Training dollars available for industry-leading certification programs
San Francisco, CA - As part of an initiative to create a workforce qualified to carry out the energy efficiency incentive programs and policies throughout the state, the California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP) has awarded grant-funding to Efficiency First, a national nonprofit trade association that unites the Home Performance workforce, to reimburse its California Chapter member companies for employee training.
Studies have shown that a shortfall will continue to exist in the number of qualified, trained workers serving the emerging green economy. In order to meet the market demand for green technology, businesses must become active participants in training their workforce. Leveraging nearly $100 million in America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, as well as state, local and private funding, government and private industry are working together to prepare Californians for careers in a clean energy future.
Certifications included under the Efficiency First training program are offered by nationally-recognized organizations such as the Building Performance Institute (BPI), the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).
CleanEdison is an approved training provider for the reimbursement program and is offering both BPI Certification and LEED Exam preparation courses for Efficiency First program participants in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and surrounding areas. CleanEdison has educated hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals in green building practices, both through workforce development programs and the largest open enrollment program in the nation.
The Efficiency First program will off-set employer training costs by providing a reimbursement at the rate of $26 for every hour an employee spends in eligible training. Application for participation in this training program is open to all members of the California Chapter of Efficiency First, and is subject to screening for compliance with the Employment Training Panel’s guidelines for eligibility.
For more information about applying to participate in the program, please visit the program information page on the Efficiency First website: http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/catraining/
About the California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP): California has invested almost $75 million in the Clean Energy Workforce Training Program to create a well-trained workforce capable of filling the jobs necessary to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, climate change strategies, vehicle fuel technology and green buildings. The Employment Training Panel (ETP) and the California Energy Commission (Energy Commission) have entered a partnership to promote skills development and career advancement in the state’s emerging green economy. ETP is a business and labor supported state agency that assists employers in strengthening their competitive edge by providing funds to off-set the costs of job skills training necessary to maintain high-performance workplaces. Since July 2006, ETP has approved close to $60M in green/clean technology related contracts for more than 53,000 California workers.
About Efficiency First: Efficiency First is a national nonprofit trade association that unites the Home Performance workforce, building product manufacturers and related businesses and organizations in the escalating fight against global warming and rising energy costs. Efficiency First represents its members in public policy discussions at the state and national levels, to promote the benefits of efficiency retrofitting and to help our industry grow to meet unprecedented demand for quality residential energy improvements. Expansion of the Home Performance industry represents a crucial path to economic growth in the face of historically high unemployment and unprecedented weakness in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Consumer demand for efficiency retrofits will create hundreds of thousands of high-paying local jobs that cannot be outsourced overseas, while stimulating a surge of manufacturing of building materials primarily made by American workers.
About CleanEdison:
CleanEdison, Inc. is the nation's leading green job training provider offering award-winning green education services to individuals, companies, federal, state and local governments. Our mission is to promote sustainability and green building practices by offering best-in-class education and expert advice through our customized consulting services and the largest open enrollment green training program in the nation. Winner of the 2009 CTN Green Excellence Seal for Green Education, CleanEdison is part of the US Green Building Council's Education Provider Program and an approved affiliate of the Building Performance Institute (BPI). Headquartered in New York, CleanEdison offers courses in BPI Certification, Energy Audit Training, LEED Certification, Solar Training, Geothermal Classes, Wind and Renewable Energy. To learn more about CleanEdison and to sign up for courses, please visit www.cleanedison.com
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Yes the program is available for the entire state of California.