Green Training
Job Corps has taken a leadership position in providing training for an emerging green economy. Job Corps launched four new advanced training areas within the Construction career pathway - Weatherization Technician, Overhead Line Construction, Smart Meter Technician, and Underground Residential Distribution. One new career technical training program has been added to the Renewable Resources career pathway - Solar Photovoltaic and Thermal System Installer, and one new program has been added to the Health Care career pathway - Electronic Health Record Specialist.
In addition to creating these new advanced training areas, Job Corps added green elements to existing career technical training programs in three initial industries: Construction, Advanced Manufacturing, and Automotive and Machine Repair.
Seventy-six new programs were updated as part of the program's Green Collar Training Initiative. To update its new training programs, Job Corps convened workgroups composed of industry experts, environmental-accreditation agencies, and Job Corps instructors and managers from each of the three initial industry sectors. These workgroups teamed up to identify the appropriate knowledge and skills to be incorporated into the updated programs. Through collaborative discussion, each workgroup reached a consensus on all additions to the training programs in the Construction, Advanced Manufacturing, and Automotive and Machine Repair career technical training areas, and the new skills were then incorporated into the existing curricula.
Students who choose one or more of these career technical training areas train in a variety of new subject areas, such as green materials and products, pollution prevention principles, hybrid and alternative vehicles, environmental awareness, green building requirements, and many others that will help prepare them for the new jobs marketplace.
Job Corps invested more than $9 million in ARRA funds to expand its Training Achievement Records and curricula to reflect new industry demands for greater environmental sensitivity and efficiency. These funds have allowed more than 60,000 Job Corps students across the U.S. the opportunity to participate in ARRA-funded activities and training initiatives outlined in this section.
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