California launched a program this week to guide at-risk young adults aged 16-24 into work in the state’s emerging green economy.
Following a meeting with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the creation of the California Green Corps.
Investing at least $10 million in federal economic stimulus funding from the U.S. Department of Labor and an additional $10 million from public-private partnerships, the initial phase of the California Green Corps will consist of a 20-month pilot program for at least 1,000 of California’s at-risk young adults.
The program will consist of a minimum of 10 regional Green Corps throughout the state–with at least one regional Green Corps located in each of California’s nine economic regions. All programs will be public-private partnerships that include green job training, a stipend, an educational requirement and community service.
"The Green Corps will help underprivileged young people learn job skills while we create a well-trained workforce for clean technology and for the green economy," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I’ve been pushing for this program for a long time, because it kind of combines my passion for the environment, for protecting the economy, creating jobs, career-tech education and helping underprivileged kids and of course, service."
The program will be housed under CaliforniaVolunteers–an agency that seeks to combine federal economic stimulus funding with public-private partnerships and state agencies.
Schwarzenegger said the program was developed in cooperation with Green For All and other nonprofit organizations. Green For All founder Van Jones began work this week as a special advisor to the Obama administration.
The Green Corps furthers the goals of California’s Green Collar Jobs Council which was created when the Governor signed Assembly Bill 3018 in September 2008. The Council is charged with developing a comprehensive approach to address the workforce needs associated with California’s emerging green economy.
In Related News…
California’s Climate Action Team is compiling financial estimates that indicate the state could suffer losses of $2.5 billion to $15 billion a year by 2050, as a result of climate change.
Read MSNBC coverage at the link below.
Loading...
We must be sending to any tax dollars to Washington if they have money for programs like these. Keep in mind that Hilda Solis is “pro union”. Unions do their best to keep union member worker’s pay and benefits high, while keeping other workers from competing for the same jobs. So if Solis were really interested in urban youths having jobs, she’d cut off her union ties and vigorously oppose unions so that the disadvantaged could compete for the jobs that unions tie up for their members.
I meant to type “we must be sending too many tax dollars to Washington”.