(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The State of California has long been a national and international leader on environmental, natural resource, pollution prevention, and energy issues, as well as recent landmark laws in the areas of climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and alternative transportation fuels.

(2) The passage of these laws has resulted in billions of dollars of investment capital flowing into the State of California for research, development, and commercialization of new green and clean technologies. This investment of capital is indicative of the rapidly growing clean and green technology sector of the California economy.

(3) California’s green economy is about the potential of new technologies combined with innovative public policy and strategic investments to stimulate the growth of new markets for green products and services.

(4) As the green economy grows, it will be accompanied by an increased demand for a highly skilled and well-trained “green collar” workforce.

(5) California state government must act promptly to build the partnerships, expand the programs, and secure the resources necessary to meet our green workforce needs. This effort must involve both our K–12 and higher education systems, labor unions, the environmental community, workforce development programs, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropy, and private sector industries.

(6) In acknowledgment of the tremendous size of California’s economy and related infrastructure, the application of sector strategies in a wide variety of industry sectors is essential to providing labor for industry and career paths for current and potential employees. The California Workforce Investment Board shall adopt a sector strategy approach in responding to industry sector workforce and economic development needs. This strategy will ensure industry has a qualified workforce and can offer opportunities for employment, training, and career advancement for all Californians. The initial drive of this sector strategy approach will be the California Green Collar Jobs Act of 2008.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 31, Sec. 19. (AB 119) Effective June 29, 2011. Operative January 1, 2012, by Sec. 20 of Ch. 31.)