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Representative Inslee Joins Secretary Solis and Senator Murray to Announce Funding for New Energy Job Training

January 6, 2010

Stimulus funds provides millions for 21st century job training in Washington state

(Shoreline, WA) – This afternoon Rep. Jay Inslee joined Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Senator Patty Murray to announce two grant awards for new energy job training in Washington state.  The grants, part of a $500 million Green Jobs training fund made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, are the first of many such grants to be announced in the coming weeks.  The announcement includes of a total of $7.5 million dollars for two job training partnership programs. 

“What we understand, and today’s awards recognize, is that energy efficiency is like finding a giant pool of oil,” said Rep. Inslee.   “The new energy economy is where the next generation of jobs will come from and we have to be in a position to take advantage.  I have worked hand in hand with community colleges, labor-business partnerships, and industry to ensure we are doing all that we can at the federal level to ensure Washington state is leading the way.”   

Today’s awards went to the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC), H-CAP, Inc., and the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership.   

The NEEC is set to receive $3.8 million in funding.  The NEEC is a business association of the energy efficiency industry. NEEC’s mission is to promote policies and programs that enhance market opportunities for energy efficiency.  Washington state will also benefit from the $4.6 million grant to H-CAP, Inc. and the $5 million grant to Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership. 

According to Jill Wakefield, Chancellor of Seattle Community Colleges, the Seattle Community Colleges expects to receive approximately $780,000 to provide training at South Seattle Community College and the Seattle Vocational Institute, a division of the Seattle Central Community College. 

“This grant will provide much needed training to youth, unemployed adults, veterans, and incumbent workers for entry to middle-skilled energy efficiency assessment jobs,” said Chancellor Wakefield.  “The Community Colleges are at the forefront of job training for the new energy economy, and we are going to put these funds to work right away.”

“Our outstanding award recipients were selected because their proposed projects will connect workers to career pathways in green industries and occupations through diverse partnerships,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

The Energy Training Partnership grant program will provide training for workers that prepare them to enter efficiency and renewable energy industries, as well as green occupations in other industries. These grants invest in partnerships made up of diverse set of stakeholders including labor organizations, public or private employers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, and the workforce system.  Bringing together the workforce expertise of these groups will allow grantees to develop programs that are responsive to the needs of both workers and employers and that provide participants with the support needed to successfully complete training.  The grantees will utilize these partnerships to design and distribute training approaches that lead to portable industry credentials and employment, including registered apprenticeships. The Department of Labor awarded grants to workforce development projects the focused on connecting target populations to career pathways in green industries.  The Department also was interested in projects that contributed to our understanding of green industries and jobs that clean and enhance our environment.