SJV Clean Energy - Green Workforce

US Department of Labor announces $150 million in ‘Pathways Out of Poverty’ training grants for green jobs

2010-01-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

ETA News Release: [01/13/2010]
Contact Name: Mike Trupo or Lina Garcia
Phone Number: (202) 693-3416 or x4661
Release Number: 10-0039-NAT

US Department of Labor announces $150 million in ‘Pathways Out of Poverty’ training grants for green jobs

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced $150 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The "Pathways Out of Poverty" grants — as the group of funding awards is known — will support programs that help disadvantaged populations find ways out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency through employment in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. "These Pathways Out of Poverty grants will help workers in disadvantaged communities gain access to the good, safe and prosperous jobs of the 21st century green economy,"said Secretary Solis. "Green jobs present tremendous opportunities for people who have the core skills and competencies needed in such well-paying and rapidly growing industries as energy efficiency and renewable energy."

Through the 38 grants awards announced today, targeted populations will receive recruitment and referral services; basic skills, work-readiness and occupational skills training; supportive services to help overcome barriers to employment; and other services at times and locations that are easily accessible. Through these programs, participants will receive certifications and on-the-job training that will lead to employment. In order to serve the specific populations targeted by these grants effectively, the Department of Labor encouraged applicants to focus project efforts in communities located within one or more contiguous Public Micro Data Areas (PUMAs) where poverty rates were 15 percent or higher. PUMAs are geographic areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau. All applicants were required to have experience serving economically disadvantaged populations. Programs funded today will serve unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and other disadvantaged individuals within areas of high poverty.

There are two types of award recipients for these grants: 1) national nonprofit entities with networks of local affiliates, coalition members or other established partners; and 2) local entities including nonprofit organizations, such as community and faith-based organizations, the public workforce investment system, the education and training community, labor organizations, and employer and industry-related organizations.

Today's grants are part of a larger Recovery Act initiative — totaling $500 million — to fund workforce development projects that promote economic growth by preparing workers for careers in the energy efficiency industries. For a full listing of the grants and project descriptions, visit http://www.doleta.gov/pdf/Pathways_Poverty_grants.pdf. To view a video by Secretary Solis, visit http://www.dol.gov/dol/media/webcast/pathways . The U.S. Department of Labor expects to release funding for one remaining green grant award category over the next several weeks.

To find out more about job training opportunities available through the Department of Labor, call the National Contact Center's toll-free helpline at: 866-4-USA-DOL (487-2365) or TTY 877-889-5627.

Editor's Note: Charts reflecting the grantees announced today are below. Audio files from Secretary Solis' conference calls with members of Congress are available at http://www.dol.gov/dol/media/webcast/pathways.

Pathways Out of Poverty Grants

Grant Recipient	TYPE OF Grant	LOCATION: PUMAs Served	Award AMOUNT	PARTICIPANTS Served
1. Alternative Opportunities Inc.	Local	St. Louis, Mo. (PUMAs 01801, 01802, 01803)	$2,308,200	High school dropouts, unemployed individuals, ex-offenders and veterans
2. Better Family Life Inc. (BFL)	Local	St. Louis, Mo. (PUMAs 01703, 01701, 01801)	$3,305,493	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts and individuals with criminal records
3. Boley Centers Inc.	Local	St. Petersburg, Fla. (PUMA 02607)	$2,300,678	Disadvantaged and unemployed urban youth
4. Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc.	Local	Ocala, Fla. (PUMA 01501)	$2,985,175	Unemployed workers, low-income adults, high school dropouts and individuals with a criminal history
5. City of Minneapolis	Local	Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. (PUMAs 01501, 01502, 01301, 01302, 01303)	$4,000,000	Individuals living in poverty, veterans and unemployed young adults who do not have a high school diploma
6. CNY Works Inc.	Local	Syracuse, N.Y. (PUMA 00700)	$3,715,931	Low income individuals, ex-offenders, disadvantaged young-adults and displaced workers
7. Community College of Philadelphia	Local	Philadelphia, Pa. (PUMAs 04105, 04107)	$3,184,428	Unemployed workers, ex-offenders and veterans
8. Consortium for Worker Education	Local	Bronx, N.Y. (PUMAs 03708, 03710)	$4,000,000	Individuals with limited English proficiency, veterans and eligible spouses, persons with criminal records, disconnected youth and women
9. East Harlem Employment Services Inc. doing business as as STRIVE	National	New York, N.Y. (PUMAs 3804, 3803, 3710, 3705); Philadelphia, Pa. (PUMAs 04105, 04107, 04108); Hartford, Conn. (PUMA 00800); Benton, Mich. (PUMA 2400); Flint, Mich. (PUMA 2200); and Baltimore, Md. (PUMAs 00804, 00805)	$4,728,419	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts and individuals with a criminal record
10. Eastern Maine Development Corp.	Local	Piscataquis County and Penobscot County, Maine (PUMA 00900)	$2,109,088	Disadvantaged adult job seekers, dislocated workers, returning offenders, public assistance recipients, high school dropouts and veterans
11. Florida State College at Jacksonville	Local	Duval County (PUMA 01102)	$2,229,642	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts and individuals with a criminal record
12. Goodwill Industries International (GII)	National	Atlanta, Ga. (PUMA 01204); Austin, Texas (PUMA 05301); Charlotte, N.C. (PUMA 0902); Grand Rapids, Mich. (PUMAs 02100, 01100, 01000); Phoenix, Ariz. (PUMA 00117); Washington, D.C. (PUMA 00103)	$7,303,634	People with disabilities, chronically unemployed individuals, ex-offenders, older workers, homeless individuals and high school dropouts
13. Grand Rapids Community College	Local	Grand Rapids, Mich. (PUMA 01300)	$4,000,000	Unemployed workers, high school dropouts and individuals with a criminal record
14. It's My Community Initiative	Local	Oklahoma City, Okla. (PUMA 01301)	$4,000,000	Underemployed individuals and ex-offenders
15. Jobs for the Future Inc. (JFF)	National	Chicago, Ill. (PUMAs 03514, 03515, 03516); Detroit, Mich. (PUMAs 03701, 03702, 03707); Los Angeles, Calif. (PUMAs 05421, 05422, 05424, 05500, 05701, 05702, 06115, 06119, 06123, 06124); Milwaukee, Wis. (PUMA 02003); Philadelphia, Pa. (PUMAs 04109, 04110)	$7,997,936	Unemployed and disadvantaged individuals
16. Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board Inc.	Local	Allentown, Pa. (PUMA 03600)	$4,000,000	At-risk youth, veterans and eligible spouses, and underemployed and unemployed individuals
17. Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD)	Local	Los Angeles, Calif. communities of Watts (PUMA 06115), Willowbrook (PUMA 06119), and Florence-Graham (PUMA 06114)	$4,000,000	Dislocated, unemployed, underemployed, low-income workers and veterans
18. MDC Inc.	National	Charlotte, N.C. (PUMAs 00901, 00902, 00903, 00904); North Charleston, S.C. (PUMA 02010); Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg Counties, S.C. (PUMA 01800); Wise and Dickenson Counties, Va. (PUMA 02500); Scott County, Va. (PUMA 02600)	$3,780,816	Low-wage workers and unemployed individuals
19. Mi Casa Resource Center for Women Inc.	Local	Denver, Colo. (PUMA 00812)	$3,633,195	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, individuals with a criminal record, women and minorities
20. Mott Community College (MCC)	Local	Flint, Mich., and adjoining suburbs (PUMAs 02301, 02200)	$3,662,403	Low-income individuals
21. Moultrie Technical College	Local	Tift County, Ga. (PUMA 03900)	$3,753,579	Individuals on probation, high school dropouts, residents with disadvantaged backgrounds and displaced workers
22. National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)	National	Apache Junction, Ariz. (PUMA 00800); Bisbee, Ariz. (PUMA 00900); Midland, Texas (PUMAs 03100, 03200) ; Odessa, Texas (PUMA 03300); Dayton, Ohio (PUMA 04000)	$7,994,999	Limited English proficiency individuals, Native Americans, ex-offenders
23. National Council of La Raza	National	San Jose, Calif. (PUMAs 02709, 02714); San Diego, Calif. (PUMA 08105); Chicago, Ill. (PUMAs 03511, 03512)	$3,063,839	Low-income and unemployed individuals, and individuals with limited English proficiency
24. Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium (NoRTEC)	Local	Butte, Calif. (PUMA 00600); Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc and Siskiyou, Calif. (PUMA 00100); Shasta County, Calif. (PUMA 00300); and Tehama and Trinity, Calif. (00500)	$4,000,000	High school dropouts, at-risk youth, welfare recipients, individuals with a criminal record, unemployed and dislocated workers, and veterans
25.Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America Inc.	National	Asheville, N.C. (PUMA 00202); Broward County, Fla. (PUMAs 03605, 03607); and Phoenix, Ariz. (PUMA 00117)	$4,900,000	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts and individuals with a criminal record
26. PathStone Corp.	National	Rochester, N.Y. (PUMA 00901); Scranton, Pa. (PUMA 00801); Juana Diaz, Santa Isabel and Villalba, Puerto Rico (PUMA 01700); and Arroyo, Coamo, Guayama and Salinas, Puerto Rico (PUMA 01600)	$8,000,000	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts and individuals with a criminal record
27. Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/ Fayette Inc.	Local	Fayette County, Pa. (PUMA 02300)	$2,732,719	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts and individuals with a criminal record
28. Providence Economic Development Partnership	Local	Providence, R.I. (PUMA 00100)	$2,489,111	Ex-offenders and low-literacy individuals
29. Roca Inc.	Local	Chelsea and Revere, Mass. (PUMA 02900)	$2,398,778	High-risk youth
30. SER – Jobs for Progress of the Texas Gulf Coast Inc.	Local	Houston, Texas (PUMAs 04601, 04602, 04603, 04606, 04608, 04610, 04611, 04625)	$3,122,554	High school dropouts, ex-offenders, unemployed individuals and disadvantaged individuals
31. Southeast Community College Area	Local	Lincoln, Neb. (PUMA 00801)	$2,331,278	Unemployed individuals, veterans, high school dropouts, individuals with a criminal record, refugees and immigrants
32. Southwest Housing Solutions Corp. (SWHS)	Local	Southwest Detroit, Mich. (PUMAs 03701, 03706)	$4,000,000	Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, individuals with a criminal record and veterans
33. West Hills Community College District	Local	Mendota, Firebaugh, San Joaquin, Huron, Coalinga, Lemoore, Avenal and the unincorporated communities of Tranquility, Riverdale, Biola and Five Points in Fresno and Kings Counties, Calif. (PUMAs 03600, 03401)	$3,000,000	Disadvantaged individuals
34. Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC)	Local	Woodbury County, Iowa (PUMA 01100)	$3,999,459	Dislocated workers, low-income adults and disconnected youth
35. White Earth Band of Chippewa	Local	Mahnomen, Clearwater and Becker counties, Minn. (PUMA 00200)	$3,086,817	High school dropouts, unemployed individuals and individuals with a criminal record
36. Workforce Development of Seattle-King County	Local	Southeast Seattle, Wash., (PUMAs 01804, 02005)	$3,639,530	High school dropouts, unemployed adults, veterans, previously incarcerated youth and adults, and other disadvantaged individuals — with a specific focus on communities of color, individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with disabilities
37. The WorkPlace Inc.	Local	City of Bridgeport, Conn. (PUMA 02400)	$4,000,000	High school dropouts, individuals with a criminal record, unemployed individuals and people facing other significant disadvantages
38. Worksystems Inc.	Local	East Multnomah County, Ore. (PUMA 01302, 01301)	$4,000,000	Native Americans, African-Americans, Latinos, immigrants, veterans, individuals with a criminal record and homeless individuals

Green Economy Workforce Study

2009-04-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Click on image to view full report

Green Industry a Field with a Future

2009-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

Green jobs, we're told, will save America.

President Obama wants to create millions of jobs for people installing solar panels, brewing up biofuels or making homes more energy efficient. Those jobs, he hopes, will help lift the country out of recession and fight global warming at the same time.
But what green jobs are available now? And how do you find them?
Here are some places to start.

Want a job installing solar panels? Several Bay Area community colleges and workforce development programs offer training. Green building techniques? Community colleges and labor union apprenticeship programs may help. Even if you have some construction experience, a little classroom training could increase your chances of landing a job.

"My rule of thumb is the people who take those classes and put those on a resume almost always get an interview," said Brian von Moos, director of business development for Borrego Solar, which has offices in Berkeley, Petaluma, San Francisco and San Jose.

And remember: Green companies have been hurt by the recession like everyone else. But there are jobs out there, said Timothy O'Connor, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund who wrote the Green Jobs Guidebook. To read the guidebook, which profiles more than 200 green jobs in California and lists training programs, go to www.edf.org/cagreenjobs.

"We've really been seeing tremendous growth in the green economy," O'Connor said, "and that translates into jobs that are available right now."

Green jobs in California
In 2007, California had roughly 105,000 green jobs, covering everything from engineers developing alternative fuels to people working in recycling plants.
Source: Next 10, Collaborative Economics
Faces of the green economy
Larry Galbert,
21, Oakland.
Job: Solar installer for Sungevity in Berkeley.
How he got the job: Took a 14-week training program at Asian Neighborhood Design, which provides construction training to the disadvantaged. A counselor at the program told him about openings at Sungevity.
What he likes about the job: "It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun for people who like to work with their hands."

Zach Serber,
34, Sausalito.
Job: Scientist developing next-generation biofuels at Amyris Biotechnologies in Emeryville.
How he got the job: One of the company founders knew him from Stanford University, where he was a research fellow, and lured him away from a planned career in academia.
What he likes about the job: "Here at Amyris, you can have that same academic stimulation and be certain that your work will make a difference in the world. It's easy to get motivated when the goals are so big."

Types of jobs
Green jobs can be highly technical, requiring advanced degrees, or geared more toward manual labor. Here are a few listed in the Environmental Defense Fund's Green Jobs Guidebook.

Solar residential installation electrician:
Description: Responsible for hardwiring solar energy systems to the power grid.
Salary: $17 to $31 per hour.
Experience needed: Entry-level to midlevel, with electrician experience.
Education: Associate's degree, trade school or apprenticeship.
Residential energy
field auditor
Description: Conduct home energy audits and recommend improvements to homeowners.
Salary: $12 to $14 per hour.
Experience needed: Entry to midlevel.
Education: Bachelor's degree preferred, with courses in environmental studies, energy management, auditing.

Wind field service technician
Description: Perform status checks on wind turbines and repair the problems.
Salary: $22 to $26 per hour.
Experience needed: Midlevel.
Education: Apprenticeship or trade school, with courses in metal work, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering.

Geothermal operations engineer
Description: Collect and process information on geothermal field and plant performance, diagnose problems with geothermal wells.
Salary: $70,000 to $80,000 per year.
Experience needed: High level, with background in geothermal resource engineering or petroleum engineering.
Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, with courses in resource engineering, petroleum engineering, computer programming.
Source: Green Jobs Guidebook, Environmental Defense Fund

Training programs
Oakland Green Jobs Corps
Provides training and internships in green construction, energy efficiency and solar panel installation.
(510) 208-7350 (The number for Cypress Mandela Training Center, one of the partners in the program.)
Solar Richmond
Provides solar installation training and internships with solar companies.
www.solarrichmond.org
(510) 621-1719
San Francisco Electrical Apprenticeship
A cooperative effort of the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Provides electrician training and experience.
www.sfelectricaltraining.org
(415) 587-2500
Schools
DeAnza College
Introduction to photovoltaic solar course.
www.deanza.fhda.edu
(408) 864-5678
Diablo Valley College
Solar design and installation course.
www.dvc.edu
(925) 685-1230
College of Marin
Solar installation and integration course.
www.marin.edu
(415) 457-8811
San Jose City College
Solar installation course.
www.sjcc.edu
(408) 288-3708
Skyline College
Solar installation class.
www.skylinecollege.edu
(650) 738-4100
UC Berkeley
Degrees in energy and resources, environmental sciences, bioengineering.
www.berkeley.edu
(510) 642-6000
Stanford University
Degrees in bioengineering, civil and environmental engineering, energy resources engineering, materials science and engineering.
www.stanford.edu
(650) 723-2300
San Francisco State University
Degrees in environmental studies.
www.sfsu.edu
(415) 338-1111
University of San Francisco
Degrees in environmental science, environmental management.
www.usfca.edu
(415) 422-5555
Source: "Environmental Scan: Solar Industry" by California Community Colleges Centers of Excellence; Chronicle research
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/10/BU2G15ISFQ.DTL
This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle