Alliance Green Campus Program: Pathway to Green Careers

OAKLAND, Calif., May 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alumni of the Alliance to Save Energy's Green Campus program, which employs student interns to promote energy efficiency on college campuses, often pursue careers in sustainability, according to a recent Alliance survey. And a full 98% of Green Campus alumni say they support sustainability after graduation, regardless of the work they are doing, the survey found.

The Alliance poll of nearly 70 Green Campus interns who graduated from 2005 through 2010 found that 83% currently hold a "green job," which the Alliance defines as work that makes a substantial contribution to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Green Campus works with about 75 student interns per school year.

"These findings are significant," noted Alliance Senior Director of Education Jo Tiffany. "Even when national unemployment remains high, Green Campus interns are finding meaningful jobs in which they can advance energy efficiency. In addition, encouraging college grads to undertake careers that advance energy efficiency is a top Green Campus Program goal."

Preparing Students for the Workforce
Green Campus helps students build pathways to green careers by empowering the paid interns and other students to spearhead energy-saving initiatives on their campuses through trainings, classes and volunteer opportunities. They are then prepared to enter the green workforce well versed not only in technical energy concepts but also in project management, writing and making presentations.

"Hands-on project management experience, which includes working on practical energy efficiency solutions outside of the classroom, gives Green Campus Program graduates a leg up on other emerging professionals," said Tiffany.

"Green Campus really gave me a head start," confirmed Desirae Early, who served as a Green Campus intern while studying at UC Berkeley and is now an accounts manager at Pacific Gas & Electric. "Rather than coming into my current job not knowing what to do, I was able to use my experience from Green Campus to really dive right in and move forward quickly."

Becoming Energy Efficiency Leaders
Other Green Campus grads are becoming tomorrow's energy leaders, whether working abroad or starting their own energy efficiency businesses in the United States.

Describing how his Green Campus experience prepared him for his current endeavor as an environment volunteer with the Peace Corps in Buri Ram, Thailand, Kale Roberts commented, "Green Campus is about teamwork – a team of students, administrators and leaders working together to bring about change, whether through an energy competition, classroom lighting motion sensors or lighting upgrades for an entire sports stadium.

"As a Green Campus intern at Humboldt State University, I learned how to bring diverse groups together to save energy," Roberts continued. "Now, on a daily basis, I apply Green Campus leadership skills to sustainability projects involving students, rural school administrators, village leaders and community members."

Heather Poiry, who participated in the Alliance's K-12 Green Schools Program in high school and in the first Green Campus program at UC Merced in 2006, has taken the entrepreneurial route, running her own solar energy company while nearing completion of a master's degree in engineering. 

Poiry appreciates the mentoring the Alliance programs provided her throughout her academic career and declares, "I am now ready to give back to the world!"

The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy and national security.

SOURCE Alliance to Save Energy

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