NEWS, RESOURCES & EVENTS

Dear Leanne,

The Green Economy Task Force has been working for two years to ensure that
Philadelphians living in poverty are not left behind when 21st century job skills pervade
the workplace. We have been intentionally inclusive, encouraging unlikely alliances and
cross-sector cooperation. With over thirty social service and job training organizations
represented, GETF was abuzz this summer as numerous Stakeholders applied for Recovery
Act contracts to bring critical funds to Philadelphia.

Each application was strengthened by the relationships you've worked to cultivate, calling
on one another for curriculum, letters of support, and advice. As challenging as that period
of time was for many of you, those proposals demonstrated to the federal government our
city's profound commitment to serve people in poverty and your willingness to work with
new allies to get the job done.

Last week the U.S. Department of Labor recognized that effort and awarded not
one, but three grants to Philadelphia organizations -- more grants than any other
city in the country.

Those organizations are: Community College of Philadelphia ($3.18 million), Metropolitan

Career Center ($1.1 million), and the Greater Philadelphia Job Opportunity Investment
Network ($1 million). For more information on these and other grants, read the News
section below.

In This Issue NEWS

News

Resources
JOIN Receives $1 million for Green Job
Events Training

Join our list

As we said in the opening section, the Job Opportunity
Investment Network (JOIN) received a $1 million grant for
green job training in Philadelphia from the DOL. The grant
was awarded based on the innovative work of
Philadelphia's existing Green Jobs Readiness Partnership
(GJRP). GJRP brings together a network of neighborhood
centers, a workforce investment board, and a green
business association to create customized learning
pathways to move low-skilled adults into green career
pathways. Each of the partners in GJRP has a unique role:

The Federation of Neighborhood Centers, and

its members, Diversified Community Services,
Lutheran Settlement House, and United
Communities, are identifying and assessing low-
skilled job seekers and designing literacy, readiness
and support programs to prepare job seekers for
 green jobs.

The Sustainable Business Network of Greater

Philadelphia is mapping out the green economy's
workforce needs and helping to connect training
providers to local green businesses.

The Philadelphia WIB is managing the

partnership and creating "feeder" arrangements
with relevant training programs and the publicly
funded workforce development system through PA
CareerLink.

GJRP was originally funded by Living Cities, an innovative

philanthropic collaborative of 22 of the world's largest
foundations and financial institutions. With this new federal
support, Philadelphia will be able to take such partnerships
to the next level of scale and impact.

If you are interested in learning more about this grant,

read the full press release here or check out a recent
article in the Inquirer about the program.

MCC Receives $ for Green Training Program

The Metropolitan Career Center has received a grant for

$1.1 million over 2 years from the Recovery Act. The
grant will be used to develop a comprehensive green
economy training program for low-skilled Philadelphians,
providing training and skill development in job
readiness/soft skills, and sector-based hard skills. The
training will prepare participants for careers in the green
economy including construction, energy audits, and energy
conservation practices.

Read the full MCC press release here.

CCP Receives Over $3 million for Green Job

Training

The $3.18 million Pathways Out of Poverty federal grant

awarded to Community College of Philadelphia will allow
the College to expand its green jobs education and training
programs and provide low-income and unemployed
residents with the skills they need to succeed in the green
economy. The College and its partners will provide
education and training to qualified veterans, ex-offenders
and other residents who live in portions of North
Philadelphia, Kensington and Port Richmond for entry-level
jobs in the green manufacturing and
construction/weatherization industries.

More information about these green-collar educational

programs will be available in the near future.

Lehigh Valley WIB Receives $4 Million

Pathways Grant

The Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board received a

$4 million grant from the Pathways Out of Poverty
Program. The grant money will go toward training 200
poor and disadvantaged young adults to work in green
industries.

Read the full article here.

$300,000 Granted to Help Small Businesses

in the Lehigh Valley

Nearly $300,000 in federal economic stimulus money will

be committed to help small businesses in the Lehigh
Valley. Low-income business owners can score up to
$5,000 in free services to help their ailing businesses.
Those business owners whose gross household income is
less than double the federal poverty guidelines -- $44,100
for a family of four -- could be eligible for up to $5,000 in
services. Those services might include Web design,
accounting, marketing, legal advice and professional
training.

Read more about this here.

Show your Support for the Clean Air Act

Opponents of clean energy are on the attack, threatening

America's families and future, and attempting to set back
the progress we've made towards a clean energy
economy. For nearly 40 years, the Clean Air Act has
protected our health by limiting the pollution that poisons
our neighborhoods.

Next week Senator Murkowski (R - Alaska) will try to roll

back the Act by introducing an amendment to unrelated
legislation.

Please email your Senators now, and tell them to oppose a

roll back of the Clean Air Act.

Mayor Signs Green Building Legislation

Yesterday, Mayor Nutter signed a law that requires all new

City construction projects and renovations to meet the
LEED Silver standard. This legislation is part of a broader
attempt by the Nutter Administration to improve the
energy efficiency of Philadelphia.

Read more about this in Inquirer.

PYN Seeking Reviewers for WorkReady RFP

The Philadelphia Youth Network is currently seeking
reviewers to read proposals for the WorkReady
Philadelphia Summer 2010 Request for Proposals that was
released on January 15th. Review will occur during the
period of February 16th - 26th. Two training conference
calls will be held (one prior to proposal distribution and one
following). Reviewers will read no more than five
proposals and all within a single model type (if you have a
preference we will try to accommodate that).

Please respond to rsykes@pyninc.org if you are able and

willing to serve as a reviewer for this RFP.

RESOURCES

Greening the World of Work

Workforce3One recently held a webinar, "Greening the

World of Work: Implications for O*NET SOC and New and
Emerging Occupations," that highlighted findings from the
O*NET Program's report Greening the World of Work:
Implications for O*NET- SOC and New and Emerging
Occupations. The report describes the O*NET program's
efforts to define the green economy; describe green
industry sectors and identify different types of green
occupations including green new and emerging
occupations. The Webinar also presents how this new
green information has been incorporated into O*NET
products and tools to help workforce development
professionals, educators, and individuals learn about and
use the most current information on the green economy
and green occupations.

If you would like to view the webinar you can follow this
link. Registration with the website will be required.

The Dream Reborn: New Green For All Video

and $1,000 Contest

Check out Green For All's new video: The Dream Reborn
(My President is Green). The video was created by
Markese Bryant (aka Doo Dat) and directed by Ryan
Dexter. If you are moved by this video as we are, share it
with your friends on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.

View the video here.

Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the US

Economy

McKinsey & Company has published a report that details

the magnitude of the efficiency potential in non-
transportation uses of energy, conducts a thorough
assessment of the barriers that impede the capture of
greater efficiency, and outlines the practical solutions
available to unlock that potential.

The research shows that the U.S. economy has the

potential to reduce annual non-transportation energy
consumption by roughly 23% by 2020, eliminating more
than $1.2 trillion in waste - well beyond the $520 billion
upfront investment that would be required. The reduction
in energy use would also result in the abatement of 1.1
gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually - the
equivalent of taking the entire U.S. fleet of passenger
vehicles and light trucks off the roads.

Read the full report here.

Energy Efficiency Can Mean Lower Taxes

Energy efficiency improvements to your house can not only

save you money on your utility bills, but also on your tax
bills. Homeowners who have made energy efficiency
improvements are eligible for a credit equal to 30% of the
cost of improvements, up to a maximum credit of $ 1,500.

If you want to read the full article about this tax credit,
click here.

EVENTS
Delaware County Environmental Summit

Delco Concerned Citizens for Environmental Change will be

hosting the 5th Annual Delaware County Environmental
Summit titled, "Being Prepared for Environmental
Change." The summit will be held on February 20, 2010
from 8:30AM to 1:00PM at the Heinz Wildlife Refuge
Cusano Education Center.

All residents of Delaware County are welcome and

encouraged to attend. THe event is free and open to the
public; however, registration is requested. For more
information and to register, visit
www.delcoenvironmental.tripod.com/ or email
jaclyn_rhoads@yahoo.com or call (215) 209-9637.

SBN to Host 8th Annual SVI

The Sustainable Business Network will

be hosting the 8th Annual Social
Venture Institute (SVI) on February
26-27 at the Hub Cira Center. SVI brings together
entrepreneurs, innovators, community organizers,
government officials, investors, and green business leaders
to explore social and environmental innovations, expand
business skills and network with recognized national and
regional entrepreneurs in the sustainable community.

To learn more about the event visit

www.sbnphiladelphia.org and to register visit
www.SVI2010.eventbrite.com or call (215) 922-7400.