Los Angeles
Green Career Conference
Where are the Green Jobs?
Everyone is asking, “Where are the green jobs?” Join Robert T. Mejia, Manager of California’s GREEN Workforce Coalition for a discussion on green jobs, how he defines them, where he sees future growth in green employment, and what he suggests job-seekers do to prepare.
About Robert Mejia
Robert has over nineteen years of experience in workforce investment administration. Robert briefly worked as a job developer in 1989 then served as a program analyst with the Fresno Private Industry Council between 1990 and 1993. Between 1993 and 1994, Robert served as Special Assistant to the City of Long Beach Director of Community Development as a National Urban/Rural Fellow. Robert served with the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB- formerly the South Bay Private Industry Council) between 1994 and 1996 as a grant writer and planning coordinator for School-to-Work and One-Stop Career Center system development. In his first stint with SBWIB Robert wrote a $18,000,000 proposal, which funded the first regional, PIC Aerospace Network Project grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, which at the time was the largest single JTPA grant award ever made to a local service delivery area.
Between 1996 and 1999, Robert served as Director, Grant and Contract Services for the Riverside Community College District (RCCD) and helped the district secure several million dollars in highly competitive federal and state grants. While at RCCD, Robert served as a member of the President’s Cabinet as the District’s “Strengthening Institutions Program” Coordinator. Robert was also responsible for planning and coordinating initial implementation of the District’s CalWORKs Program and developed and managed the Inland Empire Economic Investment Collaborative, funded under California’s Regional Workforce Preparation and Economic Development Act.
Robert Mejia has overseen planning, development, and special projects for the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB) since December of 1999. Robert led the process to develop and install CQI systems and certification processes at the WIB’s five One-Stop centers, which were recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo) in 2003. Between June of 2001 and 2002, Mr. Mejia served with the California Workforce Association (CWA) Assistant Director as co-lead of CWA’s “One-Stop Business Needs Assessment” work-group. This work-group was charged with determining how aware businesses are of California’s One-Stop career center system, and the types of assistance One-Stops can provide to best meet business’ needs. Between 2002 and 2003, Mr. Mejia served as a member of the California Workforce Investment Board’s One-Stop Certification Work-Group and Chair of its One-Stop “Self-Study” Subcommittee.
Robert is the SBWIB’s organizer and manager of California’s Green Workforce Coalition, an alliance of workforce investment boards, community colleges, the EDD, K-12 education agencies, community-based organizations, economic development, industry representatives, private entities, and individuals devoted to developing a new workforce for green jobs and a green future. Robert Mejia holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Fresno and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Baruch College in New York City.
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