DECEMBER 16, 2008 – Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth Director Stanley "Skip" Pruss announced today that a daylong "Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow" conference will be held on May 11, 2009 at the Lansing Center.

The conference will focus on workforce and economic development for Michigan's emerging green economy. The conference is aimed at bringing together business, education and training, labor, environmental, community- and faith-based, and policy advocacy partners and stakeholders who are currently working on nurturing a green economy and talent base in Michigan. To sign up for email updates about the conference, please visit www.michigan.gov/greenjobsconference. Registration materials will be posted in early 2009.

"We will be showcasing Michigan as a state that is embracing green economy in a number of innovative ways by engaging partners and stakeholders to share information about the existing and emerging green jobs economy in Michigan," said Pruss. "We have a workforce and economic development strategy to position Michigan for substantial future investment in a new energy economy."

DLEG is focusing on the Green Jobs initiative as part of the Governor Granholm's No Worker Left Behind. Governor Granholm announced the No Worker Left Behind initiative on August 1, 2007; an ambitious plan to train 100,000 Michigan citizens in three years for jobs in high demand occupations, emerging industries, or entrepreneurial endeavors.  NWLB gives Michigan residents the opportunity to acquire the skills they need to win good-paying jobs in today's global economy.  No Worker Left Behind provides up to two years of free tuition at any Michigan community college, university, or other approved training program, for qualifying participants.

DLEG is investing $6 million for green jobs to:

• Increase the number of green industries and businesses in Michigan.
• Develop green education and training programs, spurring the growth of Michigan's green economy.
• Invest in worker education and training to prepare our workers for green jobs.
• Support urban renewal by creating green jobs and training opportunities for a diverse mix of people.

Three emerging sectors of Michigan's economy include:

• Alternative Energy Production and Efficiency—includes, but is not limited to, jobs in wind energy; biofuels and bio-materials; solar storage and energy, energy efficiency, and advanced technology vehicles.
• Green Building Construction and Retrofitting—includes, but is not limited to, jobs in energy efficient building, construction, and retrofits; energy efficiency assessment for residential, commercial, and industrial facilities; materials recycling and reuse; architecture and design; land use and site analysis; building materials; and construction/rehab.
• Agriculture and Natural Resource Conservation—includes, but is not limited to, jobs in food systems; green chemistry; water quality; forest, land, and water management; and brownfield redevelopment.

The Green Jobs website — www.michigan.gov/greenjobs — offers information on internships and jobs, education and training opportunities, and collaborative partnerships. Through the website, DLEG is collecting information from employers on their current and future training needs. Workers can also search for NWLB green training programs by county or region. The training opportunities for green jobs have grown exponentially over the past five years. Four-year universities, community colleges, and proprietary schools, are offering more training in renewable energy and energy efficiency than ever before.