Unemployed seek training for green-collar jobs

“I think the opportunities in this field are going to be huge,” said Rudy Gastelo, a part-time handyman who left the construction industry two years ago. “I’m not getting that 9-to-5 paycheck, so I’m looking forward to maybe getting a job within a solar company.”

To meet growing demand, two-year colleges are launching or expanding green job training with money from the federal stimulus package.

Students and schools are betting that President Barack Obama’s campaign to promote alternative energy and curb global warming will create millions of well-paying green jobs that do not require a four-year degree.

AP