Murphy administration announces more than $8M to build a diverse, inclusive green jobs sector
NEW JERSEY – Governor Phil Murphy’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy (OCAGE), in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Thursday announced the release of a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) to support innovative pilot programs focused on building a diverse, inclusive green workforce.
Through the Building our Resilient, Inclusive, and Diverse Green Economy (NJ BRIDGE) initiative, a total of $5 million is available to fund scalable projects to support residents entering the green workforce or climbing the green career ladder, with a focus on engagement in overburdened communities.
Additionally, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications on December 8 for a competitive grant program that will help New Jerseyans, particularly those in overburdened communities, develop skills for offshore wind careers. The $3.725 million Offshore Wind Workforce and Skills Development Grant Challenge (Grant Challenge) will offer grants to selected entities that will aid in launching or expanding workforce training and skills programs focused on strengthening and diversifying New Jersey’s offshore wind workforce.
Together, the OCAGE NOFA and the Grant Challenge amount to more than $8 million in funding toward the cultivation of a green economy founded upon good-paying jobs and long-term career opportunities.
“My Administration is proud to provide crucial support for new and existing opportunities in the green jobs sector for all New Jerseyans, including members of overburdened communities who have disproportionately experienced climate impacts,” Murphy said. “These significant funding commitments and interdepartmental synergies testify to our comprehensive, all-of-government approach to positioning New Jersey as a national leader in the green economy. As we work to protect our vulnerable communities from the effects of climate change, we will also ensure that they are equipped with the resources they need to reap the optimal benefits of our state’s transition to a 100% clean energy economy.”
“The Murphy Administration’s commitment to improving our environment as we promote economic growth is creating good-paying jobs, including through our pursuit of a just clean energy transition and clean water for all,” said Shawn M. LaTourette, Commissioner of Environmental Protection and Co-Chair of the Council on the Green Economy. “The BRIDGE initiative will help expand New Jersey’s growing green workforce by piloting programs with the capacity to increase access to green jobs for all people through outreach, training, and direct services that support our residents as they gear up for the jobs of the future.”
In February 2021, Governor Murphy announced the creation of a Council on the Green Economy, convening cross-sector leaders in New Jersey’s growing green economy to harness the opportunity created by New Jersey’s climate and clean energy policy accomplishments. The Council was tasked with informing the effort to define pathways for green job creation, development of workforce capacity, and support for an innovation ecosystem critical to a nation-leading green economy. In a One Year Plan accompanying the Green Jobs for a Sustainable Future report, state agencies committed to planning and implementing programs, pilot projects, and funding opportunities that will increase access to green jobs and address gaps in the development of the green workforce statewide.
The NJ BRIDGE initiative is designed to pilot approaches, including those recommended by the Council, that enable residents of overburdened communities to access onramps to good-paying, family-sustaining, and green union jobs.
Respondents are invited to submit proposals in response to this solicitation.
The Grant Challenge is part of NJEDA’s efforts to establish the NJ Wind Institute for Innovation and Training (the “Wind Institute”) as an independent entity created through legislation. The Wind Institute will coordinate and deploy resources to advance offshore wind workforce development, research, and innovation in the state.
For more information on the grant challenge, visit www.njeda.com/offshore-wind-workforce-and-skills-development-grant-challenge/
