California Green Stimulus Coalition

California Employment Training Panel (ETP) Offers Solutions to Businesses

chrisreyes — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:03:23 +0000

At a time of tremendous job loss the California Employment Training Panel (ETP) has given businesses money to train new and existing employees. Funds will allow businesses to grow and create more job opportunities.

Program Name

California Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP)

Program Description

The California Employment Training Panel (ETP) is a business and labor supported state agency that assists employers in strengthening their competitive edge by providing funds to partially off-set the costs of job skills training that is necessary to maintain high-performance workplaces and support Union Apprenticeships. Employment Training Taxes from California employers and targets firms threatened by out-of-state and international competition. The California Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP) is the largest state-sponsored green jobs training program in the nation — it has initially dispersed $28 million to 34 regional projects and will train approximately 5,600 workers for jobs in clean energy. In addition, the CEC has provided $4.5 million to the ETP for training.

ARRA-Funding Government Program

In one of the collaborative efforts of the CEWTP, The California Energy Commission (CEC) provided ARRA funds to supplement traditional ETP funds in order allow for increased flexibility to respond to labor market changes resulting from the recession. For example, some of ETP’s stringent job placement requirements for drawing down training reimbursements were eased.

Date Grant Awarded

In January the Employment Training Panel (ETP) approved $750,000 to the California Labor Federation’s “Building Green Skills” project, in cooperation with the Ca State Building Trades Council. This amount may be slightly decreased due to budget constraints.

Successful Results

The were 10 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees (JATCs) funded initially to provide green skills training to approximately 900 employed and unemployed journey-level workers. California’s ETP is a performance-based program, providing funds for trainees who successfully complete approved training programs and are retained in well-paying jobs for a specific period of time. Additionally, training curriculum will be carefully articulated with state energy efficiency standards, such as HERS.

Contact Information

Peter Cooper, Senior Program Manager
Workforce and Economic Development Program, CA Labor Federation
Sacramento, CA, 95818
(916) 402-6241
pcooper@calaborfed.org

Welcome to Our Stimulus Stories!

ian — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:15:54 +0000

The California Green Stimulus Coalition presents these vignettes of how ARRA funds are touching the ground in California. We offer these stories to demonstrate the range of ways Recovery Act funds are helping stimulate California’s emerging green economy — and we will soon also be posting stories of how ARRA funds are not reaching communities and businesses in need. Come back again soon for further updates. If you have any questions/comments or would like to suggest a “Stimulus Story” for this page, please contact Chris Reyes (chris at ellabakercenter dot org).

LA’s CDTech 911 Program Answers Community Call

chrisreyes — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:44:47 +0000

CD Tech’s 911 Initiative provides community members the opportunity to improve the very same community they live in. The program is currently working toward restoring the economy in the low-income areas of the Greater Los Angeles. They strengthen the community by training local residents to green local buildings and homes.

Program Description

The 911 Green Homes Initiative targets neighborhood (zip code 90011) revitalization efforts that link the low-income, South Los Angeles community and its residents to the green economy. The initiative strives to restore the neighborhood’s economy through the development of green housing, green jobs, workforce training and business development. CDTech worked with faculty at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and its Community Development Center to design an inter-disciplinary curriculum in energy, water and waste policy, planning and design/development and operations.

ARRA-Funding Government Program

Funding was received from the National Service Corp- Public Allies.

Date Grant Awarded

July 2009

Successful Results

The first cohort produced 150 energy assessments and weatherized four units. The first cohort contacted 240 households about energy and water conservation practices, In addition, approximately 60% of the participants took advantage of their educational vouchers to pursue higher educational opportunities.

Contact Information

Denise Fairchild, Community Planning and Economic Development
CD Tech
520 W. 23rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213)-763-3757
denfaire@cdtech.org

San Diego Project Puts Low-Income Communities To Work

chrisreyes — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:42:27 +0000

According to the Apollo Alliance, Micah Mitrosky, environmental organizer for IBEW Local 569 explains: “By working with the MAAC Project and the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, we have created a pathway for entry-level workers to move up the career ladder into a skilled union career with family healthcare, pension retirement and lifelong training opportunities.”

Program Name

The MAAC Project: Weatherization Trainee Program, San Diego

Program Description

The program benefits low-income communities by putting residents to work and by providing a free service that lowers both energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions in their neighborhoods. Through partnerships with local labor unions, Green Careers in Weatherization combines on-the-job training with support and job placement services. The program provides OSHA training, weatherization certification, air leakage testing certification, and on-the-job learning opportunities.

ARRA-Funding Government Program

Funding was received from the Department of Labor.

Date Grant Awarded

The Recovery Act awarded $1.8 million for 2009 to 2011. In addition, $1.1 million was received to expand its YouthBuild program.

Successful Results

Pathways to trade careers provided through partnerships with the San Diego-Imperial County’s Labor Council and IBEW Local 569. The Recovery Act also guaranteed that weatherization workers are paid prevailing wage – between $14.81 and $18.53 per hour and have access to benefits in San Diego. In addition Low-income families receive energy efficiency improvements to their homes at no cost.

Contact Information

Murtaza Baxamusa, Research and Policy Director
Center on Policy Initiatives
(619) 584-5744
baxamusa@onlinecpi.org

Arnulfo Manriquez
MAAC Project
1355 Third Ave.
Chula Vista, CA 91911
(619) 426-3595
amanriquez@maacproject.org

San Luis Obispo County At-Risk Youth Get Real Summer Green Jobs

chrisreyes — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:33:07 +0000

Forty-nine identified at-risk youth worked with the CA Conservation Corps to green buildings, preserving land and making themselves marketable during these tough times. These vibrant youth care about what happens to themselves, their communities and their planet and are doing something about it!

Program Name

San Luis Obispo County – ARRA Summer Youth Corps Model

Program Description

San Luis Obispo (SLO) County used the “Service Crew Model” similar to the daily operations of the California Conservation Corps. SLO County WIB contracts with Cuesta Community College and the California Conservation Corps (CCC) to employ WIA eligible youth in the crew-based model used by the CCC. The model assists a massive mobilization of corps members and resources that will make the changes required to increase energy efficiency/conservation of buildings, land and in particular low-income homes that are less likely to receive such services.

ARRA-Funding Government Program

Funds were received from DOL to San Luis Obispo County WIB.

Date Grant Awarded

The county of San Luis Obispo’s Local workforce investment area received $948,922 in youth DOL ARRA funding for February 2009 through September 2010.

Successful Results

The 2009 season of Summer Youth Corps began with 64 youth and completed with 49 youth and plans to hire 45 for the summer of 2010. Of those who completed, 21 were out of school youth and 28 were in school youth the breakdown was: 29 youth w/ Individual Educations Plans (IEP’s), 4 youth w/ basic skills deficiencies, 4 homeless youth, 8 foster youth, 3 youth on probation and 1 youth parent. The completion percentage was 76.5%. A total 15,757.25 work hours by corps members were completed. The work sponsors were non-profits, community gardens, city park and recreation departments and the city and county of San Luis Obispo.

Contact Information

Domenic Santangelo, Center Director
California Conservation Corps
Los Padres Center
(805)-549-3561
domenics@ccc.ca.gov

Matt Green, Director, Workforce and Community Programs
Cuesta Community College
San Luis Obispo, Ca
(805)-546-3107 x 2229
mgreen@cuesta.edu

Joyce Aldrich, San Luis Obispo WIB
joyce@enjldrich.com

San Luis Obispo County Places Bet On Education

chrisreyes — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:29:59 +0000

San Luis Obispo County opens doors by giving community college students a shot at getting great union jobs.

Program Name

San Luis Obispo County – ARRA Summer Youth Corps Model

Program Description

In partnership with the San Luis Obispo County WIB, Cuesta Community College and the California Conservation Corp’s Los Padres Center, this pilot project will provide training opportunities in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. This program will include classroom and hands-on training in basic construction practices with a solid grounding in green building and energy/water efficiency so individuals are prepared for work in the weatherization and building retrofit construction fields. This program, along with teaching skills to reduce carbon footprints will be used toward the following objectives: Education, Recruitment, Job Training, and Job Placement.

ARRA-Funding Government Program

Funding was awarded from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to the San Luis Obispo County Workforce Investment Board in the amount of $610,055.

Date Grant Awarded

July 2009

Successful Results

Pathways will be offered that can be a precursor to the preconstruction program at the Community Colleges and/or Pre-apprenticeship programs at IBEW Local #639, Santa Barbara Building and Trades Council, Plumbers and Pipefitters. Qualifying graduates will be channeled to Community Action Partnerships to obtain industry sector Certificate in Energy/Weatherization Training Program and may be hired by Community Action Partnerships.

The success of the Green Building/Clean Energy Workforce Training Program will be evaluated through the project outcomes, which will include the number of program enrollees, competency awards given and successful job placements made. In addition, program participants, internship worksites, and employers will be asked to complete an assessment questionnaire rating various program components on a five point scale.

Contact Information

Domenic Santangelo, Center Director
California Conservation Corps
Los Padres Center
(805)-549-3561
domenics@ccc.ca.gov

Matt Green, Director, Workforce and Community Programs
Cuesta Community College
San Luis Obispo, Ca
(805)-546-3107 x 2229
mgreen@cuesta.edu

Joyce Aldrich, San Luis Obispo WIB
(805)- 903-1493 & (805)-602-2441
info@sloworkforce.com

Santa Cruz Greens 1200 Homes

chrisreyes — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:44:34 +0000

Santa Cruz Weatherization Assistance Program reduces energy bills, makes homes safer and healthier.

Program Name:
Santa Cruz Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

Program Description

The WAP provides eligible households with services designed to improve the energy efficiency of their home, reducing energy usage/costs, while safeguarding the health and safety of the household. Households are also educated on basic energy efficiency practices, and instructed on the proper use and maintenance of the measures installed. Typical weatherization measures may include: weather-stripping, insulation, caulking, water heater blankets, refrigerator replacement, water heater repair/replacement, heating and cooling system repair/replacement, compact fluorescent lamps, and thermostats.

ARRA-Funding Government Programs

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded funds to the AmeriCorps and the Santa Cruz Workforce Investment Board.

Date Grant Awarded

July 2009

Successful Results

AmeriCorps members/Greater South Bay Green Job members worked with a local non-profit and Central Coast Energy Services to weatherize 1200 homes.

Contact Information
Brenda Herrmann, Conservation Administrator
California Conservation Corps
757 Green Valley Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 901-6744
brenda.burks-herrmann@ccc.ca.gov

Key Dates (backup post of draft)

ian — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:40:01 +0000

Date Heading Description

September 4 (DOL) Energy Training Partnership Grant Applications Due Projects will provide training and placement services in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries

September 8-10

September 9

September 16

September 29

October 29

The $45 billion stimulus question: What now?

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:59:04 +0000

With the recent passage of the federal economic recovery bill, now comes the even harder part — turning those dollars into good, lasting jobs for Californians.

The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will provide roughly $45 billion to help heal California’s deep economic wounds. The White House projects the bill will result in nearly 400,000 new California jobs. But what kind of jobs will be created and how will we decide which ones to fund?

This package offers the single greatest opportunity to jumpstart our state’s transition to a 21st century economy by investing in California’s clean energy future and creating good jobs, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We must both revive our ailing economy while confronting the threat of climate change. We can and must do both.

Creating jobs quickly, however, does not mean that California should sacrifice the opportunity to do it right. We deserve a process to allocate the stimulus funds that is clear, transparent and accessible. And we deserve funding priorities that provide the greatest number of good, long term jobs that provide lasting environmental and social benefits.

Countless advocates successfully pushed for the package to support “green-collar jobs”– jobs that pay family-supporting wages, have a career path, and contribute to environmental sustainability. The federal investments in the stimulus package have the potential to achieve these goals by improving energy efficiency, upgrading our transmission grid, and providing much-needed job training to low-income residents to build up the next generation of green-collar workers.
With California mired in an economic crisis, getting funds out the door and into the best job-creating projects must be our top priority. To make that happen, the state must follow these four core principles:

Transparency: In contrast to Sacramento’s backroom budget negotiations, California must have a clear, transparent process for the public to provide input and track where the money is going. With Californians pinching every penny in their own households and lacking confidence in state government, residents must be assured they are receiving the benefits of their hard-earned tax dollars. California must meet or exceed the high level of federal oversight President Obama has set.

Support a triple bottom line: Good green jobs will bring a triple benefit by creating economic sustainability for employees and business owners, improving the environment, and building up communities, especially those most at risk in this economic downturn. California’s policymakers must ensure that newly created jobs provide family-supporting wages and benefits with a career pathway and promote the preservation or restoration of the environment. Doing so will maximize economic growth and ensure the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

Rebuild Clean and Green: Policymakers should apply forward-thinking energy efficiency standards to all stimulus projects, including transportation and buildings. We must seize the opportunity to put our communities on the path to sustainable economic progress. Reducing our energy use and cutting greenhouse gas emissions is a smart, long-term, economic growth strategy.

Shared prosperity: While hard times have fallen on every corner of the state, some California communities are suffering more than others. As we build a new clean energy economy, we must ensure lower income communities and communities of color across the State receive long overdue investments. State leaders must target job training for people and regions too often left out of economic opportunities, re-employ dislocated workers, and ensure broad sharing of the opportunities created by the stimulus. The state’s community college system and State-approved apprenticeship programs are perfectly suited to help build career ladders for millions of low-income Californians.

We have joined with dozens of the states most influential and respected environmental, social justice, labor, and workforce organizations to form the California Green Stimulus Coalition. As federal stimulus dollars arrive in California, the Coalition will work to ensure that our leaders deploy them in a way that builds a strong and equitable California. Now let’s seize the $45 billion opportunity to take California in a new clean and green direction.

by
Phil Angelides, Warner Chabot and Angela Glover Blackwell

Join the Coalition

admin — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:12:36 +0000

Joining the California Green Stimulus Coalition is a four-step process.

1) Find a sponsor. An existing coalition member must “sponsor” you, meaning that the existing member vouches for you as someone who can:

a) Uphold our coalition principles: http://californiagreenstimulus.org/our-principles, and
b) Play well in the sandbox with others.

2) Decide which team(s) you wish to join. We have formed four teams (listed below, in the form), and you should have a sense of which team(s) you’d like to join.

3) Fill out this form

4) Your sponsor, separately, will be asked to answer a few questions vouching for your organization.

5) No objection from existing members within one week. An announcement will be emailed to the coalition, and if no existing coalition member raises an objection within one week, then your organization can join. You will be notified of the outcome of this process.

Your Obligations and Responsibilities as a coalition member:

A) Play well in the sandbox with others.

B) Join and contribute to an issue-area team (choose below).

C) Time commitment: Participate in monthly conference calls (first Thursdays, 3-4pm), PLUS conference calls, meetings, and work related to team participation.

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