Bill would require green IT training for federal facility staff

Federal employees who operate and maintain federal facilities would get extra training to service energy-efficient buildings if a new bipartisan bill introduced April 22 is signed into law.

The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010, cosponsored by Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), would require the General Services Administration to identify competencies that federal building personnel should possess and require that they demonstrate them.

Under the measure, GSA would work with private industry and institutions of higher education to create continuing education courses to ensure that employees have the training to maintain green federal buildings.

“You wouldn’t give a race car to an inexperienced driver and expect them to win the Indy 500,” Carper said. “In the same way, we can’t expect our federal buildings to run at peak efficiency if we don’t make sure our personnel have adequate training.”