Funding will Help Bucks County Community College Train Local Workers to Compete for Green Jobs of 21st Century

(Bristol, PA) – On Tuesday, Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) announced Bucks County Community College’s Green Jobs Academy received $946,000 to train and prepare Bucks County workers to enter the green economy. The program offers students the chance to study cutting-edge, clean technologies that will prepare them for the high-paying jobs of the 21st century that cannot be shipped overseas.

“The Green Jobs Academy helps ensure that Bucks County workers are competitive in applying for the high-paying green jobs of the 21st century that can’t be shipped overseas,” said Rep. Murphy. “If we’re going to get our economy working again, we need to invest in the jobs of the future and not turn back to the failed economic policies of the past that left too many Bucks County workers behind.”

“The College is exceptionally pleased to be of service to our community in this exciting ‘green technology’ arena,” said College President Dr. James Linksz. “We have experience offering a variety of education options in brownfields redevelopment and in certification for energy specialists. We look forward to working with our industry partners like Gamesa, AEPolysilicon, Y-Carbon, Dow Chemical, Lockheed Martin, PECO, Rhodia and Drexel University to broaden the reach of our technical training programs. We particularly appreciate the confidence of Congressman Murphy in securing support for these efforts and look forward to working with our veterans as they return from service and seek family sustaining employment opportunities.”

Of the total award, $631,000 came from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through a competitive grant process for community colleges to develop and expand weatherization training centers. The Academy will use the funds to provide green job training for local workers in energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization services. With this training, skilled workers can help expand the use of energy efficient practices in America's homes and businesses while expanding their own opportunities in the job market.

The remaining $315,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry will go to the Academy’s program geared specifically toward veterans, providing them with job readiness training to restore our environment and economy while helping them transition back into their communities. The program focuses on three major green energy sectors: Renewable Energy; Pollution Prevention and Brownfield Cleanup; and Energy Efficiency. All three training programs provide technical training, along with internships and additional hands-on experience, veteran’s development services, and the opportunity to establish career development relationships.

Shortly after taking office, Rep. Murphy met with leaders in the renewable energy industry and learned that workforce development was an obstacle to the growth of green energy. To address this need, Rep. Murphy partnered with Bucks County Community College to create the Green Jobs Academy.  Its primary goal is ensuring that Bucks workers can participate and compete in the renewable energy industry, creating jobs, protecting the environment, and lessening our dependence on foreign oil. 

The Bucks County Community College Green Jobs Academy includes a variety of private industry partners in addition to academic partners, including Dow, Lockheed Martin, AE Polysilicon, Gamesa, PECO, Y-Carbon, Arkema, Rhodia, and Drexel University. 

For Immediate Release, June 8, 2010
Contact, Sara Schaumburg (202) 225-4276