FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2010
MEDIA CONTACT: STEVEN ENGELHARDT (314) 504-4029

Secretary Solis, Congressman Clay Announce
$6 Million Recovery Act Grant to Help Missouri Veterans Train for Green Energy Jobs

Missouri’s State Energy Sector Partnership Will Create

Over 800 Training Slots in Clean Energy Sector

-Washington, D.C. - U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) MO-1 announced today that the State of Missouri has been awarded a $6 million Recovery Act Grant to create two new Green Energy Sector training programs that will focus on veterans. 

“I want to congratulate Governor Nixon and his staff at the Missouri Division of Workforce Development for winning this Recovery Act Grant to help veterans train to compete in the 21st Century Green Economy,” said Congressman Clay.  “I am proud to support their efforts to create training and job opportunities for veterans in solar, wind and geothermal energy. I’m also very pleased that this ARRA grant will allow Missouri’s Heat and Frost Insulators & Allied Workers Unions to greatly expand the capacity of their apprenticeship programs to help veterans and displaced workers train for clean energy jobs.”

The $6 million Recovery Act grant will directly support implementation of two training programs that emphasize veterans. The Renewable Energy Training Institute in St. Louis will create a veterans priority training program.  And the Heat and Frost Insulators & Allied Workers Union will provide 480 incumbent journeymen and apprentices with enhanced qualifications in commercial and industrial energy efficiency assessment and cost estimating.

Additional training slots that will be created include:

- (120) Veterans and/or qualified spouses of active duty military personnel will complete the Renewable Energy Training Institute Veterans Certificate of Completion and Apprenticeship Program.

- (150) Participants will graduate from renewable energy degree programs at associate’s degree-granting institutions, and;

- (60) Participants will complete minors or certificate programs from within degree granting engineering programs.

The State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants are designed to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. Thirty-four awards ranging from approximately $2 million to $6 million each are being made to state workforce investment boards in partnership with their state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards or regional consortia of boards, and One-Stop Career Center delivery systems.

-30-