Alternative Energy, Uncategorized

EPA regulations may create up to 274,000 clean energy jobs

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Green Energy

EPA Clean Energy

President Barack Obama recently announced new regulations for the Environmental Protection Agency that will reduce carbon emissions at power plants 30 percent by 2030. Many politicians, including Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, are calling it a job killer, according to The Los Angeles Times. However, others have predicted that the measure will actually increase overall employment in the energy sector.

The EPA released a peer-reviewed report on the proposal that estimated that it will bring 105,000 jobs to the industry. Marketplace reported that that figure takes into account possible job losses in coal-mining and still finds a net increase from upgrades to plants and the power grid, as well as building and operating new clean energy facilities. Further, the jobs created are all local, on-site positions with no possibility of outsourcing.

A report released the Natural Resource Defense Council was even more optimistic. The release was based on a study by energy consultancy ICF International, which found that as many as 274,000 new jobs could result from the updated regulations.

Even before the new rules were proposed, employment was growing in the renewable energy market. According to The Solar Foundation, jobs in solar energy alone increased by 53 percent, or 50,000 positions, between 2010 and 2013.

Uncategorized

States invest in creating sustainable automotive jobs

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Automakers have reported immense success in the first quarter of 2014, with several of the nation’s leading manufacturers opening new facilities and branching into different states. As these facilities continue to meet rising demand by building more vehicles, the number of people employed in this industry is set to rise as well.

Individuals working in the automotive sector are employed in a variety of professions, from retail and sales to manufacturing and distribution. Although corporations continue to open new factories and increase production across the nation, a recently released study from the Detroit Regional Chamber’s MICHauto revealed that the industry must overcome a number of obstacles to continue its growth through the year.

Survey finds young workers not drawn to auto industry
The Detroit Regional Chamber conducted a survey through its MICHauto program, interviewing influential executives and stakeholders among some of the country’s leading auto companies. According to the results, these corporations have placed talent acquisition as their top priority moving forward, as without knowledgeable and skilled workers, the industry would not perform as well.

Although officials recognize the need for attracting these individuals, they also found that the majority of young workers were not interested in joining this particular field, something that Glenn Stevens, the vice president of MICHauto and Strategic Development, attributed to lack of proper knowledge.

“This study makes it clear that the automotive community needs to increase awareness efforts and help dispel misconceptions about the industry,” Stevens said, as quoted by a press release from the Detroit Regional Chamber. “A critical finding in this survey is that those who influence our future workforce’s career decisions need more insight into the rewarding careers in automotive. This group extends well beyond education professionals, including parents and youth leaders.”

Michigan and Mississippi welcome auto manufacturers
As more executives learn the importance of attracting youthful employees, certain companies continue to expand their operations. MLive reported that the Michigan Economic Development Corp. would be investing more than $50 million in a new 400,000-square-foot facility in Metro Detroit, an effort that may create up to 450 new positions. The funds would go to Challenge Manufacturing Co., which will continue to develop industrial parts for use in automobiles.]

Nissan announced that it would also be expanding its business in Mississippi, adding 500 new jobs to its plant in Canton. The company made this effort to increase support for the development of the 2015 Nissan Murano, a new vehicle offered by the brand.

Chemical, Engineering, Manufacturing, Metals and Minerals, Mining, Placement Annoucements, Plastics

Zach Price & TRG Chemical Technologies Complete Successful EHS Supervisor Search

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(Richmond, VA) May 29, 2014 – The Richmond Group USA is pleased to announce the successful completion of a search for an Environmental Health & Safety Supervisor in North Dakota. Our client is a pioneer in gasification and natural gas technologies dating back to the early 1980’s.  The company’s products are in demand in the north Midwest region of the U.S and Canada. This company continues to make significant capital investments to their operations, including a number of production improvements to make chemical by-products.  The EHS Supervisor is slated to become a key member of their corporate safety team, thus it was critical to find a well-rounded Engineering professional to support the ongoing OSHA and increasing Process Safety management responsibilities.

Zach Price and his team worked closely with the hiring manager and site leadership through the entire process. We were able to identify and attract an outstanding candidate with deep technical knowledge, strong chemical engineering background and the OSHA and PSM expertise and leadership to make an immediate positive impact on their compliance and regulatory standards.

As your business continues to grow, so does your need for talented engineering, manufacturing and EHS professionals. How are you attracting top talent to your firm??

Should you desire additional information or about our firm please contact Zach Price & TRG Chemical Technology division at 804-285-2071 or email Zach at zachp@richgroupusa.com

Uncategorized

Information jobs expanding in traditional and unexpected metro areas

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Information jobs are growing across the country, largely in expected ways but also with some surprises. Forbes ranked the nation’s metropolitan areas with more than 10,000 IT positions by job growth over the last 12 years. The top four spots for these positions were, somewhat predictably, Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Boston metro area, and Austin.

Employment in the sector is growing in some less traditional places, too. The Phoenix area placed ninth on the list, adding as many jobs in 2013 as San Francisco, according to Arizona State University.

The regions experiencing the greatest employment increases demonstrated how much the landscape is changing for the information technology industry. Though Los Angeles and New York City still rank first and second, respectively, for the number of jobs in the sector, they fell at 27th and 13th place for growth.

Still, more locales are expected to outpace the current biggest players soon. Forbes noted that many areas fell short of the 10,000-job requirement for their list but were benefiting from rapid growth. Provo-Orem, Utah, for instance, has had seen 21 percent expansion since 2008, now falling just 200 jobs short of Forbes’s requisites. Other high-growth areas included Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which is poised to join Raleigh as the only places in the state to make the cut.

Uncategorized

President Obama seeks foreign investments to spur US job growth

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President Barack Obama recently met with 11 executives from both U.S. and foreign firms to talk about investment in American business. The executives represented companies that already have investments in the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal. They included Michael Penner, president of the Canadian Richelieu Group, which purchased a clothing company in North Carolina in 2011.

“This U.S. manufacturing resurgence is not a fad and not a flash in the pan. It’s a very serious movement,” Penner told the news source.

Within two weeks, Richelieu’s $7 million investment led to the hiring of many workers who had been laid off, according to HeraldOnline.com. The White House hopes that courting foreign investors will lead to more jobs for Americans. According to The Associated Press, President Obama is currently seeking to convince ASCO Industries, a Belgian aerospace company, to build a $125 million factory in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with the hope of increasing employment in the area.

President Obama has an even loftier goal of gaining $1 trillion in foreign investments before 2020. One program helping to reach that number is SelectUSA, started in 2011, which allows officials of the federal government to work with U.S. cities and states promoting their opportunities to foreign investors.

Hospitality & Tourism

Trends to watch out for in the hospitality industry

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The hospitality and leisure industry has gone through significant changes in the past several months. Total employment numbers have risen, but workers have adapted their performances to the rising trends affecting their daily operations, including adopting new devices and embracing changes in consumer behavior. Specific sectors, including tourism, restaurants, retail and transportation have seen an increase in interest among job seekers recently, with a wealth of companies posting openings to accommodate for new buildings across the U.S.

As more workers look to join this field, there are several trends they must be aware of before moving forward. Hospitality Net highlighted just a few that were likely to affect the future of the hospitality industry.

Technological advances
Mobile and digital devices have had a significant impact on the way employees interact with people and professions. Not only has technology streamlined processes in the workplace, but it has made communicating with consumers much easier, as well. According to the source, more companies in the hospitality sector will be embracing social media as the year progresses. The majority of companies have already adopted sites in their daily operations, but as more networks become available, businesses are looking for ways to increase their interactions. For example, sites like Facebook and Twitter are popular among corporations, but smaller profiles – such as Snapchat, Vine and Instagram – have been embraced by a rising number of companies.

Aside from social media, businesses have looked at ways in which digital devices could revolutionize their operations. Hotels, for instance, have begun adopting smartphones into their strategies. Instead of dolling out physical keycards to visitors, some buildings have emailed digital codes that can be scanned to open their doors. Additionally, several restaurants have started using iPads to take orders and accept payment from customers. Individuals looking to join this industry should examine the specific tech advancements used in their field, then discover ways to take advantage of them.

Increased expectations for customer service
Hospitality Net reported that more consumers expect “wow” customer service, as opposed to basic or desired. Visitors want to be impressed by companies. The source noted that delivering service that goes above and beyond is the greatest way to ensure repeat business, especially in this industry. It added that employees should not only put consumer needs first, but they should find unique and innovative ways to better serve customers.