DOL Announces $500 Million in Grants for Green Job Training

"Emerging green jobs are creating opportunities for workers to enter careers that offer good wages and pathways to long term job growth and prosperity," said Solis. "Workers receiving training through projects funded by these competitions will be at the forefront as our nation transforms the way we generate electricity, manufacture products and do business across a wide range of industries."

Four of the competitions are designed to serve workers in need of training through various national, state and community outlets:

• Energy Training Partnership Grants;
• Pathways Out of Poverty Grants;
• State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants; and
• Green Capacity Building Grants.

The fifth competition, for State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants, will fund state workforce agencies that will collect, analyze and disseminate labor market information and develop labor exchange infrastructure to direct individuals to careers in green industries.

Grants awarded through this competition will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). In an effort to earn the maximum return on each investment, the Department of Labor (DOL) is encouraging grantees funded through these competitions to align their work with other federal agencies’ Recovery Act investments intended to create jobs and promote economic growth. Programs funded through these grants will be conducted in partnership with the public workforce system in order to prepare workers to enter careers in targeted industries.

More information is available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm and http://www.grants.gov.

Related Article

NIOSH Initiative Focuses on Worker Safety and Health in Green Jobs