The Transformative Impact of Green Jobs
The GitLab Foundation’s new Green Jobs for Economic Opportunity Fund is committed to increasing lifetime earnings and access to opportunities through catalyzing green jobs. The fund will support early-stage initiatives focused on green jobs as engines that drive economic development, support environmental sustainability, and holistically improve quality of life.
Green jobs exist on a spectrum, encompassing a range of titles and functions and spanning new industries like clean energy as well as existing industries like manufacturing and construction. These roles often share qualities though, including higher pay— sometimes as high as 19% more than national mean salaries — and greater demand for workers.
To illustrate the impact of green jobs, we looked to Coalfield Development, a GitLab Foundation grantee that’s diversifying the southern West Virginia economy, training local workers for roles in emerging industries, and revitalizing historically underserved communities. Its proven workforce development model has unlocked more than $4 million in public and private funds to expand its programs in Appalachian communities.
Its model “works from the ground up to rebuild the economy,” explained Jacob Hannah, CEO of Coalfield Development, which removes employment barriers and helps people access the resources and training they need to get a job. If there aren't jobs in the region, Coalfield Development incubates new businesses that focus not only on turning a profit but on advancing the well-being of employees and the planet.
Solar Holler, for example, recently completed its 1,400th solar installation and employs 100 people, making it the state’s largest solar installation company.
Coalfield Development supports work across industries, including renewable energy, land reclamation, sustainable agriculture, manufacturing, textile printing and woodworking. The organization also provides training and jobs to local workers for construction projects, which helps to create housing and multi-use facilities for communities in need.
Federal funding does exist for economic development in Appalachia through the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and other bills. But, Hannah explained, it rarely helps remove barriers to employment, including a lack of training and certification, which disproportionately impact the people who have already been left behind in today’s economy. The GitLab Foundation specifically funds* Coalfield Development’s paid on-the-job training and micro-credentialing for 400+ people to gain roles in fields such as solar and geothermal energy.
“The GitLab Foundation’s funding has been clutch. You can quote that,” Hannah said with a laugh. “It allows us to fill in those gaps and create holistic programs that have broad ripple effects across generations.”
In March, a Coalfield Development partner, called the Nicholas County Solar Project received a $129 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to build a 250-megawatt solar energy facility on top of a former coal mine. The project is expected to generate more than 300 jobs in the region and $7.5 million in tax benefits. Coalfield Development will help ensure those jobs are filled by local workers by providing workforce development opportunities.
“We don't want to replace one mono-economy of coal with another mono-economy of solar,” said Hannah. “Using innovation and creativity to introduce a broad spectrum of renewable and green opportunities and making sure they benefit local people — that's the right direction to be going.”
