Several times a week, Oaklanders Ken Carradine and Nekeyra Wells fill their backpacks with compact florescent light bulbs and grab their clipboards to venture through the city performing green house calls. The team conducts free energy evaluations and retrofits as part of a new job training program that started in February. If needed, they are equipped to install CFLs, low-flow showerheads, clotheslines, aerators, and other green-home measures.

Carradine, 23, and Wells, 21, are two of 15 participants in the first eight-week class of the East Bay Green Jobs Corps, which started Feb. 1. The job program, like the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, offers training and education to help people ages 18 to 24 get the skills they need to enter green careers.

In September the program received about $1 million in stimulus funds. It is managed by several East Bay organization: Rising Sun Energy Center, Solar Richmond, Richmond Build, Oakland Green Jobs Corps, Cypress Mandela Training Center and The Workforce Collaborative.

"We tell participants, 'The economy is bad, lots of green jobs aren't there yet, but we think they will be there. Now is the perfect time for trainings'," said Andrew Hanauer, director of special initiatives at The Workforce Collaborative in downtown Oakland, which serves as the main training site.

With more than 80 people applying for the first class, many jobseekers seem to agree. Hanauer says the new program is also looking for people who face barriers to traditional employment, want to enter the green workforce and have "that something in their eye that says, 'I want to be here.'"

Earlier this month, I was invited to tag along with Carradine and Wells for the day. The client was Oakland resident Elena Velez, founder of Los EcoAmigos, a tri-lingual environmental education service.  After introducing themselves, Carradine and Wells went to work in the Velez apartment. They checked for old bulbs and replaced them with CFLs; tested the water pressure and efficiency in the bathroom and kitchen; inspected the toilet and plumbing under the sink for leaks and drafts; and scrutinized the refrigerator thermometer. Carradine and Wells stopped at moments to explain to Velez what they were doing and why it is important for both the environment and her utility bills.

After examining each room and upgrading what could be improved, they sat down with Velez for a final evaluation. They recommended not just turning off power strips but unplugging them altogether, to avoid their still drawing energy, which Carradine called "phantom power." If this were a house, and not an apartment, they would make recommendations for energy and water efficient washers and dryers.

Velez expressed her satisfaction with the free service, which anyone can apply to receive. "I felt very proud of the commitment and the professionalism those kids showed when giving me energy and water saving advice."

Alexander Cotton, outreach and marketing manager at Rising Sun Energy Center, is the one responsible for arranging the match between clients and green house calls. When asked about the green economy and green job creation, Cotton said, "There are two ways to look at it. To a certain extent we're making a prediction, a bet,” he said. “There's no doubt energy efficiency and retrofitting are part of conservation more than ever, and are growing. Secondly, the participants are getting soft skills: professionalism, experience, customer service. So we think the green jobs economy is coming, but these students are also coming out with a whole host of added value skills and being equipped for the job market. Plus, they'll be bringing the message of sustainability."

Carradine and Wells spoke about the program with appreciation.

"It has taught me a lot more about solar and green industries and how to carry myself," Carradine said, adding that he wants to open his own restaurant that will be a model green business.

Wells has been a cashier and said that, while she has customer service skills, the program so far has given her both new office and presentation skills and hands-on energy efficiency training.

In addition to job-readiness skills, participants receive three units of college credit, employment assistance, referrals, and 100 hours of paid work experience.

When asked what they would say if they had the attention of the mayor and other politicians, Carradine said, "The economy is kind of run down. These types of programs give people skills, create more jobs, help local residents.  We can build the economy back to where it was. You have to see it to believe it."

The East Bay Green Jobs Corps will run six times over the next 18 months--twice in Oakland, twice in Richmond and twice in Berkeley. Each eight-week program will graduate 15 to 18 young adults, for a total of up to 108 participants. Richmond's class begins April 12 and Berkeley's begins June 21.

A graduate ceremony will be held March 26 at the Workforce Collaborative in downtown Oakland. Afterwards, participants will enter four-week paid internships at various businesses in the community. If you or someone you know is interested in the next class, visit Rising Sun Energy Center.

For more information:

How can you get a green house call? Anyone in Rising Sun's service cities (much of East Bay and Marin) can get a Green House Call for free! Renters, homeowners, everybody. Book one here.

In addition to future East Bay Green Jobs Corps programs, what other opportunities are there? Rising Sun Energy Center also runs a summer green jobs program, in which youth 15-22 spend their summer performing free Green House Calls (like the ones described above) for their communities all around the Bay Area. For adults looking for a green career path, it runs the Green Energy Training Services program, to prepare adults with barriers to employment for entry-level work in the energy efficiency industry.