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>> JANE OATES: Hello! I am Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training.
I am delighted that you have logged on to the Green Jobs Community of Practice today.
We at ETA are so proud of this online resource. We are particularly thrilled that over 4,500
users also value the site and have chosen to become
a part of this ever growing green community. Since the passage of the Recovery Act,
ETA has been working to identify and share best practices and
strategies around green jobs through this Community of Practice.
We use the CoP to host a variety of stakeholders including other federal agencies, the public
workforce system, green employers, and of course, our green grantees.
As a result of the Recovery Act, our Department awarded $500 million in competitive
grants for the preparation of workers for careers
in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors.
We have 189 grantees across the country who support a variety of exciting green jobs
activities. This includes providing job training and placement
services, creating career pathways for workers (including
those living in poverty), collecting and disseminating green labor market
information, and developing effective statewide strategies
to align programs and policies. I am pleased to report that promising practices
are beginning to emerge across these grants, and the work of these grantees will inform
the Department’s future investments in green jobs training.
ETA is interested in complementing – not duplicating – existing workforce development
efforts that support the training and expansion of
the green workforce. In fact, we want to hear from you,
our stakeholders and other interested parties about what is needed.
We need your feedback to inform our future work in green jobs training,
both in terms of the assistance we provide to existing grantees
and in terms of future grants that we will make in this area.
There are a number of competitive opportunities opening up in the coming months
which will require applicants to target certain sectors or occupations, including green.
In general, these grants are designed to expand the pipeline of workers with green skills,
connect to the ongoing and changing demands of employers,
and facilitate pathways to middle class careers for all.
We will also work to ensure that grants focus on helping individuals obtain industry-recognized
credentials, and that funds target underrepresented and
disadvantaged populations. We need your best ideas on green jobs training.
We have created several questions and I would like to request your input via a public discussion
thread.
We want to know which green credentials have emerged as the most critical to entry into
the job market and are positioned to lead to sustained career
advancement.
What are specific green workforce trends or successful green programs in your area?
All of your thoughts are welcome. I am asking that you please submit your ideas
by Wednesday, November 24 directly on this Community of Practice via the discussion
thread. We need your insights if we are to get the
most out of our limited training funds.
We at ETA look forward to our continued work together in the development of America’s
green workforce. Thank you for all that you do for workers
and employers every day. We value our partnership with you
and we know we will learn from your experiences.