Perception

Blue Collar people range from tough kids who were trade school graduates, uneducated slackers that couldn’t hack it in college, or salt of the earth, middle class family men (and women). People with the last name Sully, Chennette, or brothers named Mario and Luigi.

Green Collar people, although loosely defined, range from weirdos who hard sell goofy inefficient solar panels, Chinese silicon panel manufacturers,or those tech savy crunchy guys that live off the grid and thrive with Mother Nature. Guys named Granite or Saffron. Or One Feather.

If these two stereotypes ever fought, the odds are on the Mario Bros.

Reality

In reality, there would be no fight, unless you have some Tyler Durden thing going on. Today, they are the same people. Blue collar workers are morphing into green collar workers. AND, far from those above stereotypes, they are some of the hardest working, innovative people, and most important people we have . There’s a huge opportunity in today’s fake, overvalued, gluttonous economy for tradesman to take their construction skills, learn a little more about sustainable building, and focus on selling sustainable services. Electricians and Plumbers and Roofers aren’t just builders, they’re energy providers. Instead of connecting you to water and electricity services, and securing your roof, they can be delivering energy in a box. People working for GE, Siemens, and Evergreen Solar aren’t just factory workers, they’re building infrastructure scale energy components that will provide GW to our grid. These are Green Collar jobs in the clean energy age.

Becoming Opportunistic

It’s a BIG moment for the working class. And I don’t mean that in a "change we can believe in, straight talk" way. I mean that everyday, there is an opportunity to move in to and be a part of this new, potentially explosive marketplace. Like any other business, it takes a solid commitment to lock down some skills and learn the industry. But once you’ve started down the path, the opportunities are endless. New products to sell, new services to offer, new niches to fill, all related to the new way we build our buildings, maintain our cars, and power our lives. Just take a gulp and jump in. Go green collar. It has all the "politically correct" aspects; decreasing pollution, cleaner future for our children, energy security. But for you innovators, hustlers, and skilled workers, the best incentive is that it could put secure, long term dollars in your pocket and make you feel good about your work.

• Ditch Your Office Gig and Get in the Industry: Check out REA’s Job board.
• Already Blue Collar? Firm up your credentials as an energy provider: Get Certified
• Already Green Collar? Make sure the government keeps its promises and passes this bill: ITC and IPC