Shanel Gentry says she runs her general contracting business, Primo Services, with the goal of providing affordable construction for people with lower incomes. One of the tools in her money-saving toolbox is to build with the environment in mind.
鈥淲e do things like using reclaimed wood, recycled metals and things like that in order to be more efficient,鈥� Gentry said. 鈥淓ven like changing a light bulb 鈥� people have no idea how you could change the type of light bulb in your home, and it will save you tons of money on your energy cost.鈥�
She鈥檚 part of a growing 鈥済reen workforce鈥� in Cincinnati 鈥� electricians, solar installers, landscapers and more doing work that benefits the environment.
by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber shows the city needs tens of thousands more people to work jobs like these as it addresses climate change through the .
鈥淲e want as many people as possible to start talking about green jobs and people who may not have seen themselves in construction to recognize there's pathways for all,鈥� said Kristen Barker, co-founder of Co-op Cincy, which commissioned the report.
Approximately 218,000 workers are employed in green jobs in the Cincinnati region currently, according to the Green Workforce Landscape Analysis. Increasing investment in solar panels, energy efficiency and greenspaces could create between 16,000 and 44,000 new jobs in the coming years.
Barker says this presents an opportunity to upskill and train workers in numerous fields and connect more people with well-paying jobs.
鈥淭he majority of these jobs do not require a college education. They're very accessible, and ...t hey hit the living wage numbers,鈥� Barker said.
She notes equity is an important consideration in growing the green workforce.
Very few women and people of color hold these roles currently, according to the report. It recommends making training programs more accessible and removing employment barriers like childcare or a lack of awareness about green jobs.
Cincinnati鈥檚 work on sustainability could also boost the economy.
Brandon Rudd is the director of the Chamber's Center for Research and Data. He says investments into the Green Cincinnati Plan鈥檚 goals could have an overall positive impact of $11 billion on the regional economy.
鈥淭his is not just about the climate, not just about sustainability. Those things are great and wonderful and important, but it's also about growing the economic pie for the everyday Cincinnati,鈥� Rudd said.
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