Green Jobs Act of 2007
The Green Jobs Act was passed as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The Green Jobs Act amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) to authorize $125 million per year in new workforce funds for the creation of an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program.
This pilot program will identify needed skills, develop training programs and train workers for jobs in a range of industries, including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, biofuels, and manufacturing of sustainable products or use of sustainable processes and materials.
The program specifically targets workers impacted by national energy and environmental policy, individuals in need of updated training related to the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, veterans, unemployed individuals, at-risk youth, and formerly incarcerated nonviolent offenders.
The program has a specific focus on developing “pathways out of poverty” and into economic self-sufficiency The Apollo Alliance was instrumental in developing and passing the Green Jobs Act. National Apollo staff members developed the initial idea, and wrote the first draft of the bill. Apollo staff and partners, including the AFL-CIO, industry associations, and other advocacy organizations, helped draft the final bill language. They also worked to build an alliance of support in the Senate, while the Ella Baker Center, convener of the Oakland Apollo Alliance, along with the Workforce Alliance, built support in the House. The passage of the Green Jobs Act was a great victory for Apollo.
WHO ADMINISTERS GREEN JOBS ACT PROGRAMS?
It will be administered by the Department of Labor in conjunction with the Department of Energy.
WHAT DOES THE GREEN JOBS ACT SUPPORT?
Grants for national and state training programs through the following programs prepare workers for a full range of green collar jobs in clean energy economy:
- National Research Program (10% or $12.5 million): Allow the DOL, through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to collect and analyze the necessary labor market data to track workforce trends and identify needed skills and occupational trends. Information will help DOL provide technical assistance and capacity building to training programs.
- National Energy Training Partnership Grants (30% or $37.5 million): Offer competitive grants through the DOL to multi-stakeholder workforce training partnerships with equal labor and industry participation to provide job training for positions that lead to economic self-sufficiency in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.
- State Labor Market Research, Information, and Labor Exchange Research Program (10% or $12.5 million): Offer competitive grants through the DOL to states for labor market and labor exchange information programs in coordination with the one-stop delivery system.
- State Energy Training Partnership Program (30% or $37.5 million): Offer competitive grants through the DOL to states for multi-stakeholder renewable energy and energy efficiency workforce training programs.
- Pathways Out Of Poverty Demonstration Program (20% or $25 million): Offer competitive grants through the DOL to training partnerships that serve low-income individuals.
WHO CANAPPLY FOR GREEN JOBS ACT FUNDS?
The Green Jobs Act specifies that funding priority focus on workforce training entities that:
- Involve multi-stakeholder partnerships that include non-profit organizations, employers, labor, apprenticeship programs, educational institutions, and workforce development representatives
- Target individuals in underserved sectors of workforce
- Have direct access to and experience with targeted populations
- Have experience in implementing workforce training and education programs
- Offer supportive services, education and training
- Link adult remedial education with occupational skills training
- Offer flexible and convenient schedule and location options
- Involve employers and labor organizations in determining skill needs and approving credentials
- Have experience administering government grant funds
- Leverage additional public and private resources, including in-kind matches from participating employers
Fuel produced from biological RENEWABLE RESOURCES such as plants, vegetable oils, and treated waste. Biofuels can significantly lessen harmful carbon monoxide emissions and reduce air pollution when added to petroleum-based fuels. See ETHANOL, BIOETHANOL, BIODIESEL, BIOGAS.Any party with an interest in an initiative.Any change to an existing facility, such as the adjustment, connection, or disconnection of equipment.Energy that comes from sources that are not depleted by use. Examples include energy from the sun, wind, and small (low-impact) hydropower, plus geothermal energy and wave and tidal systems.Energy efficiency is the process of using less energy to produce the same or increased functions. Often used mistakenly as a synonym for ENERGY CONSERVATION. The ability or potential of a physical body to do work. The most common forms of energy are heat, light, mechanical (moving parts), and electrical.
