$500 Million in Grants to Train Workers for Green Jobs
KANSAS CITY (PRNewswire-USNewswire), June 28, 2009 - During a visit to Memphis, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced five grant competitions, totaling $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.
"Emerging green jobs are creating opportunities for workers to enter careers that offer good wages and pathways to long term job growth and prosperity," said Secretary Solis. "Workers receiving training through projects funded by these competitions will be at the forefront as our nation transforms the way we generate electricity, manufacture products and do business across a wide range of industries."
Four of the competitions announced today are designed to serve workers in need of training through various national, state and community outlets: Energy Training Partnership Grants; Pathways Out of Poverty Grants; State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants; and Green Capacity Building Grants.
The fifth competition, for State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants, will fund state workforce agencies that will collect, analyze and disseminate labor market information and develop labor exchange infrastructure to direct individuals to careers in green industries. Detailed information on grant opportunities can be found in each grant solicitation.
Grants awarded through this competition will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). In an effort to earn the maximum return on each investment, the Labor Department is encouraging grantees funded through these competitions to align their work with other federal agencies' Recovery Act investments intended to create jobs and promote economic growth.
Programs funded through these grants will be conducted in partnership with the public workforce system in order to prepare workers to enter careers in targeted industries.
A notice of these grant solicitations is available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm and http://www.grants.gov/. Dates and times for applicant virtual conferences are found in each SGA. For more information on the array of Department of Labor employment and training investments and opportunities, visit http://www.doleta.gov/.
Laid Off Workers Report How They're Making the Most of a Difficult Time
KANSAS CITY (PRNewswire-USNewswire), June 28, 2009 - Laid off workers today are competing in one of the toughest job markets in the nation's history and struggling with increased financial pressures. A new CareerBuilder survey finds that, despite the hardships many of these workers are facing, they are focusing on positive aspects of being in between jobs to get them through a challenging time.
Continued Next Column
|
Continued
More than 1,800 laid off workers participated in the nationwide survey completed in June. Twenty-two percent of these workers reported that they are spending more time with family and friends as they look for new employment opportunities. Other ways laid off workers said they are making the best of a difficult situation include:
-- 15 percent are fixing up their homes
-- 14 percent are exercising more
-- 11 percent are finally taking time to relax
-- 8 percent are volunteering
-- 7 percent are going back to school
-- 6 percent are becoming more involved in their church community
-- 4 percent are starting their own business
-- 4 percent are taking up new hobbies
-- 3 percent are traveling
"While finding a new job and steady paycheck is definitely top of mind, laid off workers are also concentrating on activities that will help them grow personally and professionally," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "They are reconnecting with friends and family, getting involved in the community, taking classes and exploring new career path options that may lead to a greater return in the long run."
To make ends meet today, 23 percent of laid off workers reported they are collecting unemployment or other financial aid while another 20 percent are cutting back on spending outside of necessity. Other means they are using to manage budgets include:
-- 16 percent are relying on savings
-- 12 percent said their spouse or significant other is supporting the
household
-- 6 percent sold some of their belongings
-- 5 percent are taking odd jobs here and there
-- 4 percent are living on credit
-- 3 percent moved back home or added a roommate
Advertisements
|
Fewer Working Fathers Willing to Be Stay-At-Home Dads Than Previous Years
The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 2007 - 2009 Moore Design Group.