Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Labor awarded nearly $90.4 million in grants to prepare young people not enrolled in school or already employed for jobs in construction and other in-demand sectors, especially clean energy technologies, the department announced in April.
- The grants, administered through YouthBuild, were awarded to organizations in 28 states as well as Puerto Rico. Participants will split time between classroom learning and participation in a program involving the rehabilitation of affordable housing for low-income and homeless families in their communities.
- Programs that demonstrated an ability to train workers in green construction techniques earned extra points in grant consideration, the announcement noted.
Dive Insight:
Investment in clean tech jobs has been part of President Biden’s platform since the 2020 election, as has investment in building manufacturing and tech jobs, with a particular focus on apprenticeships.
Earlier in April, Biden credited apprenticeships as one reason why trucking employment has increased, particularly for women and veterans. Transport Dive reported that more than 100 apprenticeships in trucking had been launched since December due in part to a streamlined apprenticeship registration process.
Biden has also gone on record asking employers to hire for “skills not degrees” as employers wrestle with a tough talent market amid the pandemic. One way employers can follow this decree is by taking a second look at how they approach resumes, one expert wrote for HR Dive, and instead lean more on skills assessments to see a clearer view on how a potential employee may do on the job.
