By Political Reporter Marshall Zelinger
m.zelinger@krdo.com
Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mzelinger

DENVER - You could soon find a job with the help of some of your very own tax dollars.  At a town hall-style meeting in Denver, Vice President Joe Biden announced $500 million from the stimulus package will go to new energy jobs and new energy job training.

Click here to learn more about green jobs.

"We're going to focus today on jobs for the middle class folks, in the 21st century, in a green economy and green jobs," said Biden.  "To make these programs possible, government will increase funding for work force education that incorporates green, technology training."

Some of the new green job training could include how to weatherize your home.

"Blowing in clean, non-toxic insulation in our grandmama's houses, replacing windows and doors that don't fit," says Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

"All told, our energy investment will, on their own, create 450,000 new jobs," said Biden.

Even if you lack experience, the training may be available for jobs in the wind and solar industry.

"We'll more seamlessly connect people to green jobs and the training they need to get these jobs," said Biden.  "Residents in public housing will be able to more easily find training programs and sustainable employment."

There are approximately 26,000 people in Colorado Springs public housing.  NEWSCHANNEL 13 spoke with Gene Montoya, Executive Director of the Colorado Springs Housing Authority.  Montoya doesn't yet know how this money will be able to help his residents get the jobs and training they'll need.

"The housing authority will have to make an application and compete with all other housing authorities for those funds," said Montoya.  "It's just a matter of what the criteria is for this second round of funding."

The first round of funding was distributed to housing authorities across the country using a formula.  According to Montoya, the Colorado Springs Housing Authority plans to use its money on shovel-ready projects; new insulation, roofs, windows, doors, appliances, furnaces and hot water heaters, anything to keep the housing as maintenance free as possible.  He says, the housing authority has about $20 million worth of projects to fund, but only about $1 million in stimulus money for those projects.

For those who aren't associated with public housing, non-profit organizations can help you find jobs and training.  Many non-profits will be able to apply for stimulus grant money to help with new energy job training.

At the town hall meeting, Vice President Biden said this new round of funding isn't meant to get people off unemployment immediately, but to create jobs that will end up paying in the long run.

"We're leaving men and women like you, jobs that cannot be exported," said Biden.