Are green jobs in Berks Countys future?
By Darrin Youker, Reading Eagle It’s too soon to determine if the county will benefit Berks County’s industrial heritage is rooted in blue-collar manufacturing jobs that helped generations live out the American dream. But could those blue collars turn green? The Obama administration has pegged the future of the middle class on the growth of so-called green-collar jobs – what the California-based Apollo Alliance calls well-paying careers that address environmental quality. Many of those jobs, economy experts say, will be manufacturing based. But, they say, it’s too soon to tell what impact these jobs will have on Berks in terms of total employment, wages and the overall economy. Different regions across the country are trying to find their niche and attract green firms, said Thomas C. McKeon, Berks County Economic Development director. “We are kind of like a Ph.D. student looking for his thesis topic,” he said. Ellen Horan, president of the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry
