Arizona’s Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) has been awarded a $685,200 grant for its Green Economy Workforce Initiative. With the grant, OEO will identify emerging green industries, evaluate regional job opportunities, and address workforce gaps to guide targeted workforce development investments.
The grant is from the Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Challenge (PCICC), an initiative of the Families and Workers Fund. This grant aims to accelerate public investments, including those from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act through enhanced government planning, workforce data analysis, procurement, and workforce training. OEO was among 19 organizations from across the country selected for the PCICC grant out of more than 450 applications.
“Arizona is a leader in next-gen technology industries. From our focus on building the semiconductor hub to attracting industries innovating in the future of green energy, Arizona is pioneering what responsible and resilient growth can be,” said Carlos Contreras, Cabinet Executive Officer of OEO. “It is imperative that Arizonans have access to workforce development programs that create pathways into the future of Arizona’s clean energy economy, and that is what we will be doing with this new grant funding.”
Projections from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggest that between 2020 and 2030, employment opportunities in Arizona will double across clean energy sectors. OEO will use the grant funding to prepare Arizonans for this trend by: Leveraging the state’s Integrated Data System to analyzing labor market data in order to identify high-demand green economy skills, emerging and in-demand green industries, and how green jobs influence patterns of wage and industrial growth.
Assessing regional green job opportunities and workforce development gaps, including identifying areas with potential for sustainable industry growth but lacking adequate workforce development programs.
Developing targeted strategies and directing investments to address these gaps and promote growth of green industries across Arizona.
“The PCIC grant presents a transformative opportunity for our state,” said Maren Mahoney, Director, Office of Resiliency. “Findings from this grant will strengthen our workforce’s ability to meet the evolving demands from climate change and enhanced infrastructure needs. The Office of Resiliency is committed to leveraging these findings to enhance Arizona’s green economy.”
“When we invest in workers, we invest in the clean energy and infrastructure future that our country needs and deserves,” said Rachel Korberg, Executive Director of the Families and Workers Fund, in a recent press release. “This wave of Powering Climate and Infrastructure Careers funding will support organizations that are leading the way in building uplifting career pathways, training, and quality job opportunities for all.”
Additional information about the PCICC grant can be found here.
