Hawaii gets $6 million in 'green' job grants

The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has received a $6 million grant from the federal government to develop programs to train workers for “green” jobs. The money, one of 34 awards given to state work-force investment boards or work force agencies, is part of $190 million in grants awarded to states by the U.S. Department of Labor as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The grants will be used to develop training and support programs designed to prepare low-income, low-skilled workers for jobs in emerging “green” industries, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. In Hawaii, it is expected to help approximately 1,400 people, with special emphasis on disadvantaged people with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities and veterans.

The money will also be used to build or strengthen partnerships aimed at developing a clean energy work force. To maximize the grant, the Hawaii Workforce Development Council and the county Workforce Investment Boards have joined with a number of state agencies, the University of Hawaii community colleges, several construction trade groups and unions, nonprofits and utilities.