Wal-Mart Foundation Awards $5.7 Million for Creation of Green Jobs

The Wal-Mart Foundation has announced grants totaling $5.7 million to the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Veterans Green Jobs to support the creation of green jobs, one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy.

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Conference of Mayors will receive $5 million to create jobs in an array of emerging green industries. During the spring of 2009, it will award six grants to nonprofit organizations that have a history of working with local government to train people for green jobs. In early 2010, it will make three additional grants to cities working to provide green workforce training.

In addition, the foundation awarded nearly $750,000 to Veterans Green Jobs in Boulder, Colorado, to develop four training sites in Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, and Louisiana where returned or returning veterans can acquire green job training skills. According to a new Global Insight study, 10 percent of U.S. job growth is likely to occur in green industries by 2038.

"We understand how important building a green workforce is to the future of America, and the Wal-Mart Foundation is committed to helping create job growth that also sustains our environment," said the foundation's president, Margaret McKenna. "Realizing that one of the greatest barriers to creating green jobs is the lack of a trained workforce, the Wal-Mart Foundation's grants will help break through this barrier and enable more American workers to be trained and ready to contribute in this growing sector."

“Wal-Mart Foundation Donates $5.7 Million to Support the Creation of Green Jobs in the U.S.” Wal-Mart Foundation Press Release 2/03/09.

Primary Subject: Environment
Location(s): National, Washington, D.C.

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