Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Retooling America's Workers for a Green Economy Act

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)In October 2008, the numbers of mass layoffs (involving over 50 workers at one time) and initial unemployment claims reached their highest levels since 2001. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, however, a major barrier to more rapid adoption of clean and renewable energy and energy efficiency measures is the lack of sufficient workers skilled in green technology. (2)In December 2008, unemployment figures showed a sharp deterioration in the economy. The unemployment rate rose from 6.8 percent in November, to 7.2 percent in December, of 2008. Employers shed 524,000 jobs in December 2008, and 1,900,000 jobs were lost over just the last 4 months of 2008. These job losses were widespread across most major industry sectors. (3)According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 11,100,000 people were unemployed in December 2008, an increase of 3,600,000 people since the recession started in December 2007. In December 2008, the number of workers who wanted to work full-time but worked part-time because their hours were cut or they could not find full-time jobs reached 8,000,000, up 3,400,000 since December 2007. (4)Analysts say that the Nation has yet to see the worst of the economic fallout. The latest prediction from HIS Global Insight forecasts that unemployment will be an estimated 8.6 percent by the end of 2009. (5)The reality of climate change and a shared desire to protect the environment for future generations have the potential to spur economic growth in green-collar jobs across the industrial spectrum. In order to prepare United States workers to build greener communities in both urban and rural settings, the Nation will need to make an investment in skills development for jobs in the current and future economies.

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to retool America’s workers—including dislocated workers, those who are long-term unemployed individuals, and those who are low-skilled individuals, limited English proficient individuals, individuals with disabilities, or older workers—for green-collar industries, for existing viable industries, and for new and emerging industries so that the workers described in this section can contribute to the long-term competitiveness of the United States and its quality of life.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

In general

The terms adult, chief elected official, dislocated worker, employment and training activities, individual with a disability, local area, local board, outlying area, rapid response activities, Secretary, State, and State board have the meanings given the terms in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801). (2)

Community college

The term community college means a 2-year institution of higher education, as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). (3)

Green-collar industries

The term green-collar industries means industries throughout the economy of the United States— (A)that promote energy efficiency, energy conservation, and environmental protection, including promoting renewable energy and clean technology; (B)that offer jobs with substantial pay and benefits; and (C)that are industries in which there is likely to be continued demand for workers.

Activities for dislocated workers

(a)

General authority

The Secretary is authorized to reserve $2,000,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this Act for rapid response activities, for dislocated worker employment and training activities under chapter 5 of subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2861 et seq.), or for employment and training assistance and additional assistance under section 173(a) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2918(a)). (b)

National emergency grants

Of the reserved funds, the Secretary may use not more than $500,000,000 to award national emergency grants— (1)to provide employment and training assistance to workers affected by major economic dislocations under section 173(a)(1) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2918(a)(1)); and (2)to provide additional assistance under section 173(a)(3) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2918(a)(3)) to a State or local board that meets the requirements of that section (in a case in which the expended funds involved were expended for assistance described in paragraph (1)). (c)

State activities

(1)

In general

After determining an amount from the reserved funds to be used under subsection (b), the Secretary may use the remaining funds to make allotments to States, and outlying areas, consistent with the allotment formula under section 132(b)(2) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2862(b)(2)). Each State or outlying area may use 25 percent of the State's or outlying area's allotment for statewide rapid response activities for permanent closures or mass layoffs described in section 101(38) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 2801(38)) and efforts to avert future permanent closures or mass layoffs described in such section. (2)

Use of dislocated workers to provide activities

In providing statewide rapid response activities, States or entities designated by States (and outlying areas or entities designated by outlying areas), working in conjunction with local boards and chief elected officials, may enhance their services by employing dislocated workers to provide outreach, informal coaching, counseling or mentoring support, and information to other dislocated workers or unemployed persons. (d)

Local activities

(1)

In general

Each State or outlying area shall use 75 percent of the State's or outlying area's allotment to make allocations directly to local boards, for local areas, using the formula under section 133(b)(2)(B) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2863(b)(2)(B)). (2)

Priority

A local board that receives an allocation under paragraph (1) shall use the funds made available through the allocation for dislocated worker employment and training activities. In providing the activities the local board shall give priority to providing the employment and training activities, including on-the-job training, in viable industries identified at the regional or local levels, including green-collar industries. (e)

Report to Secretary

Each State, in submitting an annual report under section 136(d) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2871(d)), shall include information on entry of individuals who participated in employment and training activities in green-collar industries and other viable industries under this section into unsubsidized employment in a green-collar industry or other viable industry. (f)

Report to Congress

The Secretary shall annually prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress information on entry of individuals who received services under subsection (b) into unsubsidized employment in a green-collar industry or other viable industry.

Activities for adults with multiple barriers to employment

(a)

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to fully utilize the Nation's human capital by— (1)helping adults with multiple barriers to employment acquire the skills to obtain jobs in viable industries, by providing intensive services, training services, and other employment and training activities; and (2)in particular, by providing employment and training activities in green-collar industries and other viable industries. (b)

Definition

The term adult with multiple barriers to employment means an adult who is long-term unemployed, a low-skilled individual, limited English proficient, an individual with a disability, or an older worker, with multiple barriers to finding a job in a viable industry. (c)

General authority

The Secretary is authorized to reserve $800,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this Act to carry out this section. The Secretary shall use the reserved funds to make allotments to States and outlying areas, consistent with the allotment formula under section 132(b)(1) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2862(b)(1)) to provide employment and training activities to adults with multiple barriers to employment. (d)

State activities

Each State or outlying area may use 10 percent of the State's or outlying area's allotment to assist local boards in providing employment and training activities to adults with multiple barriers to employment, and assist the adults in attaining jobs in viable industries, with as much flexibility as is practicable. In providing assistance under this subsection, the State or outlying area may provide aid that includes assistance with system alignment (described in subsection (e)(1)(D)), the provision of capacity building and professional development activities for staff, and the provision of enhanced regional sector-based labor market information. (e)

Local activities

(1)

In general

Each State or outlying area shall use 90 percent of the State's or outlying area's allotment to make grants, on a competitive basis, to local boards for local areas, to provide employment and training activities to adults with multiple barriers to employment. (2)

Priority

In making the grants, the chief executive officer of the State or outlying area, in consultation with the State board involved, shall give priority to those local boards that— (A)align their local areas to create regions that reflect natural labor markets or economic development districts; (B)reflect regional strategic partnerships described in paragraph (3) among local boards, industry (including business and labor), schools (including community colleges), and other community organizations to provide coherent programs of employment and training activities; (C)make special efforts to conduct outreach and provide services to adults with multiple barriers to employment who need to advance their careers or seek second careers due to the economic downturn; (D)align adult education, career and technical education, workforce investment, economic development, and related systems and resources to provide career pathway strategies for helping low-skilled individuals navigate through the continuum of needed education and supports, to ultimately achieve a postsecondary education credential or an industry-recognized certificate and a job leading to economic self-sufficiency; (E)provide an assurance that the local board will use at least 90 percent of the grant funds for intensive services described in section 134(d)(3)(C) and training services described in section 134(d)(4)(D) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2864(d)(3)(C), 2864(d)(4)(D)), without regard to the eligibility requirements of section 134(d) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2864(d)). (3)

Strategic partnership

(A)

In general

For purposes of this section, a strategic partnership shall, in particular, be composed of at least 1 representative of a local board serving a community, and of each of the 8 types of organizations described in subparagraph (B). (B)

Types of organizations

The types of organizations referred to in subparagraph (A) are businesses, unions, labor-management partnerships, schools (including community colleges), public agencies, nonprofit community organizations, economic development entities, and philanthropic organizations, that are actively engaged in providing employment and training activities, including work opportunities and support, to adults with multiple barriers to employment. (f)

Report to Secretary

(1)

In general

Each State, in submitting an annual report under section 136(d) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2871(d)), shall include information— (A)on acquisition of a recognized postsecondary education credential or an industry-recognized certificate by adults with multiple barriers to employment who participated in employment and training activities under this section; (B)on entry of such adults, who participated in such activities, into positions in unsubsidized employment in viable industries; and (C)for adults referred to in subparagraph (B), on average wages in such positions. (2)

Refinements

In establishing standards for the reports, the Secretary shall refine indicators to eliminate any unintended consequences for adults with multiple barriers to employment, or such adults who may need and seek less than full-time employment along a career path.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy worker training program

The Secretary shall reserve $625,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this Act to carry out section 171(e) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2916(e)).

Authorization of Appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Labor for activities described in this Act, $3,425,000,000, which shall be available for the period of January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010.