Stimulus Money Going to Green Jobs
At least in California, that’s where some of it’s going - $10 million dollars to be exact. The money will be used to fund the Green Corps, a program that will provide training for underprivileged youth to learn jobs in green construction, energy, and technology. The funding will be matched by an additional $10 million from public-private partnerships.
Announced by Gov. Schwarzenegger last week, the program provides for 1,000 youth, ages 16-24, to be enrolled. They will learn 21st century skills in energy and technical fields, while continuing their education and giving back through community service. The Green Corps will be housed within CaliforniaVolunteers, which (thankfully) already has experience in administering similar job corps programs.
Though this program will provide opportunities for these kids that they might not get elsewhere, it’s really a drop in the bucket as far as the number of workers needed for green jobs. The NRDC recently reported that between 52,000 and 114,000 new workers will be needed by 2010 to fill jobs created by green investments. Let’s hope that’s true!
Photo credit: Office of the Governor
