The Texas Workforce Commission has produced an occasional paper that delves into the problems of quantifying and thus analyzing the “green collar” labor force. While policy makers are increasingly touting these kinds of jobs, few people have taken the trouble to define what the term “green collar” includes, what knowledge/skills its occupations require, and how anyone can possibly track the growth and demand of these workers in the national (not to mention regional) labor market. This paper offers a reality-based perspective that gets beyond the hype and examines real problems in growing a workforce for alternative energy and energy-efficient industries. From the report:
That which is not defined cannot be measured. That which is not measured cannot be improved. That which is not improved will languish. Without a clear definition, green policy initiatives will be too diffused to be effective and success will be impossible to measure.
