NOVA in the News

California Labor & Workforce Development Agency (Link to original press release)
June 29, 2010

$19 Million in Grants Will Achieve Two Key Goals: Offering Training for 3,000 Skilled Jobs in Green Industries, Putting the Unemployed Back to Work

SACRAMENTO – State grants totaling $19 million will help train nearly 3,000 Californians for jobs in a wide range of clean and green industries, including hybrid and electric vehicles, alternative fuels and renewable energy generation.

“California is already seeing green job growth but we must continue working to accelerate this trend. These Challenge grants will encourage innovative green companies to train and hire Californians to further our state’s leadership in the green economy,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “It is the private sector that will ultimately lead California out of this economic crisis, and I urge our industry leaders in the green economy and their partners to identify the skills future employees need, build creative programs to train them and then put them to work.”

The intent of the Green Innovation Challenge grants is to encourage industry leaders to find innovative methods designed to meet the needs of businesses to not only fill immediate employment needs, but also for the development of a partnership and infrastructure flexible enough to support employment growth for up to 10 years. The grants will encourage business-led partnerships in various counties to develop the most creative methods of increasing employment specialties within the green economy. Participating organizations include SolarTech, the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Pacific Gas & Electric, the North State Renewable Energy Consortium, NUMMI Transition Center Network, Workforce Investment Boards, and universities and community colleges statewide.

“This is an important opportunity to help put people back to work while giving industries in the green economy the ability to develop training programs that will address their specific workforce needs,” said Victoria Bradshaw, Secretary of the state Labor and Workforce Development Agency. “Industry, working with community colleges and other partners, will provide training for thousands of workers and keep the green economy expanding into the next decade.”

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