Training for Green Jobs Focus of New TBED Initiatives in California and Michigan

SSTI Weekly Digest (9/3) – Much emphasis has been placed on the importance of green jobs in the next economy as the nation continues to shed jobs in traditional industries. Creating these specialized jobs is a major priority for states across the nation that will compete for renewable energy industries.

California: Leveraging $20 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding with additional public and private funds, California is investing $75 million to establish the Clean Energy Workforce Training Program. The goal is to train more than 20,000 new or re-skilled clean energy workers specifically targeting unemployed, underemployed, and new workers, according to the governor’s office. Training through community colleges, workforce investment boards, and partnership academies in high schools will prepare workers for jobs as solar installers, sustainable landscapers and water systems designers, and green building designers. More information is available at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/greenjobs/.

Michigan: A group of 10 Michigan community colleges has joined forces to produce the next generation of skilled workers for the local wind turbine industry with the goal of meeting the needs of Michigan companies and attracting out-of-state renewable energy industries. The group, known as the West Michigan Community College Collaboration, wants to establish a $16 million wind energy training and testing center…which has a unique proximity to urban areas, eventually could support up to 300 turbines as wind farm demand grows.