensource for the Green Career Fair to be held at Kentucky State University: “I am very excited about the Green Career Fair – it has many more facets than the traditional Career Fairs. I feel there is something that will appeal to all students. Not only are there going to be businesses to inform students about their jobs, but there will also be scholarships, internships, and possible job opportunities. Students will also be learning ways to make the earth a better place for generations to come.”
In 2015, Bluegrass Greensource plans to expand the Green Jobs Program to work with more schools and businesses, provide more classroom activities, connect students with internships and job opportunities, and reach more students. Stay tuned for more exciting news from the Green Jobs Program!