As part of the Clean Energy Partnership initiative, the Maine Governor's Energy Office awarded $2.5 million to nine grantees for workforce development projects that support Governor Mills' goal of reaching 30,000 clean energy jobs in the state by 2030, as outlined in the state’s Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait. The grants, funded by the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, provide academic institutions, industry partners, non-profits, labor unions, and clean energy businesses with resources to create new curricula, offer technical training opportunities, and connect jobseekers with good-paying, meaningful careers. For example, Downeast Community Partners will use the grant funding to develop weatherization curriculum in partnership with local colleges, offer on-the-job weatherization training for projects in the region, and pay for necessary equipment to help remove barriers to program participation. Other grant recipients include Kennebec Valley Community College, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, the International Association of Ironworkers Local 7, and the Associated General Contractors of Maine. (The full list of projects is available here.) The projects supported by the grants will help attract and train workers, expand access for historically underrepresented populations, and support jobseekers in finding rewarding, good-quality jobs in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors.