By Kathy Amoroso
February 2, 2009

The Wal-Mart Foundation January 17 announced it will award the Conference a grant totaling $5 million to support green jobs training at the Opening Plenary of The U.S. Conference of Mayors' Winter Meeting. Michelle D. Gilliard, Ph.D., Senior Director for Workforce Development and Education, made the announcement saying, "Wal-Mart understands how important building a green workforce is to the future of America, and we are committed to helping create job growth that also sustains our environment."

Six grants will be awarded in the spring of 2009 through a competitive selection process to train people for green jobs under the Wal-Mart Foundation's $5 million grant to The U.S. Conference of Mayors. In early 2010, three additional grants will be given to cities to support pilot programs providing green workforce training.

For more information on The U.S. Conference of Mayors partnership with the Wal-Mart Foundation and the green jobs training grants, contact Kathy Amoroso at 202/861-6723.