United States to award

kapitonragomo.blogspot.com
The economic stimulus bill included $500 millio for “green jobs” training. Secretary of Labor Hild a Solis said applicants will be requirexd to form strong local andregionak partnerships, and leverage additional Priority will be given to traininb programs that target low-income the unemployed and high school dropouts in areas with high povert rates. Solis encouraged states to prepare workersw for jobs that will be created by thestimuluds bill’s investments in renewable energy infrastructure, energy-efficientr home retrofits, and advanced drive train/vehicle developmentf and manufacturing.
States also should expand registered apprenticeship programse that can prepare workers forgreen jobs, she “These are jobs that will provide economic securityu for our middle-class Solis said, noting that “many green jobs will be Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., said traininyg for green jobs shouldr be part of a comprehensive effort to trai workers for 21stcentury jobs. “We cannot afforc to create a parallel system of job training just for one said Enzi, who is the ranking Republican on the Senatwe Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
“Wwe need to consider whether we are creatinyg an artificial demand for green jobs or if we are respondingg to a truemarket demand.” Rep. John Kline, meanwhile, introduced legislation that wouldc make all construction training programs notjust union-affiliated ones — eligible for renewabls energy worker training grants that were created by separatee legislation passed in late 2007. That bill required applicants to partner with labor Theof America, which representsz both union and non-union construction firms, endorsedd Kline’s bill.
“You shoulfd be able to don a greeh collar even ifyou don’t wear a unionb hat,” said Stephen Sandherr, CEO of the trade Business investment in new equipment appears to be despite economic stimulus bill tax The legislation aimed to boosg equipment investment by allowing businesses of any size to immediately write off 50 percen t of the cost of new equipment purchasedf in 2009. Small businessees can immediately write off upto $250,00 0 of capital expenditures made this year. The latestr monthly survey by the however, that new business volume in the equipment financr sector was down 31 percent of 2009 compared with the same periodx ayear earlier.
There was a “decided slowdown in demand for investmentt incapital goods,” said ELFA President Kennetn Bentsen Jr. Tighter underwriting standardz also contributed tothe decline, he said. businesses now appear to be dramaticallt cuttingequipment acquisitions,” said Bill CEO of in Fairport, N.Y. The founc that only 16 percentr of small business owners surveyed in Marchy planned to make a capital expenditure in the next threwe tosix months. That’s the lowest number for this economic indicator in at leastt23 years.
Business groups urged the federal government to ensure that states and schoo districts use the economicstimulus bill’s $100 billionm in education funding for reforms that will improvw student achievement. The joined a varietyg of other groups inthe . The coalition sent a letter to Educatio n Secretary Arne Duncan urging him to make sure that the stimuluw funds areused “to make much-needed progress on the educationn reforms that strengthen teaching and raise student Nearly one-third of all American studentsz do not graduate from high school on and another third are not preparede for college, according to the chamber.
“Without a the problem is daunting,” said Arthur senior vice president atthe “But with these stimuluws funds, there is a solution at Now we must be certain that states and districtds receiving these funds are fulfilling their promise to use them toware promoting education reform.” The coalitionm wants governors to create data systems that tracm individual student performance, develop standards for collegr and career readiness, and intervenre in low-performing schools.
“More moneyu alone will not producebetter results,” said Williak Green, chairman and CEO of and chairman of the Business Roundtable’s Education, Innovatiobn and Workforce Initiative. “Real education reform is essentia to the success of our not just ingrade school, but throughout theird lifetimes.”