DOL Announces $500 Million in Grants for Green Job Training

June 25, 2009
On June 24, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced five grant competitions, totaling $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

"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.

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About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

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