The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 14 organizations to receive funding to operate environmental job training programs for local residents. Funded through the agency’s Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Program (EWDJT), the organizations will receive a total of approximately $2.7 million to help residents learn the skills needed to secure employment in the environmental field. These grants help prepare people for green jobs that reduce environmental contamination and provide more sustainable futures for the communities most affected by solid and hazardous waste contamination.
People United for Sustainable Housing, Inc. (PUSH) was chosen by the EPA for a $200,000 grant. PUSH plans to train 42 students and place at least 35 graduates in environmental jobs. The core training program includes 116 hours of instruction in 40-hour HAZWOPER, roots of success, OSHA 10-hour construction, and OSHA 16-hour confined space. Additional courses include 275 hours of instruction in courses under four special tracks: environmental worker, clean energy, energy efficiency, and green infrastructure.
PUSH will provide assistance to students to guide them in selecting the appropriate track. Participants who complete the training program can earn a total of nine state and federal certifications. PUSH is targeting unemployed and underemployed residents from the east and west side neighborhoods of Buffalo. Key partners include the Savarino Companies LLC, Montante Solar, Solar Liberty, New Buffalo Impact, and Green Top.
Since 1998, when the EWDJT grant program started, more than 274 grants have been awarded. Approximately 16,300 individuals have completed training, and of those, more than 11,900 individuals have been placed in full-time employment earning an average starting wage of over $14 an hour. This equates to a cumulative job placement rate of 73 percent of graduates.
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in America. When brownfields are addressed, nearby property values within a one-mile radius can increase 5-15.2 percent according to an independent study.