Veterans receive $7.5 million in grants

3,000 veterans will benefit from more than $7.5 million in grants that will provide valuable green jobs training.

Fri, Aug 21 2009 at 3:27 PM EST

Photo: Jayel Aheram/Flickr

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program (VWIP) awarded 17 grants to agencies in 14 states. The grants, totaling more than $7.5 million, range in value from $270,000 to $500,000. The grants will provide green jobs training for veterans, allowing them to re-enter the workforce after their time in the service ends.

“The VWIP grants will help veterans from targeted groups overcome employment barriers and ease their transition into unsubsidized jobs. Through this program, veterans receive skills assessments; individual job counseling; labor-market information; classroom or on-the-job training; skills upgrading and retraining; and placement assistance and follow-up services.” Source: Department of Labor

The following agencies received VWIP Grants for the 2009 program year, which began on July 1, 2009 and runs through June 30, 2010.

County of Pima (Arizona) - $500,000
Swords to Plowshares (California) - $300,000
United States Veterans Initiative (California) - $500,000
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment - $500,000
The Workplace Inc (Connecticut) - $500,000
Indiana Department of Workforce Development - $500,000
Commonwealth of Massachusetts - $500,000
Veterans Inc (Massachusetts) - $300,000
Way Station, Inc. (Maryland) - $500,000
RESOURCE, Inc (Minnesota) - $407,549
Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (North Carolina) - $290,600
Veterans Outreach Center Inc. (New York) - $270,000
East Central University (Oklahoma) - $500,000
Community Solutions for Clackamas County (Oregon) - $500,000
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Labor and Industry - $500,000
American GI Forum (Texas) - $500,000
Goodwill Industries of Houston Inc (Texas) - $500,000

The VWIP Grant program isn’t the only program dedicated to green jobs training for veterans. The Veterans Green Jobs organization received a $750,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. Like the agencies in the VWIP Grant program, the Veteran Green Jobs organization provides green jobs training to American veterans. The organization’s first group of trainees graduated from the Home Energy Auditor Training (HEAT) program in Golden, Colorado in June.