The $787 billion federal stimulus package is creating encore career opportunities in education, health care and the environment.

An array of “green” jobs, including opportunities in wind and solar energy, are part of the plans for the $43 billion in designated energy funding. Positions will be generated for child care and health care providers, and information technology specialists will be in demand to help digitize medical records and improve student achievement. And management skills will be needed to ensure the money is spent effectively.

“Organizations focused on K-12 education, youth services and the environment will have a big need for additional talent,” said David Simms, managing partner of Bridgestar, which specializes in nonprofit leadership placements. “Most of these organizations will need to add experienced leaders to step in to handle the growth wisely.”

As federal agencies decide who will receive grants and contracts, citizens can track where the money is going and learn about opportunities as they are created in their states. Detailed information is available on Recovery.org, which shows where funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is going. The “Investments” page shows that the biggest funding will go to tax relief ($288 billion), state and local fiscal relief ($144 billion), and infrastructure and science ($111 billion).

Other pots of money likely to create encore career opportunities include:

Education: Schools serving low-income children will receive $13 billion, special education will get a $11.3 billion boost, Head Start and Early Head Start will receive $2.1 billion, $650 million will improve student achievement through technology, $100 million will fill shortages of qualified teachers in high-need schools, and $70 million will help educate homeless children.

Training: The ARRA allocates $3.95 billion for employment and training. It includes $120 million to help employ Americans through the Senior Community Service Employment Program, the nation’s only workforce development initiative targeted at older adults. It helps workers aged 55 and older with incomes below 125 percent of the federal poverty level acquire job skills, provides training and other supportive services, and places participants in subsidized, part-time community service assignments.

Green jobs: States, local governments and Indian tribes will receive $3.2 billion in energy efficiency and conservation block grants; a Weatherization Assistance Program will allocate $5 billion to improvements to the homes of low-income families; a State Energy Program will funnel another $3.1 billion to states to help reduce energy demand; and $500 million is allocated for training workers in energy-efficiency and renewable energy fields.

Health care: A total of $59 billion will be allocated to health care, including $1.1 billion for research that compares the effectiveness of two or more medical treatments, $1 billion to fight preventable diseases with evidence-based strategies, $2 billion for a nationwide health information technology (IT) infrastructure, and $500 million to place health care providers in underserved communities.

The influx of cash is inspiring some leaders to dream big. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the big boost in education funding will make it possible to “move from being about compliance with bureaucracy to really the engine of innovation and change.” He’s promoting the idea of creating “community schools” that stay open longer and engage people of all ages in supporting children and families.

As government and social sector organizations formulate plans to address critical national problems, this is also a good time for those seeking encore careers to propose new models for getting the work done that incorporate their expertise. See “The Financial Crisis: Is it a demon or a blessing in disguise” and join the discussion on how we may inspire nonprofit organizations and others to channel the experience of older Americans into new career opportunities.

Here are some ways you can keep abreast of the new jobs being created by the stimulus package:

• Check Recovery.gov’s “State Recovery Sites” page regularly to keep tabs on funds flowing to your state. Each state has 45 days from the date of the ARRA’s passage (until April 3) to claims the funds allocated to it. States and other grantees are required to report project status, spending and job creation and retention to the public on a regular basis.
• Download “No Small Change: The Stimulus Package and Its Impact,” a comprehensive analysis of the ARRA by Washington lobbyist Patton Boggs that breaks down the funding by specific program.
• Ask your local legislator to help you understand what types of jobs may be created in your area. Some legislators are posting ongoing status reports about the implications of the massive funding. For example, Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) both offer resource guides that outline funding opportunities for local communities.
• Sign up to receive the special reports issued by the National Council of Nonprofits, which outline provisions in the ARRA of interest to nonprofit organizations.

“I’d advise anyone interested in pursuing an encore career to pay close attention to local press stories about nonprofits expanding in response to the new funding headed into many of our communities,” Simms said. “They also would be wise to monitor the job boards of those organizations like ours focused on the nonprofit sector.”