MONTGOMERY— Gov. Bob Riley has awarded a $549,730 grant to help workers in four north Alabama counties learn the skills needed for employment in energy-efficient construction trades.

Wallace State Community College will use the funds to start the Tennessee Valley Energy Training Partnership which will offer short-term programs that teach methods to increase energy efficiency in commercial and residential buildings. The program will train up to 160 people in Blount, Cullman, Morgan and Winston counties over a 30-month period.

“As more and more homes and commercial buildings are designed with energy savings in mind, the need for workers skilled in energy-efficient construction techniques is growing,” Riley said. “This training program will help Alabama workers, especially those struggling because of the economic downturn, to qualify for employment in an emerging industry.”

Participants will learn to incorporate energy savings into the design, construction and maintenance of buildings, and they will be eligible for accreditation in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, an internationally recognized green building certification system.

Individuals targeted for the program include laid-off workers, veterans and other workers in need of updated training related to energy efficient construction and renewable energy.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from $6 million in economic stimulus funds made available by the U.S. Department of Labor for the Alabama Energy Sector Partnership program. Over the next three years, the program will help an estimated 1,422 Alabamians qualify for jobs in emerging industries focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Riley notified Vicki Hawsey, president of Wallace State, that the grant had been approved.

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Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers