Green job training in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington D.C. is about to be significantly expanded with the $8M grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor to Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit education and workforce development organization.
The GreenWays Initiative will focus on developing skills for training green collar workers in 4 specific areas: green building construction, auto technology, manufacturing, and utilities.
Because of the large number of abandoned and foreclosed properties, green building projects – from deconstruction to energy efficient building – will be the primary focus in Detroit where 2,000 green building jobs are expected to be added in the next five years. Washington D.C. funds will also focus on green building and green construction knowledge specifically weatherization and insulation, green roof maintenance, solar panel installation, green building maintenance, green cement masonry, and helper and apprentice positions with 17 construction unions.