FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 11, 2010

Governor Crist Announces Green Jobs Grant to Train Workers in Clean Energy
~ $3.2 million Recovery Act grant awarded to Broward County Minority Builders Coalition ~

www.FlaRecovery.com

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today announced the award of a $3.2 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to the Broward County Minority Builders Coalition, which will use the funding to train 1,000 workers in technologies that improve energy efficiency.

“This grant will position as many as a thousand Floridians for high-wage jobs in renewable energy and green technology,” said Governor Crist. “I applaud the Broward County Minority Builders Coalition for being an important part of ongoing efforts to grow Florida’s economy through job retention and creation, workforce training and economic development.”

The coalition, which includes Workforce One of Broward County, will train and place workers in occupations involving design and installation of solar energy panels and systems, weatherization of buildings and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

“The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation would like to recognize one of our workforce partners, Workforce One, for helping secure this important funding source to provide additional training opportunities for job seekers,” said AWI Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo. “Collaborative efforts such as this one are vital in our mission to grow Florida’s economy by preparing our workers for jobs of the future.”
 
The coalition was among 25 recipients chosen by the United States Department of Labor for $100 million in Energy Training Partnership grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  In total, the Recovery Act includes $500 million in funding for green jobs training programs.

The United States Department of Labor awarded grants to workforce development projects that focus on connecting target populations to career pathways in green industries. The department also was interested in projects that contributed to the understanding of green industries and jobs that clean and enhance the environment.

For more information, interested job seekers can contact the Broward County Minority Builders Coalition at green.jobs@minoritybuilders.org or by calling 954-792-1121 and selecting option 8.

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