Clean Energy Connections Conference and Opportunity Fair is Set for Tuesday, Nov. 10 in Springfield
Nov. 4, 2009
| Contact: | Loren Walker 413/577-3725 |
UMass Amherst convenes 2nd annual green economic development event
AMHERST, Mass. – Job coaches say networking is a key strategy for plugging into a new career, and the new green energy economy promises many fresh opportunities. Organizers of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Clean Energy Connections Conference, set for Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Springfield’s MassMutual Center, say it should provide superb networking opportunities because representatives of more than 50 area businesses, agencies and higher education programs are expected to attend.
Loren Walker, associate director of research liaison at the university, says attendance is expected to top 600 so exhibitors can “expect a lot of traffic” at the conference and opportunity fair, this year titled, “Pathways to Economic Growth and Good Careers through Clean Energy.” He adds, “UMass Amherst is contributing to the region’s economic development in an area in which we have considerable strength. We offer education and training programs and have significant depth in clean energy research that will influence new businesses and help keep our planet green.”
Job seekers and those considering a new green career should know that exhibitors will include at least 10 UMass higher education programs, centers and departments as well as representatives of high-tech startups Qteros—a UMass Amherst spinoff company—and FloDesign of Wilbraham. A number of large environmental companies are also expected to attend, including Environmental Compliance Services and RISE Engineering. In total at least 25 companies and 20 green energy career and business development organizations are committed, Walker says, and many of them are recruiting.
The networking event is designed to be immediately useful to a wide variety of people interested in taking their own or their organization’s next steps in the clean energy economy. It will provide information on what skills are going to be in demand, for example, and what areas are expected to be ripe for new business development.
Two keynote speakers will open the day with brief discussions of green business and job training programs under way in New England and the region. They are UMass Amherst economist Robert Pollin, co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute, whose talk is “Green Recovery since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).” Pollin’s research has helped to shape the Obama administration’s policy toward the green economy. Truman Semans, partner of Green Order, consultants for strategic sustainability in business, will speak on “Sustainability as a Critical Driver of Profitable Growth.” Semans brings his policy experience to bear on green business development.
Breakout sessions and panels will include:
• Careers in energy efficiency; Workforce trends and opportunities
• Energy efficiency as a growth sector; Business opportunities in energy efficiency
• Preparing for a clean energy career; Training and educational opportunities
• Starting and financing a clean energy business; Harnessing ideas and accessing resources
• Growing the Clean Energy Community
Sponsors of the conference and opportunity fair in addition to UMass Amherst include WGBY, GreenSpringfield, MassLive.com, Western Massachusetts Electric, Peoples Bank, MassMutual Financial Group and dozens more. Information is available at www.umass.edu/green/conference.
E-mail story to a friend 
Printer-friendly version
