CleanLoop tackles clean-tech skills shortage
It's a common story: people are interested in the clean energy business but don't have a clue how to get in.
On Tuesday, CleanLoop was launched as a job search site dedicated to the clean-tech industry.
It appears to be oriented toward people who have worked in the technology business and are looking to make a change, as many IT professionals already have.
The company blog offers some tips and a dose of reality:
Remember that most cleantech companies, at least those on CleanLoop, are backed by investors who want a return on their money. If they couldn't make money saving the planet, then they wouldn't invest.
A lack of skills is one of the biggest hurdles for the clean-tech industry.
In a survey earlier this year, research firm New Energy Finance and recruiting firm Heidrick & Struggles queried 75 executives in clean-energy companies around the world and found that the lack of technical and managerial talent in the field is a problem.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents said that the recruitment issue is "very serious," and 59 percent said it was "moderately serious."
Martin LaMonica is a senior writer for CNET's Green Tech blog. He started at CNET News in 2002, covering IT and Web development. Before that, he was executive editor at IT publication InfoWorld. E-mail Martin. 
