Delaware Sea Grant workshops to focus on green jobs

Delaware State News
Posted 7/13/21

NEWARK — When it comes to building a sustainable environmental and economic future, one of the more practical solutions is to look toward the green jobs sector, a career field that has the …

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Delaware Sea Grant workshops to focus on green jobs

Posted

NEWARK — When it comes to building a sustainable environmental and economic future, one of the more practical solutions is to look toward the green jobs sector, a career field that has the dual benefit of providing steady employment while also meeting future environmental challenges.

These jobs, which are aimed at preserving or restoring environmental quality, will be the focus of discussion on Wednesday, July 21, from 1 to 4 p.m., when Delaware Sea Grant will hold a workshop focused on Green Careers: Working for a Sustainable Future. It is the second of DESG’s new Engage and Exchange series, which continues with the third event a week later — Oil Spills in the Delaware Estuary: What Happens Next?

Both workshops are free and open to the public, with a specific emphasis on educators. Registration is required. To register for either or both events, visit the DESG website.

In the Green Jobs workshop, participants will learn about green careers from professionals in the industry and will hear about the opportunities and challenges of green careers in Delaware.

David Christopher, a marine education specialist with DESG’s marine advisory service and one of the organizers of the event, said that a goal of the workshop is to explore what the green jobs sector will look like in the future as well as explore ways to prepare the next generation for opportunities in the green jobs field.

Mr. Christopher pointed out that some of the competencies required for certain green jobs are not new and in some cases, such as being an electrical technician, there will be cross-over.

There are also careers in the green jobs sector that may not be so obvious. For instance, Jennifer Clemens, department chair of Energy Education at Delaware Technical and Community College, will talk about her program that trains students on building automation and efficiency—an initiative that looks to make buildings and houses more energy efficient.

In addition, there’s interest in converting vehicles to electric, learning to grow food more sustainably and a lot of green energy jobs focused on stormwater management and how to deal with stormwater runoff.

On Wednesday, July 28 from 1 to 4 p.m., the third DESG Engage and Exchange Workshop will focus on “Oil Spills in the Delaware Estuary: What happens next?”

This workshop will be led by Chris Petrone, director of the DESG Marine Advisory Service, and look at how every day, more than one million gallons of crude oil move through Delaware Bay and River. The estuary has suffered numerous spills over the past 50 years, harming or killing wildlife, poisoning the water and wreaking havoc on commerce, tourism and recreation.

DESG has convened experts in oil spill response and impacts to help participants understand the dangers of moving this vital resource through the Delaware Estuary, and how to help in the event of future oil spills. While geared toward teachers, this workshop will benefit anyone interested in learning more about oil transport and the potential risks to humans and the environment.

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