SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE SYRACUSE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING CENTER WILL GET ACCESS TO OVER $3 MILLION FOR GREEN JOB TRAINING

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that CNY Works, Inc will gain access to $3,715,931 through the U.S. Department of Labor's CNY's eCuse program to help individuals find jobs within energy efficiency and clean energy subsectors. Funding for the CNY's eCuse program project will be provided by the Pathways Out of Poverty Grants Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and will fund both green job training and evaluation projects. The goal of this program is to teach workers the skills required in high growth and emerging industries, including energy efficiency and renewable energy.

"This funding is a winwin for the Syracuse area. It creates clean energy jobs and improves the quality of life for New Yorkers and their families," said Schumer. "In tough economic times, it is crucial to the region's economic health that we invest in clean energy jobs and give our citizens the tools they need to remain competitive. I will continue to push at a federal level to bring Syracuse the support it needs to help create jobs and become a leader in the clean energy movement."

"New York manufacturing and businesses powered us through the 20 ^th century, but have been among those hit hardest by these tough economic times," Senator Gillibrand said. "This federal investment will help give workers in Central New York the skills they need to get back to work and thrive in the new energy economy, and rebuild our economy with new sources of clean, homegrown energy."

CNY's eCuse program will implement a dynamic strategy for increasing employment options for people in poverty while building a labor pool for burgeoning area green industries, particularly focused on careers in energy efficiency and bio ? fuels. The proposed model will create a comprehensive web of services including; case management, literacy and ESOL training, basic skills training, and job development and assessment activities that will address the challenges faced by targeted populations. Additionally, the eCuse model offers the unique opportunity for participants to engage in specific occupational on ? the job and classroom training that will prepare program completers for unsubsidized employment.

Funding for this project is provided by the Pathways Out of Poverty grants program, which supports individuals who are living near or below the poverty level and may lack basic literacy and job readiness skills. To assist individuals in meeting these challenges, the Pathways Out of Poverty grants will integrate training and supportive services into cohesive programs that will help targeted populations find pathways out of poverty and into economic selfsufficiency through employment in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

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