California Green Corps: Putting Federal Economic Stimulus Dollars to Work Training California's Youth to Excel in Emerging Green Jobs
A new program that is unlike anything else in the
nation ... the Green Corps will help underprivileged young people learn job
skills while we create a well-trained workforce for clean technology and the
green economy. (Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, 3/16/09)
Making use of federal economic
stimulus dollars and public-private partnerships, Governor Schwarzenegger is
continuing his work to revive California's economy and provide hands-on action
to improve the environment by creating the California Green Corps. The
Governor's Green Corps will place at least 1,000 at-risk youth aged 16-24 into
green jobs over the next 20 months. The program, to be housed within
CaliforniaVolunteers, will use federal economic stimulus dollars and resources
from public-private partnerships to invest $20 million in ensuring that
California has the workforce to fill the jobs of the future. The green job
market will only continue to expand - and this program will train the skilled
workers to fill it.
This inventive program takes
the Governor's ongoing commitment to the environment and to creating green jobs
one step further - bringing it to underserved communities. Green technology
is the future of California's economy and with the California Green Corps, the
Governor is making sure that least 1,000 at-risk youth will receive the proper
training to help comprise it.
- In the years to come, California is going to need thousands more workers to be a part of our growing green industry - the Green Corps will help prepare those workers. We will need construction workers, cost estimators, energy analysts, computer technicians, salespersons, scientists, engineers, and many others.
- At least 1,000 at-risk youths will be placed in green jobs through the 20-month Green Corps pilot program - building up both underserved communities and our green workforce.
- There will be at least 10 regional Green Corps, and at least one in each of state's nine economic regions, that should begin serving youth by this Summer. In order to participate, regional organizations must partner to apply for a grant from the state. A Green Corps Advisory Committee will select the winning models.
- To help ensure the success of the Green Corps, it will be housed within CaliforniaVolunteers. This agency is in a unique position to work across state agencies, regional non-profits, foundations and businesses as well as to leverage federal economic stimulus monies - because this is what CaliforniaVolunteers does every day.
The California Green Corps
will further the vision shared by Governor Schwarzenegger and President Obama
of helping our economy rebound while creating a greener America. The
Governor has long called for a serious federal investment in green technology,
and now with a partner in the White House, California can further benefit from
its own investments.
Governor
Schwarzenegger plans to dedicate $10 million of the federal economic stimulus
money to the California Green Corps. These funds will help bring 1,000 new
and skilled workers into California's green sector - furthering California's
already nation-leading efforts.
California will use public-private
partnerships to bring an additional $10 million to the table to jumpstart the
California Green Corps. This will bring the total amount invested in the
Green Corps to $20 million.
Because
of public-private partnerships, all Green Corps participants will have
especially unique and comprehensive training . All participants will receive
a stipend but must also complete job training focused on green jobs with a
future, continue their education, and contribute to their communities through
community service.
In the next decade, California
will need tens of thousands of skilled workers to fill the jobs of the green
economy. Estimates for the number of jobs that will be created because of
California's green policies range to up to 114,000 and up to $25.3 billion in
additional annual revenue.
- In California UC Berkeley estimated that the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) alone would lead to 83,000 new green jobs by 2010. (Assembly Bill 3018, Assembly Committee Analysis)
- A report issued by the Natural Resources Defense Council estimated that by 2010, capital investments in California could see the creation of between 52,000 and 114,000 green jobs with a corresponding $11.2 billion to $25.3 billion in annual revenue." (Assembly Bill 3018, Assembly Committee Analysis
This program furthers the goals of California's Green Collar Jobs Council, created when the Governor signed Assembly Bill 3018 in September 2008. That Council is charged with "developing a comprehensive approach to address California's emerging workforce needs associated with its budding "green" economy." (Office of the Governor, Press Release, "Gov. Schwarzenegger Continues Commitment to Building a Green Economy," 9/26/08)
