NEWS RELEASE

For more information, contact
Hal Silliman, 916-321-9117
c: 916-519-1218
hsilliman@metrochamber.org

For Immediate Release
January 26, 2009
The Sacramento Metro Chamber announces a milestone achievement in its advocacy efforts for the Los Rios Community College GreenForce Program.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui reported that the Los Rios Community College District will receive a $2,037,399 job training grant to provide education and training in clean energy and technology.

This U.S. Department of Labor grant will allow Los Rios to train more than a thousand people over a three-year-period. Sacramento is home to more than 100 clean energy companies in the region, and these companies, like all in this emerging industry, often have difficulty finding and hiring qualified workers. This funding will provide for much need job training and help close the workforce gap.

“During last year’s Capitol-to-Capitol lobbying effort in Washington, D.C., the Metro Chamber made funding of Los Rios’ GreenForce program a priority,” said Matt Mahood, president & CEO. “This is great news for Los Rios, students and businesses in our region. We are also grateful to Rep. Matsui for her important support. Her membership on the House Energy and Commerce Committee will be crucial to the Sacramento region for years to come as we seek to become a clean/green national technology center.”

In November, Matsui, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote to the Department of Labor in support of Los Rios’ application for the federal funding.
 
“As Sacramento’s clean technology industry grows, area residents are going to have to be well trained to fill those positions,” Matsui said. “I am confident the development of the GreenForce program will build an exceptional green workforce out of our region’s residents. I am very pleased that the Department of Labor and Los Rios have partnered on this incredibly important project.”
 
The GreenForce program will train workers in the clean energy and technology fields. This includes the areas of solar systems design and installation, green building design and management, and water system design and operation.
 
 “Thanks to this grant, our colleges will be able to jump start critical workforce training programs in solar and wind technology, and sustainable building design and construction,” said Los Rios Chancellor Brice Harris. “We know that these areas will provide huge job growth in our region and we are eager to train students and put them to work.”

The Sacramento Metro Chamber is the largest, oldest and most prominent voice of business in the greater Sacramento area. Representing nearly 2,500 member businesses and business organizations in the six-county Sacramento region, the Metro Chamber serves as the region’s leading proponent of regional cooperation and primary advocate on issues affecting business, economic development and quality of life.