According to CNN, Vice President Biden recently said at a summit in Philadelphia that people who were making $20 per hour before green jobs training can make $50 per hour afterwards. On the average, the clean energy and alternative energy jobs pay 10 to 20 percent more than similar work that is not tied to the growing industry.

Vice President Biden also cites growing excitement that these new initiatives are working by pointing out a Chicago energy-efficient window maker that intends to rehire 250 workers who were laid off after their company closed late last year. This kind of turnaround is what the Administration was hoping for when they passed $500 million in green jobs training stimulus grants.

According to President Obama, the total stimulus puts $20 billion dollars into the green job sector, which will definitely affect the economy in a positive way. Retraining the laid off workers is foremost in mind, as this job sector is expected to employ 5 million. That’s enough jobs to employ most of the presently unemployed and green collar jobs are certainly an avenue for the unemployed auto workers to consider.

Green jobs training programs are being handled by a task force called the Employment and Training Administration office of the U.S. Labor Department. Through these initiatives, they have determined what types of education and fundamentals that those entering the “green jobs” market will need, according to the companies that plan to employ them.

When you consider the amount of job sectors that the “Green Jobs Act” will affect, it is possible to understand the logic of this aggressive program. Colleges and universities are offering 2 and 4 year degrees in renewable energy training in all types of existing degrees, such as engineering, mechanical, architecture, interior design, building and construction trades. The construction industry is particularly interested in sending workers for certifications to fill the demand for green building and renovations.

In addition to the educational grants, the Federal buildings that are slated to undergo environmentally friendly renovations total almost $5 billion in expenditures. Not only will it employ workers, but the government will also realize an energy savings through more efficient buildings, utilizing alternative energy or efficiency products.

Because the annual average of green collar jobs is in excess of $95,000 per year, green jobs training programs will create higher paying jobs for a growing demand market and occupations that were affected by the economy will have alternative choices. Solar and wind technologies have already seen an increase in demand as more homes are installing solar panels, wind turbines and generators that produce their own energy and sell the excess back to the grid.

Because of the tax incentives and utility company rebates, homeowners are converting their existing homes at a quicker pace than ever. Due to the slow housing markets, many homeowners have decided to stay in their existing homes and upgrade with energy savings and alternative energy products or efficiency appliances that will hold their value during resale, when the housing market rebounds.

It is easy to see the far-reaching effect of the emerging Green Jobs Act and with proper training, many of the unemployed will be back to work and in a growing and stable job market.