Jobs for the Future (JFF) has announced six grants totaling $4.5 million over three years to help transform U.S. education and workforce systems.

Awarded as Phase three of JFF’s Quality Green Jobs Regional Challenge, which is funded through the Climate-Resilient Employees for a Sustainable Tomorrow—a five-year, $25 million initiative of the Ares Charitable Foundation—the grants will support green-job initiatives that address regional climate threats. The grants of $750,000 will help close the gap between employer demand for a skilled green workforce and the number of people ready for those opportunities while advancing economic mobility. JFF initially selected 20 regions for phase one of the project, with 10 regions identified to advance to phase two earlier this year.

“No region in the U.S. is untouched by climate impacts, from floods to fires to drought. The time to adapt and build more resilient economies is now,” said JFFLabs executive director Kristina Francis. “Today’s announcement represents not only an investment in the future health of our planet but in setting a vision for what quality green jobs should look like and how they can play a critical role in growing vibrant inclusive regional economies.”

For information about the recipients and their projects, see the JFF website.

(Photo credit: Getty Images/AJ Watt)