Exxon Mobil Corp. and the National Community Action Foundation entered a new partnership on Wednesday, aiming to enhance worker training programs around the country.

A competitive grant program will be established by the Foundation to finance innovative projects that will significantly expand the capacity of weatherization training programs funded through the Weatherization Assistance Program.

“By working together, we can advance our shared goals of protecting the environment, promoting energy efficiency and expanding career opportunities for American workers,” said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and Gas Company, will donate $5 million to the Foundation to support projects that will expand the scale and scope of existing training programs to better prepare workers for sustainable careers in the growing fields of energy efficiency and weatherization.

ExxonMobil’s grant is the largest ever private contribution to community organizations that work with the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

In a recently passed act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program has increased.

This program was established in 1976 and has been implemented by 900 local community agencies represented by the Foundation and enables low-income Americans to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.