The Brownfields Job Training Program
Job Training Highlights
EPA has provided 144 total
brownfields job training grants
Job Training Grants total more than
$25 million
More than 5,000 participants have
completed EPA-funded training
More than 3,250 graduates have
obtained employment with an
average starting hourly wage
of $13.81
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) established the Brownfields Job Training
Program to help ensure that the residents of
communities most affected by brownfields
would share in the benefits of their cleanup and
reuse. The Job Training Program transforms
lives by empowering unemployed and
underemployed, predominantly low-income and
minority residents of Brownfields communities.
The Program does this by providing funding and
technical assistance for environmental cleanup
and health and safety training to organizations
currently training residents of brownfields-
impacted communities who are seeking new
skills and greater earning potential. The Program helps clean up brownfields, spurs
sustainable economic development, and creates a pool of skilled workers capable of
meeting the environmental cleanup and green jobs industries' demand for workers.
The first seeds of Brownfields Job Training—and of the Brownfields Program
itself—emerged in the early 1990s, when EPA staff discovered that many
communities affected by Superfund sites weren't benefiting from the job
opportunities related to site cleanup. At the time, cleanup-related jobs were
being filled by professionals from other cities due to a lack __^^^^^
of environmental training in the local workforce. EPA
designed its Brownfields Job Training grants to help
ensure that graduates would benefit from local job
opportunities.
A student participating in LACC's Job Training class.
L.A. Conservation Corps
Los Angeles, California
Within Los Angeles' Alameda Corridor—
a densely populated, former industrial area
with extreme poverty and unemployment
rates—the L.A. Conservation Corps
(LACC) has offered job training and work
skills classes to area youth for the past 23
years. Upon receipt of its first EPA grant
in 2005, the LACC teamed with the local college district to develop a 240-hour
environmental curriculum with instruction in Hazardous Waste Operations
and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER), lead and asbestos abatement, forklift
certification, and other environmental cleanup technologies. The course included
additional job and life-skills training, funded through the LACC and local work
source centers. The organization advertised these training opportunities and held
orientation sessions for potential candidates. Alex Lopez, Senior Manager with
LACC explains, "Most of these applicants have been under- or unemployed their
whole lives, so they're enthusiastic at the idea of getting a well-paid job."
As the demands of the economy and the needs of the environmental market
have evolved, so have LACC's job training programs and related partnerships.
The organization has teamed with Grid Alternatives, a non-profit organization
specializing in renewable energy, to provide students with expert instruction in
solar power array installation. LACC also collaborated with L.A. Trade Technical
College to provide training in commercial/residential energy auditing and
modern weatherization techniques.
"The information you get
from the [Job Training] program is going to
help you in your life and in the job market."
—Ronald Simmons,
LACC Graduate
To date, EPA has provided 144 Brownfields Job Training
grants totaling over $25 million. Of the more than 5,000
who have completed EPA-funded training, more than 3,250
obtained employment in the environmental field, earning an average starting
hourly wage of $13.81. The graduates of these programs promote EPA's goals of
sustainable land reuse and environmental protection, not only through cleanup
of site contamination and sustainable redevelopment of brownfields, but also
by applying knowledge that reflects today's environmental and smart growth
opportunities. Skills gained through Brownfields Job Training programs include
green remediation techniques, recycling of demolition materials, installation
of solar panels and other renewable energy systems, and Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) certification of new development. The
overall benefits of the Program reach even farther, promoting EPA's core goals of
promoting partnerships and strengthening the marketplace. By seeking input from
local stakeholders—including workforce development entities and representatives
from private industry—these training programs strengthen community bonds and
produce graduates that are attractive to local employers.
One of LACC's graduates, Ronald Simmons, recalls his training
with LACC. "All of the training was good," he explains,
"especially learning the equipment; and HAZWOPER, which
prepared me the most for what I'm doing now." Simmons
now works for TerraTherm, a company that uses an innovative,
environmentally friendly cleanup technique called "In-Situ Thermal
Desorption" in which heat is used to remove contaminants from soil.
With five training sessions now
complete, the LACC has graduated
more than 175 students from its
Brownfields Job Training Program.
Approximately 85% of graduates
have found employment. The
LACC collaborates with the city's
Brownfields Advisory Board,
consults with local labor unions,
and conducts job fairs to place
students—often finding them work
before they even graduate. Recent
additions to the Brownfields
Advisory Board include a local
solar panel manufacturer that has expressed interest in LACC trainees. "For anyone
looking into the Brownfields Job Training program, I would tell them you have to
give it a try," says Simmons. "The information you get from the program is going to
help you in your life and in the job market."
King County Work Training Program
King County, Washington
"[The program] helped
out both me and my son.
It gives people a chance at life.'
—Danny Benavente,
King County Graduate
Students learn asbestos remediation within a "decontamination
station" as part of LACC's Brownfields Job Training.
Located in northwest Washington, King
County is home to the City of Seattle, a
population of over 1.8 million, and more
than 700 identified brownfields. To
expand on training already being provided
on hazardous waste removal, King County
applied for and was awarded its first EPA Job Training
grant in 1999. Subsequent EPA grants have extended the King County Jobs Initiative
(KCJI) until 2010. In addition to training, King County partners with community
organizations and local companies to find employment opportunities for graduates.
Program Manager Carolyn Bledsoe explains, "The strength of King County Jobs
Initiative is its ability to engage and build upon the on-going collaborative work in the
community. Having a job training program located in County government enables
us to provide insight and leadership through a strategic approach that also helps
employers gain access to our graduates that are trained and ready to go to work."
The King County Work Training Program provides an advanced, 238-hour
curriculum in topics such as HAZWOPER, soil vapor extraction, bioremediation,
wastewater treatment, lead and asbestos abatement, and confined space. Graduates
also receive Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and/or
construction readiness certifications upon completion. So far the program has
graduated over 260 students, of whom 183 have been placed in jobs with wages
ranging from $12-$35 per hour. The program also pledges to keep graduates
employed for at least one year, to ensure that they develop marketable experience.
Due to local word-of-mouth, program spots are in high demand. "Capacity is an issue,"
explains Bledsoe. "No classes are larger than 12-13, but we may have 15-20 apply."
One of the program's graduates, Danny Benavente, has been working for the same
groundwater remediation
company six years after his
placement there. Benavente
was so fond of the program
that he referred his son
to it. KCJI also provides
all participants with four
days of Job Readiness/
Life Skills training to help
address and resolve barriers
through comprehensive case
management and retention
services.
Students of the King County Work Training Program
participate in HAZMAT training.
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JFYNetWorks
Boston, Massachusetts
JFYNetWorks began its environmental job training program in 1995, with the
goal of creating qualified environmental professionals to help meet environmental
needs in the Boston area while providing quality jobs for un- or underemployed
residents. Selected for an EPA Brownfields Job Training grant in 1998, JFY's
proven record has helped them to apply for and receive subsequent Job Training
grants from EPA.
JFY provides three types of environmental job training: cleanup of the
environment using appropriate technology; conversion, or switching to renewable
energy sources; and conservation, including skills such as weatherization
techniques to conserve energy. The agency recently developed a new conservation
training in which students learn how to properly weatherize new buildings and
retrofit old ones. A training in solar panel assembly and installation is about to be
started in Lowell, with a green jobs grant from the state. These new "green" courses
were designed to prepare job-seekers for the emerging green job market. "The
Lowell area has many solar companies," explains Gary Kaplan, JFY's Executive
Director, "so the job market for trained technicians is good. If people have the right
skills, the jobs are there. We'll make sure they have the right skills."
One of the unique features of JFY's 14-week training model is that in addition to
technical skills and certifications, the program works on the communication and
interpersonal skills that graduates will need to impress potential employers, and
to work smoothly with co-workers. The program has an advisory board composed
of representatives from local environmental services firms, including the solar
companies who are involved in the training, educational institutions, community
agencies and government officials. This group not only helps mold the curriculum
to meet industry needs, it also conducts mock interviews with trainees to help
them hone their job- getting skills. As explained by 2009 graduate Mark Jean-
Baptiste, "Aside from the technical certifications, the business communication and
resume courses gave me the skills to stick out from the crowd when it comes to the
job search."
To date, JFY has produced 330 graduates, with an 80% job placement rate.
In some years this rate has been as high as 90%. The average entry-level job
pays $27,000 per year. The proven track record of JFY's former students keeps
companies returning to JFY
to recruit. Kaplan attributes
much of the program's
success to the stability of the
industry. "Unlike other fields,
environmental remediation
is not cyclical; there is always
work," says Kaplan. "Since
these jobs cannot be offshored,
there is a constant demand for
workers, providing job security
For more information on EPA's Brownfields
Job Training Program, please visit:
www.epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm
&EPA
iclds
Job Training
Program
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Or contact your EPA Regional Office:
Region 1 • CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
(617) 918-1429
Region 2 • NJ, NY, PR, VI
(212) 637-3283
Region 3 • DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
(215)814-3246
Region 4 • AL, EL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
(404) 562-8660
Region 5 • IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
(312) 886-4747
Region 6 • AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
(214)665-6682
(214) 665-3172
Region 7 • IA, KS, MO, NE
(913) 551-7357
Region 8 • CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
(303) 312-6019
Region 9 • AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, GU
(213) 244-1821
(415) 972-3270
Region 10 • AK, ID, OR, WA
(206) 553-6378
in this industry."
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Students performing job training at JFY Networks in Boston.
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA-560-F-09-480
June 2009
www.epa.gov/browntields
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