The Green Jobs Act
The Green Jobs Act of 2007 authorized $125 million per year from the federal government to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program. The Green Jobs Act is an initial pilot program to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and train workers for jobs in a range of green industries. It targets a broad range of populations for eligibility, but has a special focus on creating “green pathways out of poverty.” Congress has not yet appropriated the $125M for the Green Jobs Act. Green For All and its partners are advocating for full funding of the Green Jobs Act.
The Green Jobs Act of 2007 authorized $125 million per year to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program as an amendment to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Green Jobs Act (GJA) is an initial pilot program to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and train workers for jobs in a range of industries – including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, biofuels, and manufacturing that produces sustainable products and uses sustainable processes and materials. It targets a broad range of populations for eligibility, but has a special focus on creating “green pathways out of poverty.” Click here to read our 5 page overview (Frequently Asked Questions) of the Green Jobs Act.
The Green Jobs Act became Title X of the Energy Independence and Security Act (often referred to as the "2007 Energy Bill"), which Congress passed and the President signed in late 2007. Congress appropriated $500 million for the Green Jobs Act through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of February, 2009. You can download the text of the Green Jobs Act here. Here is a link to the entire 2007 Energy Bill.
