City of Raleigh Office of Sustainability: Green Building Training Program

Abstract

The City of Raleigh’s commitment to sustainability is the cornerstone of its vision for the future. In December 2009 Raleigh’s City Council reaffirmed this vision in its mission statement, declaring that Raleigh is a “City of Innovation focusing on environmental, cultural and economic sustainability,” adding, “We work with our universities, colleges, citizens and regional partners to promote emerging technologies, create new job opportunities and cultivate local businesses and entrepreneurs.”

As part of this commitment, the City of Raleigh launched its innovative Green Building Training Series, with 12 different courses in varying topics related to the built environment. Ensuring Raleigh has a “green collar” workforce trained in cutting-edge technologies enables the city and its residents to build both greener and smarter. To date, the program has provided free training to more than 300 individuals.

These free courses provided Raleigh residents and businesses with the tools needed to compete in the burgeoning green market. Attendees’ stories are personal; many individuals took advantage to retool their skills in a challenging economic environment. Courses such as Solar Thermal Installation, Green Plumbing, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED®) and Building Performance Institute’s Building Analyst provide a competitive edge in today’s workforce. Each class in the series also trained City of Raleigh employees, upgrading internal knowledge to more easily meet the new LEED Silver standard mandate for all new municipal City facilities.