Military veterans targeted for ‘green’ job training
Military veterans in 12 communities across the United States can take advantage of job training programs that will lead to “green” jobs in the expanding energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.
On Jan. 13, the U.S. Department of Labor released $150 million in grants – the second release of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 earmarked for work force development projects. The Labor Department released $100 million in grants Jan. 6 and is expected to release another $250 million over the next several weeks.
The “Pathways Out of Poverty” grants will fund programs that train struggling unemployed workers, including veterans, in disadvantaged communities for a variety of jobs in the green industries, leading to certification and on-the-job training with a roster of partner employers. Jobs include weatherization, solar panel manufacturing and installation, energy efficient building construction and turbine manufacturing.
“We think there is wonderful opportunity here in both in the manufacturing end of it and in the service end of it,” said Jane Oates, assistant secretary of the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration.
About 18,000 training slots will be available nationwide, and 12 of the 38 grant recipients announced Jan. 13 will target veterans. The length and nature of the programs depend on local employers, Oates said. “So in some areas, if there are green construction jobs, they’ll put more focus on that,” she said. “In some areas if there’s turbine manufacturing, they’ll focus on that. In other areas where there’s solar concentration, they’ll focus on that.”
The 12 programs targeting veterans are scattered across 10 states. While they differ from region to region, they are all designed to match participants with companies once training is completed. Weatherization training, for example, only takes a couple of months to complete, Oates said.
“So our hope is that we’ll see some people getting into jobs very quickly, and some other people taking longer-range training to get the industry-recognized credentials they need, so they may not be placed in a job for 12 or 18 or even 24 months,” Oates said. “But by the end of the 24-month period we anticipate that the vast majority of people that participate in these programs will indeed be placed in jobs.”
To find out if a training program is available near you, click here http://www.doleta.gov/pdf/Pathways_Poverty_grants.pdf