Connecticut Governor Rell: ‘Green Collar’ Training Program Will Provide Increased Job Opportunities for Residents

March 11, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell said today that a “Green Collar” training program she has proposed for the state’s technical schools will prepare Connecticut’s students for future job opportunities in environmental and energy conservation careers.

“Experts say there is the potential for hundreds of thousands of ‘Green Collar’ jobs to open up in communities across our nation over the next decade,” Governor Rell said during a visit to Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester. “We want Connecticut’s students to be at the head of the line for those jobs – with the training, confidence and expertise they need to succeed.

“Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and reducing Greenhouse gases that cause climate change will require an increase in energy efficiency and the expanded use of renewable energy,” Governor Rell said. “This kind of change will present many new opportunities. It means new opportunities in designing and manufacturing the products and systems we will need for commercial and residential construction and renovation. And it means new opportunities in installing and maintaining solar panels, insulation, new windows and the other ‘clean-tech’ solutions we’ll be relying upon.”

In her budget address to the General Assembly on February 6, Governor Rell proposed an investment of $125,000 for the development of a “Green Collar” training initiative in the Technical High School System. There are 18 schools with more than 10,000 full-time and 5,500 part-time students in the technical high school system.

Governor Rell was joined at Cheney Technical High School by Robert Varney, Region One Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Dr. Mark McQuillan, Commissioner of the state Department of Education; Gina McCarthy, Commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection; and Dr. Abigail Hughes, Superintendent of the technical high school system.

After touring Cheney Tech and speaking with faculty and students, Governor Rell said, “With the investment I have proposed, we will continue our national leadership on climate change initiatives while beginning to build a real foundation for a strong ‘Green Collar’ training program. This new program will help make certain that our technical schools provide hands on instruction that will lead our students to where the jobs of the future are going to be. This is an initiative that will result in well-paying jobs for our people and a strong future for our state.”

If the proposed funding is approved by the Legislature, the technical schools will be able to expand upon programs now offered in construction-related fields to incorporate training in “green” technologies, Governor Rell said. This would be an important extension of curriculum and training now offered in electrical, HVAC and plumbing disciplines at the technical schools, she noted.

Source: Connecticut Governor

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