Efficiency First

More on ARRA Green Workforce Funding

Five DOL grant solicitations to provide $500 million for green jobs development In June of this year, the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of labor announced five grant competitions totaling $500 million to fund projects that will prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. Funding for these five grant programs was stipulated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which President Barack Obama signed into law in February.

Four of the grant programs target workers in need of job training through a variety of national, state and local agencies.

The fifth will fund state workforce agencies charged with collecting and disseminating labor market information in ways that will channel workers to careers in green industries.

Here are brief descriptions of the five funding opportunities:

Energy Training Partnership Grants These projects will tackle “training and placement services in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.” The DOL encourages nonprofits, labor management organizations and educational institutions to team up in strategic partnerships. Approximately $100 million total for 20 to 30 projects ranging from about $2 to $5 million each.

Green Capacity Building Grants This category of funds is for lower-level and construction trade workers. The funds are used to target veterans, at-risk youth, the unemployed and individuals with criminal records. Approximately $5 million to fund an estimated 50 to 100 grants of about $50,000 to $100,000 each for current DOL-approved grantees.

Pathways Out of Poverty Populations targeted through this allocation include workers who have been unemployed for extended periods of time, high school dropouts, individuals with criminal records and disadvantaged individuals living in areas of high poverty. Funds will be distributed to national or local nonprofits for workforce training programs that cover recruitment and referral strategies, basic life skills, work readiness training; occupational skills training and family and support services. Approximately $150 million in funding, with grant levels ranging from about $3 million to $8 million for national grantees and $2 million to $4 million for local grantees.

State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants This program will provide funds to State Workforce Investment Boards in the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories. States are encouraged to develop a statewide energy sector strategy that aligns workforce policies, energy policies, and local and regional training activities to create job development in targeted industries. The solicitation also encourages states to develop comprehensive partnerships involving nonprofits, local workforce development boards, public-private partnerships and educational institutions, with portion of the funds going to state agencies shall be allocated to local and/or region labor boards or workforce development agencies. Approximately $190 million.

Labor Market Information Improvement Grants This program provides funding for workforce agencies in state and local jurisdictions “to collect, analyze, and disseminate labor market information and to enhance the labor exchange infrastructure for careers within the energy efficiency and renewable energy industry.” Approximately $50 million awarded to states in grants ranging from about $750,000 to $1.25 million. Application deadlines for these five grant programs are ongoing, but as grants are awarded we can expect to see significant growth in green jobs training and placement programs nationwide.

Department of Labor Grant Solicitations: www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm ###