National leaders address 1,400 stakeholders at the Lansing Center
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On Monday, May 11, 1,400 stakeholders from business, education and training, labor, environmental, community and faith-based organizations, who are currently working on various facets of creating a green economy, gathered for the Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow Conference at the Lansing Center.
Organized as part of the No Worker Left Behind Green Jobs Initiative, the conference helped develop essential partnerships and multiple strategies to make Michigan a national leader in the green economy.
“Times are changing and we’re using our rust belt roots to grow green jobs for the future,” said Stanley “Skip” Pruss, director of the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).
The conference was attended by two prominent members of the Obama Administration: U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Van Jones, the White House Special Advisor on Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
“People will look back decades from now and talk about the ‘Miracle in Michigan’ because of the people right here at this conference,” said Jones. Diversification into the green economy and training Michigan’s already skilled workers for green jobs is a recipe for economic success, he averred.
“These are green-collar jobs, jobs that will stay here and not be outsourced,” said Solis.
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm and U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow also addressed the crowd.
“By investing in our workforce, manufacturing infrastructure, and natural resources, we can make Michigan the state that helps end our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and create good paying jobs in the process,” Granholm said. “Michigan is uniquely positioned to diversify its economy and create jobs by growing the renewable energy sector.”
Granholm also highlighted No Worker Left Behind’s Green Jobs Initiative (GJI) as a program that will help accelerate workers’ transition into new jobs. The Green Jobs Initiative is a $6 million investment of federal dollars designed to increase the number of green industries and businesses in Michigan. The Green Jobs Initiative will:
- create green sector skills alliances that bring together business, labor, government and educational leaders who share interest and expertise in a specific green sector of Michigan’s economy to develop training programs for jobs in that sector;
- invest in Michigan’s community colleges, universities, and training facilities to build their capacity to develop and provide training for green jobs;
- expand No Worker Left Behind to provide tuition support for eligible individuals pursuing approved green jobs training programs at Michigan colleges and universities.
