UNITE-LA, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA), hosted 19 LA Regional Cleantech Career Academy graduates in obtaining their GPRO Fundamentals of Building Green certification. This certification covers the "green gap" between standard trade skills and the new awareness required to implement sustainable and energy-efficient building practices successfully. This certification is valued by employer partners in real estate, construction, architecture and engineering, as well as by facilities and operations staff and college students interested in entering the building or construction industry.

Participants learned:

• How reducing building energy will reduce the effects of climate change;
• Basic elements of green, high-performance construction and building operations;
• Role of trades on high-performance job sites; and
• Energy-consuming building systems and some strategies to reduce building energy use.