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.

Lately, a hot topic in the worlds of careers and education has been green construction. It’s something many of us can agree is a good thing, but some experts predict that a country-wide overhaul of the buildings we live, work and play in could take many, many years.

Now, in a somewhat unlikely place, after unfortunate circumstances, a town is giving all-green a shot. That town is Greensburg, Kansas. After a monstrous tornado wiped out this town in May 2007, residents were devastated, but they also had a chance to start fresh.

For Greensburg, that meant reconstructing the town with a clean slate – as “the greenest town in rural America.” For instance, the local John Deere dealership just earned the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certification, the highest designation. Together, windmill power, solar photo voltaic panels, and geothermal heating and cooling systems put some of the latest technology to work to power buildings and homes in Greensburg.

As residents continue to work to rebuild their town, they make new developments in green construction. Greensburg, Kansas is definitely a town that you’ll want to keep your eyes on – especially if you’re pursuing a career that will let you make our world a greener place to live.

Thinking of training for a Green Collar or renewable energy job? Look to the heartland.

The state government set some pretty lofty green energy goals for Kansas businesses. Former Governor Kathleen Sebelius and current Governor Mark Parkinson set a goal of producing 10% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2010. The business community recently met this ambitious goal much earlier than expected, and is showing signs of making even further progress.

Quick facts about Kansas Green Energy:
•    Kansas’ wind generating capacity recently surpassed 1,000 megawatts
•    Kansas’ wind generating capacity has more than tripled since the beginning of 2008
•    Hutchinson, Kansas is the site of a huge turbine factory expected to create and install 650 wind turbines by 2010
•    The state’s rapid increase in wind power infrastructure has positioned Kansas as 3rd out of all states for wind energy production

The Hutchinson factory operation is expected to create an estimated 400 Green Collar jobs, along with all of the community support services, construction and amenities jobs attached to any large-scale production facility. Even better, the new facility has an adjacent 80,000 square-foot service and repair facility. The Green Collar industry is exploding in Kansas, and it only took a few years to get it off the ground.

Types of jobs that are created to service the Green Energy industry:
•    Construction
•    Electrical infrastructure
•    HVAC
•    Trucking and Transportation
•    Real Estate
•    Medical and health care
•    Emergency Medical Response teams (EMT)
•    Business and project management

Green Energy is an excellent and profitable industry that creates new jobs for emerging technology, but also boosts traditional industries looking to expand into new markets.

If you were to move to the Hutchinson, Kansas area, what Green Energy jobs would you qualify or be able to train for? It may be easier than you think to join the renewable energy movement!

The economy’s been in rough shape over the last few months – even the last few years. Last February, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed, and it’s time to look at the overall impact.

Overall, things are still pretty grim – while the rate of job loss has slowed, unemployment is still on the rise, at 9.7% in August. Some industries, however, are doing better than others – namely manufacturing, construction and retail trade. The energy sector is also on the rise – particularly with the emphasis on ‘going green’.

While things are still grim, some recruiters tend to be slightly optimistic about the future, expecting job openings to start picking up again at the beginning of 2010.

Some unemployed are using the time to try to update or freshen skills through career training. Others are attempting to take advantage of as much temporary work as possible. And almost everybody is applying everywhere they can – making this a very rough and competitive job market.

Do you feel like things are really getting better??

Since the world is turning greener, how can you establish yourself in this new career field? Green-collar jobs have been cropping up in the past few years – we first heard about them in the presidential primaries from candidates on both sides of the political fence. Now with the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Obama has promised to spend $150 billion over 10 years to create 5 million new green-collar jobs.

How can you take advantage of the added funds to this new career field? Can you just transition your skills over – or will there be additional training? These are the questions many people are asking themselves, especially when jobs are already scarce.

But, there’s good news! Since the government is willing to fund these new green jobs, that means there are possibilities for your current career or a new one. Take your current skills and apply them to:

• Hybrid auto repair, maintenance and assembly
• Clean coal production
• Green construction
• Green public transit operators
• And more!

There are new careers hitting the green-collar job field that might take additional training and skills. Explore some new areas of green jobs, like:

• Wind energy
• Solar panel production, repair and maintenance
• Green Information Technology
• And more!

Learn more about green careers and training today!