January 20, 2010
Grant allows DELEG to train more than 1,000 Michigan workers, place them into jobs
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that the state of Michigan has been awarded a $5,819,999 federal grant to train more than 1,000 Michigan citizens and place them into jobs.
The Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG) in partnership with the State of Michigan Council for Labor and Economic Growth (CLEG) was awarded a State Energy Sector Partnership (SESP) and Training grant by the U.S. Department of Labor through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).
"This investment will train a thousand Michigan workers for green, in-demand jobs in our state," Granholm said. "These workers will be involved in the fields of advanced battery production, solar energy and energy-efficient building construction."
The State Energy Sector Partnership Training grant will provide additional resources to implement Governor Granholm's Green Jobs Initiative, and support key partnerships between industry, labor, and workforce organizations focused on providing skilled workers for the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries in Michigan. These Regional Project Teams are organized around three industry sectors: Advanced Energy Storage, Solar Energy, and Energy Efficient Construction. Industry employers and partners have committed to hiring more than 1,000 workers trained through this Recovery Act grant.
Advanced Energy Storage - Michigan will leverage its partnership with advanced energy storage employers and the $1.36 billion recently awarded by U.S. Department of Energy grants to create an Advanced Battery Skills Alliance in Southeast Michigan. This alliance will provide undergraduate and/or graduate level training and placement assistance to meet the workforce needs of a variety of Advanced Energy Storage employers and a range of occupations including: design, development and test engineers and technicians, assemblers, technologists, and engineers across several concentrations.
Solar Energy - Two solar project teams, one in Southeast Michigan and a second in Mid-Michigan, will assist in training chemical process technicians, solar engineering technicians and installers.
Energy Efficient Construction - The energy efficient construction-focused Regional Project Team is located in the Flint-area, and includes Genesee and Shiawassee counties. Participant training will lead, in most cases, to certificates in Green Construction and Sustainable Construction, an Associates degree, and/or trade apprenticeship opportunities.
"Michigan has been at the forefront nationally in the effort to promote a new clean energy economy and programs leading to good jobs," said DELEG Director Stanley "Skip" Pruss. "This award will connect Michigan workers to jobs and career pathways in targeted industries, helping to simultaneously advance the State's integrated energy, workforce and economic development vision and supporting programs."
"This grant demonstrates the Obama administration's strong support for Michigan's Green Jobs Initiative," said Andy Levin, Chief Workforce Officer and DELEG deputy director. "This grant will lead to the direct creation of more than a thousand green jobs."
The U.S. Department of Labor issued 34 awards nationwide - ranging from approximately $2 million to $6 million each - to State Workforce Investment Boards (SWIBs) in partnership with their State Workforce Agency, local Workforce Investment Boards or regional consortia of Boards, and One Stop Career Center delivery systems.
"Our State Workforce Investment Board has played a central role in acquiring this grant," said John Mogk, CLEG chair. "We are excited to help build Michigan's green economy."
The Council for Labor and Economic Growth is the state's workforce investment board and it is a private sector-led advisory body to the Governor and DELEG on workforce policy.
For more information on Michigan's Green Jobs Initiative, visit: www.michigan.gov/greenjobs
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