Cash grants support green building jobs
The American Government has just awarded $2.6 million to training programmes for green jobs in Florida, providing 40 newly trained green workers a year.
The grants, made through the Department of Labor, befitted the Laborer's International Union of North America training fund, Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC), Jamii Builders (a subsidiary of OLCDC), South Florida Workforce, and the Local Laborer's Union 1652.
At least 40 people a year will complete a three year programme of two training sessions a year. The trainees will come out of the programmes with qualifications recognised by industry as good green employment credentials.
"As the job market rebounds and the demand for construction jobs increases, we have a real opportunity through this training grant to recruit and train new workers," said Willie Logan, president and CEO of OLCDC. "The need for people with skills in 'green' construction is only going to increase in demand in the coming years."
Most of the jobs will be in construction and related fields, and the union will take on graduates for apprenticeships aiming to find them jobs with good career growth and a living wage.
"This training program will help us increase the overall talent pool in 'green' jobs that represent the future of construction," said Denise Mincey-Mills, vice president of business development and training at Jamii Builders, a subsidiary of OLCDC. "These are more than just temporary jobs - they are well-paying careers that will create a lifetime of opportunity for the graduates of these programs."
The first graduates passed out of the programme last month and most have been employed in local redevelopment projects.
The $2.6 million going to this Miami project is part of a $5.5 million grant awarded to the LIUNA Training and Education Fund by the U.S. Department of Labor. Workers in Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York City, Long Island, Newburgh, and Albany/Schenectady, New York will also benefit from the cash.
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