The past few weeks have been busy ones in the world of green jobs. We’ve rounded up the most important news to help you on your green job hunt:

• California’s new climate change law will add more jobs: The California Air Resources Board, tasked with monitoring state air pollution levels, projects the law will add 10,000 new jobs to the state by 2020. So if you’re in California, that’s good news!
• Smith Electric Vehicles building in Kansas City: As part of their growth in the US, Smith Electric Vehicles is now assembling their Newton medium duty electric truck in Kansas City, Missouri. They’ve also been added to the GSA purchasing schedule, which means a shot at GSA’s $1 billion per year purchasing of electric vehicles.
• Navy awards $200 million for 40 MW of solar power on US bases: The Navy choseSunEdison, AECOM Energy/Solar Power Partners Inc., SunPower Corporation, SunDurance Energy LLC, and Chevron Energy Solutions Company to construct, own, operate, and maintain the systems, selling the power to the Navy and Marine Corps through power purchase agreements.
• Biodiesel tax credit restored: The US Senate approved a massive job-creation bill  on Wednesday that restores a $1 a gallon biodiesel tax credit for 2010 that had expired at the end of last year. The US biodiesel industry employs about 23,000 people.
• Ingeteam picks Milwaukee for US wind, solar factory: Spain-based Ingeteam, a supplier to the wind and solar energy industries, will build a $15 million clean energy manufacturing facility in Milwaukee and create 275 jobs.
• Nevada lands first Chinese wind turbine factory in US: The factory, to be developed in conjunction with US Renewable Energy Group and American Nevada Group, will employ about 1,000 Nevada workers in â”high paying, long-term jobs”.

According to a new report from Clean Edge, the markets for solar, wind, and biofuels have expanded by 11.4% globally, to a total revenue of $139 billion. Despite the ongoing effects of the recession, the report notes that global production of biodiesel and ethanol continues to grow. China now accounts for almost one-third of the new wind installations.

Interestingly, solar has grown six-fold over the past five years, but industry revenue fell in 2009 because of rapidly falling photovoltaic panel prices. The drop in panel prices is expected to spur additional installations, however.

Solar and wind account for over 830,000 jobs worldwide. This number is expected to grow to 3.3 million by 2019.

Here’s the latest in job-related news for the green economy:

• Made in the U.S.A.: Efficiency Materials- Equipment like caulking and insulation €” basic tools for retrofitting the country’s homes and businesses — is almost entirely made in the United States. This creates jobs in manufacturing AND energy efficiency!
• Clean water tech in Ontario: Ontario’s government has announced plans to position the province as North America’s â”clean water technology capital,” including incentives for new jobs.
• Big oil tackles solar in New Mexico: The Chevron Questa project will be the largest CPV installation in the US and one of the largest in the world.
• Jobs in energy efficiency: Proposed federal energy efficiency jobs provisions would create about 333,000 jobs in 2010 and then 184,000 jobs in 2011 as funding begins to ramp down, according to a new analysis released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
• The greenest companies in Silicon Valley: We applied the criteria of the Tomorrows Value Rating to some of the most highly regarded companies — the 15 largest ICT companies (based on 2009 sales) headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area.

There are thousands of articles on finding a job on the internet (in fact, here’s a good site to learn the basics).But what about finding green jobs? Never fear - here’s our step-by-step guide!

1. Assess your current skills: � Maybe you want to install solar panels, but you’re currently a web site developer. You’ll probably need to acquire some new skills to get that solar job! Make a list of your skills. Sometimes it’s helpful to work with a career advising service or college counseling center - they have tests and questionnaires that can help ferret out every relevant skill or experience you’ve had over the years.
2. Educate yourself about the green economy: The world of green jobs is large and growing every day. Take some time to learn more about the different possibilities (here’s a fun quiz!). Previous blog posts have outlined the environmental engineering and energy conservation sectors. There are also options in agriculture, renewable energy, manufacturing, transportation, and many other areas.
3. Get specific: Once you’ve decided which industry is a good fit for you, learn more about the specific jobs available. You can do this by talking with people in the industry, connecting with others via social networks, job boards (such as Great Green Careers), and locating the relevant professional associations for each industry. This is where your list of current skills will come in handy - you may find a good match for a new position, even if you’d never considered doing this type of work in the past.
4. What do you need?: You may come up short in the skills and experience area after you’ve completed step (3). No problem - you can acquire your new skills through community colleges, internships and apprenticeships, private schools, and even online learning. For a good list of training resources, check out our last blog post.
5. Put it all together: Start your job search by leveraging the connections you’ve made via steps 1-4. Reach out to the people that have helped you thus far and let them know you’re looking. Utilize niche job boards that specialize in the types of green jobs you’re seeking. Join the appropriate professional association if possible. Talk to your friends and relatives - you may be surprised at who they know. Finally, be persistent and utilize multiple approaches to find your green job. Don’t rely on a single method - attack from all sides.

Sure, you’d like to work in the green economy - but you don’t have previous experience or the right skills. What can you do to change that?

Training opportunities abound for green careers. � Some are short-term (a few weeks at most), and some require a commitment of a year or more. The good news is that it’s easier than ever to find green job training, and you can even do some of it over the internet!

Solar and Wind:

• NABCEP Registered Providers of Entry Level PV Exam: excellent resource with listings of community colleges and other training providers
• Solar Living Institute: Offers regular workshops on designing and installing photovoltaic systems
• Infinite Solar School PA: 5-day trainings for certification by NABCEP and IREC
• Ontility: Solar, wind, and energy efficiency training
  
• Boots on the Roof: Solar and wind training aimed at HVAC contractors
• Solar Source Institute: Provides design, installation, and business-related training

Environmental engineering:

• Universities and colleges: Most large universities offer environmental engineering degree programs; you can use this search tool to locate them
• American Academy of Environmental Engineers: Good source for accredited environmental engineering training programs

Green building:

• U.S. Green Building Council: Widely recognized as an authority for LEED and green building standards and training
• GreenBuilding.com: Aimed at architects, contractors, and homeowners
• Green Building Institute: Training in energy audits and related topics
• Geiger Research Institute: Focuses on straw bale house construction

This will get you started - good luck!