WASHINGTON—Even in a recession, green technology provides an opportunity for growth and Latinos should lead the way, the head of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce said Tuesday.

Kenneth Macias encouraged Latino business leaders to take advantage of stimulus funds aimed at getting businesses to be more environmentally friendly in a speech to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Conference.

With funds in the stimulus to encourage environmentally friendly business, like $5 billion for the greening of facilities, $4 billion for green job training and $3.6 billion in energy efficiency grants, there is much to take advantage of, said Tom Hicks of U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit dedicated to sustainable building practices.

“If you don’t know about green, now is the time to learn,” he said.

It starts with getting children interested in science and math when they’re in grade school, saidRebecca Lamb of the National Energy Education Development Project.

There should also be investment in technical programs for community colleges to help students learn green-collar skills, she said.

“A lot of green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs that often get ignored in a time when everyone thinks they need to get a master’s degree,” Lamb said. “But they are well-paying jobs and you don’t need a four-year degree to do them.”

President Barack Obama had earlier addressed the conference on the subject of education reform.

“We know that economic progress and educational achievement have always gone hand in hand in America,” he said.

He stressed the importance of “educating our sons and daughters and [giving] them the knowledge and skills they need in this new and changing world.”