This summer, Community College of Philadelphia will provide free job training to 210 laid-off and dislocated workers. Courses — some of which can be completed in three months or less time — will prepare people for jobs in three critical economic sectors: energy conservation, advanced manufacturing and health care.

Energy conservation courses prepare students for Building Performance Institute certification, with classes beginning June 9, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, with classes beginning in August. Several different courses are available.

Advanced manufacturing programs begin July 9. The 10- to 12-week program prepares students to become electro-mechanical technicians, industrial engineering technicians and other manufacturing professionals. Students prepare for the Advanced Manufacturing Integrated Systems Technology Level 1 certification.

The health care core curriculum is designed for career-changers looking to transition into this fast-growing field. The six- to eight-week course covers health care systems, medical technology and computer skills. It will begin in late August or early September.

The courses are part of a three-year, $20 million Department of Labor grant to Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges to address manpower shortages by moving displaced and laid-off workers quickly into high-wage, high-skill occupations.

“Our challenge will be to help laid-off and underemployed workers to understand that short-term and long-term skill retraining is essential if they are to meet the labor demands of Pennsylvania employers, who have made it clear that they prefer candidates with career-specific skills,” says college president Stephen Curtis.

Do you qualify?

Applicants must be residents of Philadelphia, 18 or older, with a high school diploma or GED certificate and proof of being currently dislocated or unemployed. Priority will be given to qualified military veterans. Eligibility requirements differ for each program. Students who successfully complete the training and pass an exam will receive certificates and job placement assistance.