The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute will play an important role this year in creating new jobs and training opportunities under two new green jobs training grants announced recently by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Institute will partner with Jobs for the Future (JFF), Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS), as part of an $8 million Pathways Out of Poverty grant.
The grant is designed to increase job opportunities in green industries for unemployed and disadvantaged individuals in five cities -- Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia – all of which are seriously affected by the economic downturn.
Under a separate grant, the Institute will partner with the Communications Workers of America National Education and Training Trust as part of a $3.9 million Energy Training Partnerships Green Jobs Training Grant to develop and deliver a Green Manufacturing Skill Training Certification training program for dislocated workers and veterans in auto-impacted regions across Ohio.
“We are very excited about this opportunity to participate in this national effort to jump start local economies and get people back to work,” said Nancy Mills, executive director of the Working for America Institute.
Under the Pathways out of Poverty grant, Mills noted, the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute will spearhead labor outreach and strengthen union participation in local projects.
Under the Energy training grant, the Institute will partner with the Manufacturing Skills Standard Council (MSSC) to leverage the nationally acclaimed MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) to provide training opportunities for 1,000 dislocated workers, she said.
