Veterans Jobs Get Green Focus
A new round of funding will help to create green veterans jobs.
Officials recently announced that the State of Missouri will receive $6 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create two new green energy sector training programs that will focus on veterans.
"I want to congratulate Governor Nixon and his staff at the Missouri Division of Workforce Development for winning this Recovery Act Grant to help veterans train to compete in the 21st Century green economy," Congressman Lacy Clay said. "I am proud to support their efforts to create training and job opportunities for veterans in solar, wind and geothermal energy.
"I'm also very pleased that this ARRA grant will allow Missouri's Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Unions to greatly expand the capacity of their apprenticeship programs to help veterans and displaced workers train for clean energy jobs," he continued.
The funding will be used to support the implementation of two training programs that focus on veterans. Most notably, the Renewable Energy Training Institute will create a veterans priority training program for St Louis jobs.
The HFIAWU will use its share of the funding to provide 480 incumbent journeymen and apprentices with enhanced qualifications in commercial and industrial energy efficiency assessment and cost estimating.
In addition, the funding will be used for:
- 120 veterans and/or qualified spouses of active duty military personnel to complete the Renewable Energy Training Institute Veterans Certificate of Completion and Apprenticeship Program.
- 150 participants to graduate from renewable energy degree programs at associate's degree‐granting institutions.
- 60 participants to complete minors or certificate programs from within degree-granting engineering programs.
The State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants issued by the federal government are meant to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries, including energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Overall, 34 awards ranging from $2 million to $6 million will be available to state workforce investment boards in partnership with state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards or regional consortia of boards, or One-Stop Career Center systems.