Recently the first group
of nine former servicemen
graduated from the 12-
week Bucks Veterans
Green Jobs program,
which has prepared them
for a “green collar” job.
The program is located
at the Bridge Business
Center in Bristol.
The program for veterans,
who are interested in
entering the emerging field
of solar and electrical
training, was announced
by the college and U.S.
Representative Patrick
Murphy (D) in May.
The Veterans Green Jobs
program is part of the larger
Bucks Green Jobs
Academy, which is the
only program of its type
offered on the East Coast
of the United States.
Gillespie says the program
has been in place since
earlier this year and has
received over $1 million
in funding from the state
and federal government.
The Veterans Green Jobs
Program at Bucks not only
helps veterans learn the
skills they need to perform
at their job in the green
industry, the college also
helps them search for
work.
Founded in 2008, Veterans
Green Jobs is a national 501c3
non-profit organization based
in Denver, Colorado, which
helps veterans gain employment
in the green jobs industry.
Clorece Kulp, from the college’s
Continuing Education
Department, says the program’s
purpose “is to help veterans
who are trying to get jobs
in green industry.” Veterans
who are accepted and complete
the program are entering a
field in which the
Pennsylvania Green Jobs
Report indicated could employ
over 100,000 Pennsylvanians
over the next three years.
Kulp said graduates will be
eligible to get jobs in the geothermal,
farming, solar, residential,
commercial or industrial
green energy fields.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed
Rendell has promoted the state
as a national leader in the green
industry. Since 2003, the state
has invested close to 1 billion
in the green industry and
expects the financial benefits
to be much greater than the
investment.
Christine Gillespie, Assistant
Vice President of Continuing
Education and Workforce
Development, reports two
graduates have already found
“green collar” jobs and others
are fielding offers from companies
in the industry.
Gillespie said the program
comes with a nationally recognized
completion certificate
and experience through handson
training.
Veterans who are interested
in applying for the next semester,
which starts in January
2011, have to submit a DD-214
form which states that they
have been honorably discharged
from the armed forces.
The applicant must also complete
personal interviews with
program officials and take
Reading, Math, Applied
Technology and Personal
Skills assessments. Applicants
must also pass a Physical
Capability Assessment to be
sure they can handle the work,
which may require bending,
climbing and lifting objects
weighing up to 50 pounds.
The first graduating class of
the Veterans Green Jobs
Academy included: Anthony
Rotoli, Carl Pullins, Chris
Dean, Clark Fuss Jr., Darren
Jarido, David Ditmars,
Dominick Vega, Greg Crisman
and Paul Dooley.
For more information, visit
the college’s Veterans Green
Jobs website
http://www.bucks.edu/vetsgreenjobs,
www.veteransgreenjobs.
org or call 215-788-
3594.