The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 continues to fund sustainable initiatives and on Jan. 20, the U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced nearly $190 million in green jobs training grants. The State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants are designed to train workers for emerging industries including energy efficient and renewable energy.
Thirty-four awards ranging from approximately $2 million to $6 million each are being made to state workforce investment boards in partnership with their state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards or regional consortia of boards, and One-Stop Career Center delivery systems
The grants are designed to achieve the following goals:
- Create an integrated system of education, training, and supportive services that promotes skill attainment and career pathway development for low-income, low- skilled workers leading to employment in green industries.
- Support states in implementing a statewide energy sector strategy including governors’ overall workforce visions, state energy policies, and training activities that lead to employment in targeted industry sectors.
- Build and strengthen partnerships dedicated to building a skilled clean energy workforce.
- Develop new partnerships with other agencies receiving Recovery Act funds to support strategic planning and implementation efforts.
For a breakdown of grants amounts by state, visit dol.gov