Building New Job Skills

Building New Job Skills

Learning new job skills can help people move up from entry-level positions. Luckily, New York City is home to many programs that can help you do just that. Most of these training programs focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, building operations and real estate management. Some, though, focus on things like how to start a green business,an environmentally-friendly event planning, or green hotel and restaurant operations. There are also a handful of programs that teach people farming skills to the city’s budding farmers.

Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and other Green Job Skills

Community colleges and college and university continuing education programs are good places to learn new job skills. The City University of New York is a great place to start. To begin with, its classes are some of the most affordable in the city. CUNY’s many colleges and community colleges teach non-credit classes and for-credit ones. For-credit classes count toward a college degree, such as an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. Non-credit courses don’t count toward college degrees, but they can still teach you many valuable skills. CUNY’s classes cover subjects such as solar installation, green building operations and maintenance, HVAC electrical controls, green roofs, and operating a green business. This website explains CUNY’s many green courses and its green college and graduate degree programs.

New York University also offers a few classes that can increase your green job skills. These classes are offered at the Schack Real Estate Institute.

For workers in 32BJ, the building workers union, there’s a great program that’s available to building workers of all kinds. It’s called the Green Supers Program. It offers classes on subjects like energy efficiency, water conservation, and indoor air quality. Around New York City and Long Island, there are also private, not-for-profit and union training centers that focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and building operations. Solar One’s Green Workforce Training Center, in Long Island City, is one not-for-profit training center that offers a wide range of classes. The Association for Energy Affordability, in the Bronx and Manhattan, is another. If you are a member of a building trades union, contact your union for information about training.

Small Business Skills

People interested in starting their own businesses can also find free and low-cost help to achieve their goals. America’s Small Business Development Center, funded by the federal Small Business Administration, offers free help at sites throughout New York City and New York State. It offers one-on-one consultations with advisors, and workshops on specific topics of interest to potential business owners. The New York City Economic Development Corporation also offers help to people interested in starting their own businesses. It can help with other job-skills training, such as computer training, as well. The NYCEDC has also helped create affordable workspaces for budding business owners.

New York City’s Department of Small Business Services can also offer help to people interested in starting their own businesses. And most of New York City’s boroughs offer help to people who want to start businesses, through what are called economic development corporations. You can find them listed below.

Farming

Learning to farm in New York City is easier than you think. The city offers several programs for people interested in becoming farmers. The largest one is the Farm School NYC. It teaches New Yorkers to become urban farmers. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farm internships and apprenticeships can be found on the website of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Two Brooklyn farm programs—one called Urban Agriculture for Refugees and Immigrants and the other called The Youth Farm at the High School for Public Servicealso offer training.

Remember, one great way to get a higher-paying and more rewarding job is to improve your job skills. These programs and resources can teach you how.

Farming and Sustainable Agriculture Programs

Farm School NYC

Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships

Urban Agriculture Training for Refugees and Immigrants

The Youth Farm at the High School for Public Service

Green Job-Skills Training Programs

32BJ Green Supers Program for building maintenance workers and operators

Association for Energy Affordability, Inc

Green Jobs Training Center (Howard Beach, Queens)

GPro Green Professional Building Skills Training

CUNY Green Education and Training Programs