From the outbox of Meyer’s inbox:
There was a dustup a while back about a solar energy company that got backing from the federal government only to end up going bust. One side says “that the fix was in and heads must roll!” The other side says, “what are you talking about?” Unfortunately, this kind of bickering takes the eye off the prize and that is developing viable alternative energy sources. While Congress does its thing of pointing fingers, local government is rolling up it’s sleeves and getting to work with green jobs. Case in point: Training programs set up in Kansas City. This is just one city. Is there something like this in your neck of the woods? Let us know.
SIX GREATER KANSAS CITY AREA ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE GREEN JOBS TRAINING
Kansas City, MO – infoZine – Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is supporting six organizations in the Kansas City region to provide workforce development training programs in energy efficiency, water conservation and deconstruction through the EnergyWorks KC program.
EnergyWorks KC is the result of a $20 million grant received by the city of Kansas City, Mo., to transform the energy retrofit market for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. Initially, the program targets seven neighborhoods, with the ultimate goal of reaching the metropolitan area. As part of this effort, MARC is developing a green jobs pipeline to provide residents of the target areas with a career path for green job opportunities, from training to certification to employment. Residents will receive the necessary training and skills for energy retrofit careers, to work on EnergyWorks KC projects and other green job opportunities.
Below is an overview of the seven projects funded by MARC with support from the city of Kansas City, Mo.
Metropolitan Energy Center will directly train or augment training workers in energy conservation including:
Commercial Energy Auditors, Weatherization Installation Contractors and Weatherization Installation Workers,
Deconstruction Workers, Recycling and Reclamation Workers, Hazardous Materials Removal Workers, Asbestos Abatement Workers, Lead Abatement Workers, and Environmental Compliance Inspectors.
Metropolitan Energy Center will work with:
a) unemployed or underemployed individuals seeking work in energy-related fields;
b) incumbent workers seeking additional credentials to advance in their careers; and
c) independent contractors or other businesses seeking additional credentials
Johnson County Community College
Johnson County Community College will provide green job training to JCCC students and help establish a green jobs pipeline in the metro area’s hospitality industry through the Sustainable Hospitality Internship program for seven interns. Program interns will help increase restaurants’ energy efficiency and water conservation.
A stipend to each participating restaurant will help them implement building energy efficiency and/or water conservation measures on their prioritized project recommendation list. Examples include lighting retrofits, low-flow water fixtures, energy-efficient upgrades to hoods or other equipment, etc.
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Kansas City Kansas Community College will provide a Construction Green-Up training program to prepare unskilled and low-income individuals for employment in a construction “green job,” with a focus on deconstruction training, which is defined as the selective dismantlement or removal of materials from buildings before, or instead of demolition. The curriculum has been designed around six modules or skill areas: Occupational Safety and Health certification; Lead Renovator, Repair and Painting certification; Forklift Operation certification; Deconstruction and Salvageable Material Training; Business and Entrepreneurship Workshop; and Essential Employability Skills and Career Placement.
University of Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri will provide two training programs that are a part of the National Energy Retrofit Institute program — Retrofit Brokers (RB) training and Residential Energy Client Service Coordinators (RECSC) training. The Retrofit Broker training will focus on underemployed real estate professionals who will provide direct energy awareness education to property owner. RECSC training will target unemployed individuals who can provide customer service for property owners wanting to explore energy efficiency.
Read the rest about these programs from in Kansas City here.
