California Center for Sustainable Energy

California green jobs program largest in nation

It was good news for San Diego when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the awarding of $27 million in grants to jump-start the California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program, the largest state-sponsored green jobs training program in the nation. Under the program’s first phase, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will receive the maximum award of $1,000,000 for a broad-based initiative in which CCSE is participating as a member of the San Diego Green Building Training Collaborative.

A total of 34 grants were made throughout California to train an anticipated 5,600 workers for clean jobs in weatherization and building retrofit construction, solar installation, green plumbing and energy auditing among other areas.

“This program represents the kind of innovative thinking needed to steer our economy toward a greener future, while targeting the unemployed, underemployed and new workforce members at a time when we must do everything possible to help Californians return to work,” Gov. Schwarzenegger said.

The San Diego program targets unemployed or underemployed workers with previous construction experience who want to transition into the green marketplace. The training will have two primary centers: Cuyamaca College in the south and Palomar College in the north. Both colleges will offer a variety of programs that lead to industry recognized certifications in green building, building analysis, home energy rating, water auditing and solar PV and thermal installation.

“We are proud to be a partner in developing and implementing this innovative green building training program for San Diegans,” said Irene Stillings, CCSE executive director. “The demand for well-trained workers in solar, renewable energy and other green industries is going to grow rapidly over the next few years, and this collaboration with the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College district will provide a critical bridge for people wanting to secure a job in the green building marketplace.”

CCSE will provide assistance with curriculum development for the programs and assist the collaborative in establishing and operating a Green Employer Council made up of local industry experts to provide oversight for the program and opportunities for employment for program graduates.

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