With recent concern for the environment, green building practices are becoming increasingly prominent. Expertise in green construction, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, is in high demand, and jobs are on the rise. Here are three construction jobs that will be necessary in promoting green practices.

Heat and Air-Conditioning installers: Environmental awareness has prompted the use of energy saving heat and air-conditioning units. Older units will be replaced with more efficient technology, and there will be higher demand for the maintenance of these increasingly complex systems. Boost your career with classes from a technical school, and increase your knowledge of energy-efficient heat and air-conditioning units.

Concrete pouring: Concrete is one of the most common and durable materials used in construction. With new green practices, packed gravel and permeable concrete are replacing the use of conventional concrete. Such methods encourage proficiency in water drainage. Concrete pouring skills can be in demand as methods become more specialized!

Window installers: High-efficiency windows help green buildings reduce energy usage. Recent window technology helps to maintain buildings’ internal temperatures. In addition, proper window placement on a building allows more natural light, decreasing the need for electrical lighting during the day. Learning about new window installation and placement techniques may boost your career.

Visit Careerexplorer.net to find a technical school that can help you start your career in green building practices today!

With the push for more green technology jobs, the Department of Labor has distributed $7.5 million in green employment and training back in July 2009. There is a one requirement for this funding: this money is designated to help Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans obtain green jobs.

Organizations across the country are reaping the benefits of this new funding while helping veterans. One in particular, Swords to Plowshares located in San Francisco, has received $300,000 to help train and find veterans green jobs in the Bay area.

The employment agency is one of 17 nationwide to receive this funding and so far it’s helped several veterans transition to civilian life after their tours of duty. Some of the careers that this funding is going to are:

• Solar panel installation
• Weatherization
• Green certification in HVAC

Learn more about green training today with CareerExplorer.com!

Want to change your job but don’t know where to start? How about with one of these:

•Air Traffic Controllers: $117,200. Typically, two to four years of training are needed in order to become fully certified, although previous military experience can cut that time down significantly.

•Industrial Production Managers: $77,670. A college degree is preferred, but not necessarily mandatory. They often work in industries such as aviation and automobiles.

•First-Line Police and Detective Supervisors: $69,300. Police officers can advance through the ranks to become supervisors by passing exams and achieving good performance reviews, and advanced training can help win promotions.

•Funeral Director: $49,620. College programs in mortuary science usually last from two to four years. You typically must also serve a one-year apprenticeship, pass an exam and obtain a state license.

•Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers: $47,460. Applicants usually must have at least a high school education, and some departments require a year or two of college or even a degree.

•Advertising Sales Agents: $42,750. 20% has a high school degree or less, and 10% have an Associate’s degree.

•Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents: $39,760. While advanced coursework is not necessarily required, new entrants must pass an exam and get a state license.

•Occupational Therapist Assistants: $42,060. These workers usually need an associate degree or a certificate.

•Occupational Therapist Aides: $25,000. These employees receive most training on the job.

•Physical Therapist Assistants: $41,360. Assistants, who have greater responsibilities, typically need an associate’s degree.

Start looking for your career training today with CareerExplorer.com!

All salary information is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As four-year colleges and universities continue to raise tuition costs, students with limits on their time and money are seeking new educational options. In recent months, community colleges across the country have reported record growth. But in some cases, schools have to think outside the box to find ways to accommodate such a dramatic increase in students.

Solutions such as expanded makeshift parking lots where more students can park, using rented spaces for additional classroom space, or placing students on waiting lists for the next session have already been employed at some schools. Now, a few community colleges are experimenting with expanded class schedules that mean some students are studying poetry, psychology, and welding in the dead of the night.

Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, Massachusetts and Clackamas Community College in Oregon are two schools that are embracing this unorthodox class schedule. Bunker Hill’s midnight class offerings are currently a psychology course and a writing course, while Clackamas students have the option of spending their late-night hours perfecting their welding techniques.

If late-night learning isn’t your thing, a community college near you may be bumping up its class schedule to help students get an earlier start. How does 6 am sound? If you’re an early bird, a community college near you might have extra-early classes that help you fit even more into your already busy schedule.

Would you ever take classes late at night or early in the morning? Do you think these classes would be a convenient fit in your life?

Who said you had to become a doctor, lawyer or teacher? In today’s workforce, you can almost find a career in any sector or industry! Let’s explore some of the weirder careers that people find!

1. Odor Tester: just like it sounds, your job is test the odor from perfumes, deodorants and antiperspirant and more. You definitely need a nose for this job!

2. Hair Boiler: you got it! You boil animal hair until it curls for later use… I still don’t want to know what they use that hair for.

3. Waste Station/Water Treatment Worker: more dirty than weird but it makes the list!

4. Citrus Fruit Dyer: you guessed it! Sometimes those lemons just look too yellow – that’s where a dyer comes in handy. They make the fruit look more vibrant by dying it.

5. Crocodile Wrangler: all Steve Irwin jokes aside – this is a real career. You can learn how to become accustomed to handling dangerous, or not-so-dangerous animals in this exciting career.

6. Fortune Cookie Writer: your day will brighten up with this career! Just thought a computer cranked out your fortunes? Nope. That’s a writer’s job and maybe yours in the future.

7. Pet Detective: since Jim Carey took to the big screen you can bet there are real life Ace Venturas on the job! Take your passion for detectives and animals and turn them into a rewarding career.

8. Cheese Sprayer: do you have what it takes to coat various food items with cheese? Then, this job just might be for you.

9. IMAX Screen Cleaner: it sounds just like what you would be doing: cleaning the giant IMAX screen.

10. Chimney Sweeper: too old school? No way. Chimneys might not be used like they used to be, but that doesn’t mean this career has gone up in smoke!

Does one of these careers pique your interests? Learn more about your career opportunities, whether they be weird or not, with CareerExplorer.com!