Durbin Announces $6 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Green Job Training in Illinois

From the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded a $6,000,000 State Energy Partnership and Training grant to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today’s funding will be used to implement projects such as the Greater Rockford Solar Initiative and the Chicago Green Jobs for All Initiative, both of which provide green job training and certification.

“Creating good-paying jobs and promoting a clean energy future are two main goals of the Recovery Act,” said Durbin. “This funding will make a significant investment in the effort to reduce the carbon footprint of residents and businesses in Illinois while bringing an estimated 3,000 workers into a new industry that will drive our economy in the years to come.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity plans to use this funding to train and place an estimated 1,310 workers in energy efficient occupations, as well as aid approximately 1,700 workers in earning industry-recognized degrees. Earlier today the DOL announced 34 grants nationwide ranging from $2 million to $6 million each. A total of $440 million in Green Job grant funding has been made available by the DOL over the last month. State Energy Partnership and Training grants are designed to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries such as energy efficiency and renewable energy.