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                    U.S. EPA Brownfields Job  Training Program
                                           JFYNetWorks
                                             Boston, MA
Overview: JFYNetWorks is an organization that provides employment services to unemployed and underemployed
residents in the State of Massachusetts. JFY's Green Jobs employment training was established in 1995 and was among one
of the first EPA Brownfields job training pilots in 1998. Recently, JFY became a recipient of a 2010 U.S. EPA Brownfields
Job Training Grant, which provided $200,000 to further their job training program.
JFY's training curriculum prepares participants for a
wide range of entry-level environmental technician
jobs. Trainees receive 265 hours of hard skills
technical training, and an additional 116 hours of non-
EPA funded soft skills, which includes professional
development, resume writing, interviewing skills, and
job search and retention strategies. An advisory board
consisting of employers, training partners, local, state
and federal environmental representatives meets
quarterly to assess hiring demand, review the core
curriculum, and update training standards. JFY has
two, 14-week cycles per year with one cycle in the late
fall and the other in early spring, each having
approximately 15-20 participants. JFY staff also
conducts a 12 month systematic graduate follow-up
that includes the 8-hour HAZWOPER refresher, which
is open for JFY program graduates.
                       Core Curriculum
                        OSF£A- 40 hour HAZWOPER
                        Environmental Science/Environmental Chemistry
                        Environmental Sampling/Green Remediation
                        Confined Space Entry
                        EPA Renovation, Repair and Paint (RR&P)
                        Asbestos Abatement Worker & Supervisor
                        Microbial (Mold) Remediation
                        OSF£A- 10 hour Construction Safety Training
                        Basic Weatherization
                       Program Partners
                       Training: The New England Consortium at University of MA
                       Lowell and Institute of Environmental Education
                       Community: Urban Edge, YouthBuild Boston, Dorchester Bay
                       EDC, Codman Square NDC, Alternatives for Community and
                       Environment (ACE), and Roca.
                       Funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Participants: Although the majority of the program
participants are from Boston and Chelsea, many trainees come from neighboring
towns, and a small percentage are from outlying towns in Massachusetts and
border towns of New Hampshire and Rhode Island. To reach the population of
interest for the program, JFY conducts community outreach through
newspapers, Craigslist, and presentations at partner referral organizations and
local One-Stops. Applicants interested in the program must attend an orientation
session, which are held several times per week during the 4-week recruiting
period, before they can take the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE).
Participants are required to score at least at the 8th grade level on the TABE to
be eligible to move on to the screening process, which includes a personal
interview. Trainees are then selected and enrolled in the program.
                                                 Photo provided by JFYNetWorks.
Outcomes: JFY utilizes various partnerships, including partnerships with EPA-funded Boston and Chelsea clean-up and
assessment grantees, to provide employment opportunities for their graduates. Currently, JFY has an 80% placement rate.
Examples of job training graduates that have successfully completed the program and transitioned into a career in the
environmental field include:
• Brian S., a 2009 graduate, was hired as a wastewater treatment technician at Macomtech at $22.00 per hour.
• Alan A., a 2009 graduate, took his first job as an Asbestos Supervisor with A&E Environmental in July 2010. He then
  took a three-month assignment as a field technician with Entrix Environmental to work on the cleanup of the oil spill in
  the Gulf of Mexico. Upon his return to Massachusetts, he was hired as a Field Service Technician III and within a month
  promoted to the position of site safety officer at an annual salary of $78,000.
• Kim H., a 2010 graduate, was admitted into the local Carpenters Union as an apprentice starting at $18.00 per hour.
• Program graduates (2010) Steve K., Curtis M, Jeff M., John G., and Joseph M. were hired at $45.00 per hour as field
  technicians  by Aerotek to work on a soil vapor extraction project at an EPA Superfund site.
• Two graduates now work as trainers with JFY employer partners: Armando G., a 2005 graduate, conducts Asbestos
  Worker and Supervisor and Renovation, Repair &Paint in both English and Spanish for the Institute of Environmental
  Education; and Luis S., a 2009 graduate, conducts 40-hour HAZWOPER training for The New England Consortium.
March 2011
Local Contact: Paula Paris, JFYNetWorks* (617) 338-0815* pparis@jfynet.org
Region 1 EPA Contact: Kathy Castagna* (617) 918-1429* Castagna.Kathleen@epa.gov

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