According to a recent study, clean energy technology jobs have grown faster than other industries in the Sacramento Region. Clean tech employment grew 103% between 1995 and 2009, while total employment in the Region only grew 28%. Today, nearly 14,000 clean tech jobs exist in the region, and growth is expected to continue.
Job Opportunities
Local agencies including GCA partners Sacramento Works and Golden Sierra Workforce Investment Board provide “one-stop shops” for job seekers and employers. Find more local resources by selecting your county:
El Dorado · Placer · Sacramento · Sutter · Yolo · Yuba
Degrees and Certificate Programs
The Sacramento Region’s community colleges and universities offer many programs to educate and train the future clean tech workforce:
Los Rios Community College District’s Greenforce Initiative offers programs in 12 green and clean tech focus areas including:
- Alternative Fuels and Vehicles
- Energy Auditing and Management
- Green Building
- Solar Technology
- Water Management & more
Sacramento State University provides ground for advances in clean tech through their excellent programs in power engineering and computer science:
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Program
- Urban Land Development Graduate Program
- Green Business Operations Certificate
- Sustainable Facilities Management Certificate
Sierra College is home to an award-winning Solar Energy Technician Program, which prepares students for the NABCEP exam.
UC Davis is home to over 100 clean energy-related faculty engaged in teaching and researching innovative clean energy technology. The UC Davis Energy Institute combines education and outreach programs with extensive research in energy science, technology, management, and policy to help provide new energy solutions and facilitate the transition to a clean energy future. Courses in energy-related fields are offered to undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students.
University of Phoenix Sacramento Valley Campus is the first campus to launch in-class sustainability degree programs. The courses are also offered online.
- Bachelor of Science in Business, Concentration in Green and Sustainable Enterprise Management
- MBA, Concentration in Energy Management
Yuba College offers online Green and Renewable Energy courses: Energy Auditing, Entry Level Green Training, Indoor Air Quality, LEED Certification, and Renewable Energy Training.
Courses and Seminars
Local opportunities to receive clean energy technology training through courses and seminars include the following:
- Building Peformance Institute, Inc. offers professional credentialing to produce a highly trained, skilled, and professionalized residential energy efficiency retrofit and weatherization workforce.
- Build it Green provides building professionals with the technical expertise they need to build and certify quality green buildings.
- PG&E’s energy efficiency classes and workshops offer technical training as well as energy efficiency classes and seminars.
- SMUD Energy Technology Center’s Energy Education offers basic to advanced classes on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate change.
- U.S. Green Building Council offers courses for LEED certification and on green building knowledge.
