Nov 22 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Katherine Yung Detroit Free Press


On a recent weekday morning at the Focus: HOPE complex in Detroit, Mark Brisker was nailing shingles to a makeshift roof, undergoing training for one of the most popular new green jobs in the country.

The 51-year-old Detroit resident hopes to become a weatherization specialist. That's a fancy-sounding name for someone who installs energy-saving products in homes, such as insulation and low-flow shower heads.

"I'm always looking for something cutting-edge," said Brisker, who recently returned to his native city after losing his job as a chemical plant operator in Georgia. "This is the shape of things to come."

Weatherization specialist is one of the major new jobs expected to be created from the federal stimulus package. Getting unemployed Michiganders back on their feet doing this work not only lowers the heating bills for the state's lower-income residents but also helps the environment.

So far, though, thousands of Michigan homes are still waiting for energy conservation improvements. But with nearly $250 million heading to the state for this purpose, building contractors are expected to need hundreds of weatherization specialists.

In Detroit alone, at least 300 of these kinds of jobs should be available in coming months, said Christopher Pratt, a workforce trainer at WARM Training Center, a nonprofit organization in the city.

He has been teaching weatherization-specialist training classes at Focus: HOPE. So far, 31 people have completed the program, which was started by Henry Ford Community College.

"There's money out there to be spent on making homes more energy efficient," Pratt said.

Training to heat up

Nine months after the economic stimulus package went into effect promising thousands of new green jobs, only a small number of Michiganders have been trained to go into homes and make them more energy efficient. But that's likely to change in coming months.

Efforts to teach residents the skills needed to become weatherization specialists are expected to intensify, just as the state starts to unleash the millions it has received for home energy-conservation improvements.

This summer, Henry Ford Community College teamed up with several job-training organizations and businesses to launch the first weatherization-specialist training classes in metro Detroit. Through the program, unemployed Michiganders learn to do things like install insulation in attics and detect and repair leaks in windows, doors and walls.

The Dearborn-based school is operating its third weatherization-specialist class, with two more scheduled for early next year. The classes are held at the job-training organizations Focus: HOPE and SER Metro in Detroit.

"This program taught me that I didn't really know anything," said Mike Favors, a 57-year-old former construction project manager now taking the 10-week course. Though he was already familiar with building tools, the Detroit resident wasn't aware of how air flows can change within a house.

With the highest unemployment rate in the nation, millions in stimulus money and a vast supply of older homes, Michigan appears to be the perfect breeding ground for weatherization specialists.

There's more to these entry-level green jobs, though, than knowing how to properly install insulation. These specialists handle a number of tasks, such as repairing windows, sealing ductwork and patching holes and cracks in walls. All of them are aimed at reducing energy consumption.

Students enrolled in the Henry Ford classes learn how to calculate energy usage, water flow, heat loss and air leakage. Weatherization specialists must also understand things like thermal envelopes and moisture and air barriers.

So far, hiring for these specialists has been very limited because Michigan has only spent a fraction of the $243 million that it is supposed to receive over a three-year period. As a result, only about half of the 31 graduates of the first two Henry Ford classes have found jobs.

But Michigan's spending on weatherization is expected to accelerate soon, with enough money for work on about 36,000 to 38,000 homes in the state. Federal tax credits have also made it more attractive for all homeowners, not just low-income ones, to add insulation and more energy-efficient windows, doors and furnaces, among other things. The credits cover 30% of the cost of these and other energy-conservation improvements that are installed this year and in 2010.

Once the stimulus money is released, the effect will be similar to what happened to auto sales when the cash-for-clunkers program took effect, said Christopher Pratt, who teaches the Henry Ford classes.

State estimates show that the median annual pay for weatherization specialists in Michigan is about $37,000. The job can be a good starting point for people interested in environmental or construction careers. With additional education and training, many of these specialists can become weatherization inspectors or supervisors, energy auditors, educators and renewable energy products salespeople.

In order to avoid producing an oversupply of weatherization specialists, moving people up "these career paths is very, very important," said Linda West, Henry Ford's director of workforce development.

Several of the students currently enrolled in the college's program aren't waiting for the job market to pick up. They plan to form their own company that will offer weatherization, plumbing, roofing and other services.

Leading this effort is Detroit resident Gary Clements, a 41-year-old former licensed contractor.

"I believe in saving the planet, saving energy," he said.

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Weatherization specialists

The job: Professionally trained individuals who install energy-saving products in homes. These specialists install such items as insulation, water heater blankets, low-flow shower heads and new thermostats. They install and repair doors and windows, find and seal leaks and do caulking, weather stripping, etc.

Pay/benefits: Most of the jobs that will be created from the federal stimulus package will require paying weatherization specialists Michigan's prevailing wage and benefits, which varies by city. According to state data, the median annual pay for this type of job is $36,900.

Availability: Hiring in large numbers won't begin until Michigan steps up its spending of the stimulus money it has received so far for home energy-conservation improvements. That should occur in the next few months.

Hiring requirements: Some contractors require new hires to have earned certification as a weatherization specialist. The job also has some physical demands. You must be able to lift, hold and carry construction tools and windows, crawl through tight spaces and withstand high temperatures common when installing insulation in attics.

Some training classes may also have requirements. To be accepted into the classes offered by Henry Ford Community College, you must pass a background check and a drug test and take a basic math and reading skills test. But no previous construction experience is necessary.

Where to get training: For classes offered by Henry Ford Community College, contact Focus: HOPE at 313-494-4300 or SER Metro at 313-945-5200, ext. 223. Macomb Community College plans to offer classes next year but the exact dates have not yet been determined. Other schools may also provide training next year.

By Katherine Yung

(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services