October 22, 2009, WASHINGTON, D.C. – Four community training programs will each receive $60,000 grants as well as technical assistance to expand their capacity to train women for green jobs. This support is made possible by a Walmart Foundation grant to Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation supporting Moving from Red to Green: Working Women in the Green Economy, a BPW initiative.

The sites selected for this project are Vermont Works for Women, (VT), CLIMB, (WY), Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center, (PA) and Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles, (CA).

“BPW Foundation is committed to increasing the number of women in green jobs,” said BPW Foundation board of trustee chair Roslyn Ridgeway. “Non-traditional fields are better-paying and we want to ensure that careers of the future are pursued equally by all.”

“Walmart is focused on environmental sustainability at every level,” said Walmart Foundation president Margaret McKenna. “We are pleased to support BPW Foundation’s efforts to give women the opportunity to play a vital role in the green economy while also gaining skills that will help them provide for themselves and their families.”

BPW Foundation CEO Deborah L. Frett appreciates the commitment of the Walmart Foundation to workforce development and ensuring that women are recruited, trained and retained in the green sector. “This project specifically supports opportunities for groups of under-served women, including those with low and moderate income, displaced workers, people of color and veterans.”

Each site has a strong interest in expanding green jobs and training for women and a proven track record for training and outreach capabilities. These organizations represent diverse geographical locations and a range of innovative programs that address environmental or sustainability issues, green industry-driven training and job placement, green career awareness, guidance and development, or women-focused training programs and services.

Red to Green funded sites:
• CLIMB Wyoming is a nationally recognized training model that provides innovative and comprehensive services to economically disadvantaged single mothers and their families.
• Vermont Works for Women helps women and girls explore and pursue their full potential through education and training programs that lead to financial independence.
• Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center (PVMSEC) provides employment, training and related educational services, especially in green jobs, to all honorably discharged veterans.
• Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles (WINTERGreen) provides training and services to low-income women and youth in Los Angeles who can benefit from receiving the skills and support they need to pursue genuinely gainful employment.

“By partnering with community training providers, BPW Foundation will be able to further engage women to determine how to best meet their needs and, perhaps, expedite their entry into jobs they may not have considered,” said Ridgeway.

“We congratulate these organizations and look forward to working together to build the case that women are interested in green jobs and companies are interested in employing them in those jobs,” Frett concluded.

For more information about the Moving from Red to Green: Working Women in the Green Economy initiative, and the pilot sites, visit Moving from Red to Green – Business and Professional Women.