American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grants: Green Jobs and High Growth Solicitations for Grant Applications

Who Will Benefit From ARRA Green Jobs and High Growth Grants? Workers adversely affected by national energy & environmental policy; Individuals in need of updated training; Veterans; Unemployed; Individuals, including at-risk youth, seeking a pathway out of poverty; and, Ex-offenders.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grants Overview $750 million The Recovery Act provides $750 million in competitive grants for worker training and placement in green jobs, high growth and emerging industries. $500 million for Green Jobs: Grants will fund projects that prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. DOL’s Employment and Training Administration published a Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications to compete for these funds on June 24, $250 million for Health Care/High Growth: Priority on projects that prepare workers for careers in the health care sector. DOL’s Employment and Training Administration published a Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for $220 million of the $250 million on July 21, Projects will seek to place participants in jobs while leveraging other Recovery Act investments intended to create jobs and promote economic growth.

State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants $50 million Purpose: Funds are available to collect, analyze, and disseminate labor market information, and to enhance the labor exchange infrastructure for careers within the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. Eligibility: Workforce Agencies of the 50 States, D.C., and territories, or a consortium of such agencies. Collaborative approaches are encouraged. Projects: Data collection and estimation activities related to green industries, occupations, and skill requirements; data dissemination activities; and related research activities. Grantees should focus on job placement in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors for workers trained for green jobs. CLOSE DATE August 14, 2009

Energy Training Partnership Grants $100 million Purpose: To provide training and placement services for workers that prepare them to enter the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, as well as green occupations within other industries. Eligibility: Grants will be made to private nonprofit organizations in one of two categories: national labor-management organization with local networks, or a statewide or local nonprofit partnership. Partnerships should be made up of a diverse set of stakeholders. $25 million will be set aside for projects proposing to serve communities affected by auto industry restructuring. Projects: Research and Training programs that will help prepare individuals for careers in any of the 7 energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, which include: the energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofit industries; the renewable electric power industry; the energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicle industry; the biofuels industry; etc. CLOSE DATE September 4, 2009

CLOSE DATE September 29, 2009 $150 million Purpose: To integrate training and supportive services to help targeted populations find pathways out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency through employment in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries Eligibility: National nonprofit entities with networks of local affiliates, coalition members or other established partners; and local entities, including community and faith based organizations, the public workforce investment system, education and training community, labor organizations, employers, industry related organizations Projects: Serve areas of high poverty, include sound recruitment and referral strategies, integrate basic skills and work-readiness training with occupational skills training, make training sessions accessible Pathways Out of Poverty Grants

State Energy Sector Partnerships and Training Grants $190 million Purpose: To provide training and placement services to help workers enter the energy efficiency and renewable energy industry, and green occupations in other industries Eligibility: The eligible applicants for this SGA are State Workforce Investment Boards in partnership with their State Workforce Agency, local Workforce Investment Boards or regional consortia of Boards, and One Stop Career Center delivery systems. [Community and faith-based organizations, business and industry groups, educational institutions such as community and technical colleges.] $25 million will be set aside for projects proposing to serve communities affected by auto industry restructuring. Projects: Training, job placement, and related activities that reflect a comprehensive statewide energy sector strategy CLOSE DATE October 20, 2009

Green Capacity Building Grants $5 million Purpose: To build the capacity of organizations to provide training for entry-level positions leading to career pathways and/or additional training in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. Eligibility: Only active DOL-funded grantees specified in Part III of this SGA are eligible to apply (see fact sheets for list). Projects: Curriculum development for training in energy efficient and renewable energy industries, purchase of equipment, staff professional development, hiring of additional staff CLOSE DATE August 5, 2009

Who Can Apply for Green Jobs SGA Funding? SGACategory State LMI Improve- ment $50M Energy Training Partnership* $100M Pathways Out of Poverty $150M State Energy Sector and Partnership* $190M Green Capacity Building $5M Eligible Applicants State Workforce Agencies Consortia of State Workforce Agencies National Labor- management organizations with local networks; Statewide or local non- profits with partnerships of employers, WIBs and others National organizations with local networks, coalition members or others; local organizations State workforce Boards in partnerships with their State Workforce Agency, local WIB and One-Stop Centers Current grantees of these DOL programs: Indian and Native American program, NFJP, Prisoner Re- entry, SCSEP, Heroes at Home/Military Spouses, WANTO, Registered Apprenticeship, YouthBuild, Young Offender

Health Care and Other High Growth Industry Grants $220 million Purpose: To train workers and employers in health care and other high growth and emerging industries, and to assist individuals impacted by the recession by providing training and placement into employment. Eligibility: Public and nonprofit entities are eligible applicants. These may include local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and their One Stop Systems, Tribal organizations, education and training providers, labor organizations, and faith-based and community organizations. Projects: Projects support participants’ advancement along a defined career pathway, result in an employer or industry recognized certificate or degree, and integrate training activities with supportive services to help target populations overcome barriers to participation in training and employment. CLOSE DATE October 5, 2009

Health Care and Other High Growth Industry Grants, cont’d Sectors: Health Care Sector: Proposals targeting any of the health care industry’s subsectors, particularly applications that focus on one or more of the following health care sub-sectors and occupational categories: –Nursing –Long-Term Care –Health IT –Allied Health (clinical staff like physical therapists or lab technicians) Other High Growth Industries: The Solicitation directs applicants to define local high growth or emerging industries in the context of their state or regional economy. Examples of high growth and emerging industries include information technology, advanced manufacturing, wireless and broadband deployment, transportation and warehousing and biotechnology.

A series of Webinars are available to provide guidance and technical assistance to prospective applicants for each Solicitation. These Webinars can be downloaded for individual view via ETA’s Technical Assistance Web site: Solicitations for Grant Applications are available at: Federal Register: See Volume 74, No. 120/Wednesday, June 24 and Volume 74, No. 139, Wednesday, June 22 DOL/ETA site: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Questions on Solicitations In order to ensure consistency of responses and a fair and open competition, ALL INQUIRIES from prospective applicants should be directed to the Grant Specialists assigned to each SGA and as listed in the Solicitation: State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants - Willie Harris Reference SGA/DFA PY Energy Training Partnership Grants – Janice Sheelor Reference SGA/DFA PY Pathways Out of Poverty Grants – Melissa Abdullah Reference SGA/DFA PY State Energy Sector Partnerships and Training Grants – Jeannette Flowers Reference SGA/DFA PY Green Capacity Building Grants – Denise Roach Reference SGA/ DFA PY Health Care and Other Growth and Emerging Industries – Ariam Ferro Reference SGA/DFA PY 09-01