New Mexico Green Collaborative
The New Mexico Green Collaborative is an expanding organization with members across the State of New Mexico focused on the transformation to a new economy through workforce development
The New Mexico Green Collaborative, formed in January 2009, is expanding, growing — and adapting. In January, about 40 people met in Santa Fe to create the New Mexico Green Collaborative (NMGC) and on the heels of that meeting Governor Richardson’s Green Jobs Cabinet was announced. Both focus on green jobs and economic development.
With President Barack Obama’s inauguration, the continued deterioration of the economy, and the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act with its tightly focused funding streams, the impetus toward creation of a green economy has accelerated — so when the NMGC was officially “launched” by consensus at its March meeting, it was with tremendous excitement. At the end of July, NMGC’s meeting in Socorro focused on two related efforts: Providing information to its members funding streams; and beginning the movement towards focused regional efforts.
For the next few months, the Collaborative is mainly funded by the Department of Workforce Solutions and will be supporting grant applications to the Department of Labor, staffing the State Energy Training Sector Grant application process, approving a Strategic Plan, and increasing regional efforts. We are now an important part of the “Green Economy” landscape in NM, and look forward to providing yet greater support and services to members.
Green collar jobs are critical not only because they create jobs, but also because the jobs that they do create are local, and the multiplier effect means that smaller communities benefit disproportionately from green job creation. In New Mexico as everywhere, one of the major factors holding back investment and economic growth is the lack of an educated and trained workforce, and this initiative has been created to coordinate, focus, and target the many efforts underway in the state in a coherent program.