Washington, D.C. Coalition for
'Green' Jobs Training:
A National Model Program
As you are aware during the Obama Administration and the world-wide
recession there is a constant drum beat of 'green' jobs while addressing the
consequences of violent climate change.
Even with over one [1] trillion US$1,000,000,000.00 invested by the
American government in the United States alone to support the economy and
reduce the loss of jobs, over 15,000,000 Americans are jobless or working below
their human potential due to continued loss of employment opportunities while
violent weather events continue to increase.
In the Washington, D.C., Virginia, and
Maryland Region over US$313 million in Federal stimulus funds have been
allocated for energy audits, energy efficiency retrofits, and weatherization
projects among other green construction projects.
As last reported by the Federal government,
less than eight percent [8%] of these funds have been allocated and directed to
the intended purposes due to the lack of local government and non-profit organizations infrastructure, skilled employees, and certified
energy testing services.
Green Jobs:
• The Green Jobs / Green New York Act
(A8901 / S5888), which passed both the New York Assembly and Senate, could be a model for other
states.
•
The legislation sets the goal of implementing energy
efficient retrofits in one
million buildings over the next five years and creating
approximately 14,000
family-sustaining jobs.
•
Efficiency measures help combat climate change,
produce cost savings across the economy, reduce pressures on the
electrical grid and provide public health benefits.
Dan Cantor, Executive
Director of the Working Families Party says:
“The key innovation in the bill is a revolving capital
fund, which would leverage private investment in energy efficiency to massively
increase the use of existing technology…. [S]tate certified contractors will
perform free or low-cost energy audits for homeowners, looking for repairs and
upgrades (like air sealing, insulation, new boilers) that can pay for
themselves through the energy savings they create. The work would be paid for
by the fund -- homeowners pay it back out of a portion of their energy savings
(they pocket the rest, in addition to getting their homes repaired).”
•
The program will be funded with revenue raised by the
auction of carbon emission credits through the Regional Greenhouse Gas
Initiative (REGGIE).
•
The bill allocates $112
million from these auctions to the NYS Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) and those funds will be used to leverage private and
federal investments.
•
NYSERDA will establish a revolving loan
program to provide up to $13,000 per residential customer to retrofit a
home, and up to $26,000 to retrofit each qualifying business.
•
Energy usage will be reduced by 30-40%
•
In partnership with the NY Department of Labor,
NYSERDA will also create workforce training programs throughout the state.
Washington, D.C. is taking the lead in
evolving a national model program for 'green' jobs training among the most
at-risk unemployed citizens of the District.
There are 10 Coalition members representing
both non-profit and for-profit organizations dedicated to bring progressive
change within targeted communities of Washington, D.C.
This is a Coalition of leading non-profits with assistance from selected
for-profits to reach the 38% Africa-American, 28% Hispanic, and 16% White and
Asian at-risk unemployed citizens of the District to become part of the 'green'
jobs movement in the United States.
•
Reaching Out To Others Together (ROOT)
•
AFL-CIO
Community
Services Agency
•
EmeraldPlanet
•
Central Union
Mission
•
Gospel Rescue
Ministries
•
Augur
Professional
Services
•
Capitol City
Champs
•
CSOSA
•
NOMA BID
•
Second Chance
•
Employment
Services
In order to share this pilot project and
replicate it around the United States and overseas we have established a series
directed and hosted by Dr. Sam Hancock on The EmeraldPlanet world-wide
television program via Channel 10 TV located in Fairfax, Virginia. Information
about the Coalition and its work is being simulcast to 532 stations around the
country, with at least 105 stations downloading each show in all major American
markets.
Once the global Trek starts in late 2010 this
training program will be shared along with the other 1,000 "best
practices" from the 143 nations and 750 major cities being visited. Such
distribution will be conducted by daily Internet TV, main stream media
outlets including Discovery Communications (Geo) and National Geographic
Television, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, FlickR, Meetup, and all manner of print
media.
As noted above the Coalition is a
collaborative effort comprised of well known local organizations as well as key
leaders from a variety of organizations and backgrounds.
These members all have the same goal – job
creation for the District's high unemployed at-risk citizens. In
particular the focus is upon matching relevant job skills with direct placement
opportunities in the 'green' construction jobs sectors.
The initial goal is to identify, intake, test,
train, and place some 500 youth (18 - 25-years of age), women, and adult men to
fill identified local 'green' jobs.
Check out a Press Release regarding the Green Jobs initiative!