The U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday awarded Connecticut $5.8 million to train workers in brownfield remediation, weatherization, energy management and other environmentally friendly career paths.
The Connecticut Department of Labor will use the $5.8 million for its Connecticut Green Jobs Funnel Initiative. The money will help 975 unemployed or underemployed workers from the construction industry train in sustainable methods. Workers from Hartford, Bristol, Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven, New London and Waterbury are eligible.
The money comes from the Green Jobs Innovation Fund established under the Workforce Investment Act, designed to help workers receive training in environmentally friendly industry sectors. The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $38 million on Wednesday to 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The LIUNA Training and Education Fund – a union training arm headquartered in Pomfret Center – also received $5.5 million from the Green Jobs Innovation Fund on Wednesday, although the organization does not intend to spend the money training Connecticut workers. Instead, LIUNA will use the $5.5 million for seven training sites in New York, Florida, Louisiana and Ohio.
