PORT ANGELES — Clallam is one of five counties sharing a $3.9 million federal grant for green jobs training.
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Council will use the money to implement a project called Sound Energy Efficiency Development, which provides training and job placement in green fields.
The project will be implemented by a partnership of employers, labor organizations, work force development councils, colleges and career centers in Clallam, King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap counties.
It wasn’t clear how the green jobs training will take place in Clallam County.
Peninsula College President Tom Keegan could not be reached for comment.
Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones said it would not directly affect county government.
Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and Bremerton are also listed in the grant.
The money will put 473 workers in energy efficiency jobs, according to the office of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Freeland.
“Washington state is at the forefront of the growing clean energy industry, and these grants will help keep our work force strong and successful in the 21st century economy,” Murray said in a statement.
Part of $100 million
The state is sharing $13.5 million of a total $100 million in energy efficiency training grants. The federal Department of Labor announced the grants Wednesday.
Elsewhere in the state, a $5 million grant will pay for renewable energy technology training in northwest Oregon and Washington’s Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties.
Another $4.6 million will pay for training in green jobs in the health care industry in King County and counties in four other states.
All told, the grants affecting Washington state are projected to train nearly 8,000, according to the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Mountlake Terrace.
“These job training funds will expand our skilled clean energy work force and help cement Washington state’s leadership position in our nation’s emerging clean energy industry,” Cantwell said in a statement.
“The funding awarded today recognizes our commitment to making clean energy a major job creator, while improving our environment and lowering consumer energy costs. Clean energy will be the largest industry of the 21st century.”
The grants announced on Wednesday are the third of five that will total $500 million for green job training in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
