Prince George's Co. Green Workforce Initiative Training Marylanders for Energy Sector Jobs

Program Success an Example of How the Federal Recovery Act is Working for Maryland

Rep. Hoyer visits a work station at the Joint School of Carpentry where students are training for green energy job opportunities.

UPPER MARLBORO, MD – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md) today saw firsthand how a new workforce development program in Prince George's County made possible with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is working to train Marylanders for job opportunities in the emerging clean energy sector.  The Green Industry Certification Program (GICP), which operates at the Joint School of Carpentry in Upper Marlboro, offers students pre-apprenticeship training and assists in job placement upon graduation. Rep. Hoyer received a briefing of the new program, toured instruction and training facilities and met with students currently enrolled in the program.

 

"The development and installation of clean, energy-efficient technologies is a growing sector for American businesses and for workers whose skills will be needed to build our clean energy economy," stated Rep. Hoyer. "This program is about providing opportunities - both for workers to develop new skills and for employers who will rely on a skilled workforce to be successful in a competitive market. I am pleased to see yet another example how the federal Recovery Act is working to invest in job growth here in Maryland and drive a sustainable economic recovery for our state and our nation."

 

Through a nine-week program GICP students receive instruction and training in weatherization, LEED, workplace safety, and basic job skills to receive certifications in LEEDs Levels I and II, CPR and First Aid, and Maryland State Weatherization Tactics. The program has successfully graduated two classes and is set to graduate its third this month. Of the previously graduated classes, more than 50 percent are currently employed in clean energy jobs, and more are expected to find employment. 

 

Legislation passed by the House last week - Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (HR 5019) - would likely open up more doors of opportunity in the clean energy field if enacted. The Home Star program, which is modeled after the successful Cash for Clunkers program, is designed to spur job growth in the energy construction, manufacturing, and retail industries by giving families incentives to make their homes more energy efficient.

 

"Creating jobs remains a top priority for this Congress, and the Home Star program will accomplish that objective by restarting assembly lines at factories that manufacture energy efficiency technologies and putting construction workers back on the job installing these improvements in the homes of millions of American families," stated Rep. Hoyer. "This Home Star bill and the GICP are examples of the aggressive effort we are making to build a more energy-efficient America—and a lasting, job-creating economic recovery."

 

The GICP was created last fall after the Maryland Department Housing & Community Development, received a combined $1.25 million in grant funding through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act ($907,000 Community Service Block Grant and $350,000 DOE Weatherization Program). The initiative is a joint collaborative that includes United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP), the U.S. Green Building Council, the Joint School of Carpentry, Team Builders, and Prince George's County Community College.  

 

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