Five states will get technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) in Louisville, Ky. to develop study programs that focus on education and training for green jobs.
The study programs are meant to support the Obama administration’s goal of expanding a green workforce by preparing students for “high-skill, high-wage jobs in a clean energy economy,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement.
These are the states selected and the areas in which they propose to develop programs of study:
Georgia: energy, construction and transportation.
Illinois: energy, utilities and waste management.
New Jersey: various industries.
Ohio: energy, biotech and agriculture.
Oregon: wind, solar and construction.
The study programs will incorporate high school and college level elements of education. Graduates from the developed programs will earn a post-secondary credential that is recognized by industry, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
The National Research Center will engage the five selected states in a 14-month process to develop “green-focused” programs. Each state will also send a team to participate in a three-day technical assistance academy in winter 2009 in Washington, D.C.
At the end of the initiative, the states will work with the center to share their best and promising practices for implementing the study programs.
