BROWNFIELDS JOBTRAINING
SUCCESS STORIES
Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Program
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
April 2011
U.S. EPA OFFICE OF BROWNFIELDS AND LAND REVITALIZATION
Harith Goodwin's Greencorps Graduation
Chicago, Illinois—
As a participant in the
Greencorps Chicago program
(funded through an EPA
Brownfields Job Training
grant to OAI,Inc.), Harith
Goodwin stood out. His fellow
Greencorps Chicago trainees
valued his opinion and trusted
his leadership. As a result, he
was promoted to crew leader
and maintained this position
throughout the program.
While enrolled in Greencorps
Chicago, he took full advantage
of all the program had to offer
in terms of technical skills
training and work experience.
Training in weatherization and
environmental health and safety
prepared him for an excellent
employment opportunity that
would have been out of his
reach if not for his participation
in Greencorps Chicago.
Today, Harith Goodwin works
as an assessor and inspector for
the Community and Economic
Development Association of
Illinois, Inc. (CEDA), one of
the largest private non-profit
organizations in the United
States. His position is directly
related to his training at
Greencorps and a testament to
his and Greencorps Chicago's
commitment to improving the
quality of life of trainees.
Harith Goodwin, Job Training
Graduate, 2010
Trainees
Provide Oil
Spill Assistance
North Canton, Ohio—Eleven
Stark State environmental
brownfield technician students
leapt at the chance to work 12-
hour days, seven days a week
as part of cleanup efforts at the
Gulf of Mexico oil spill. North
Canton, Ohio environmental
cleanup company Sunpro
advertised for workers
trained in the 40-hour OSHA
Hazardous Waste Operations
and Emergency Response
Standard and by the next day,
(continued on page 2)
EPA's Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program
empowers states, tribes,
communities, and other
stakeholders to work together
to prevent, assess, safely clean
up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield site
is real property, the expansion,
redevelopment, or reuse of
which may be complicated
by the presence or potential
presence of a hazardous
substance, pollutant or
contaminant.
Known as the Brownfields
Job Training Program prior
to 2011, EPA's Environmental
Workforce Development and
Job Training program provides
grants on a competitive basis
to nonprofit organizations and
other eligible entities to recruit,
train, and place predominantly
low-income and minority,
Locations of success stories featured in this newsletter
unemployed and under-
employed residents from solid
and hazardous waste-impacted
communities. Residents learn
the skills needed to secure full-
time, sustainable, employment
in the environmental field,
including a focus on assessment
and cleanup activities. These
grants help to create green
jobs that reduce environmental
contamination and provide
more sustainable futures for
the residents of communities
most affected by brownfields.
This fact sheet describes some
of the accomplishments and
successes of selected grantees.
Featured in this Issue
Greencorps Graduation I
Trainees Provide Oil
Spill Assistance I
Shovel-Ready Placements 2
Second Chances in
King County,WA 3
A Stepping-Stone to an
Environmental Career 3
Graduate Returns to
Train Others 4
Fort Belknap Indian
Community 4
California's Graduating
Bioneers 5
St. Nick's Job Training
in Region Two 5
Burgeoning Entrepreneurs 6
Letters from our Graduates 7
Finding Living-Wage Jobs 7
Job Training Success Stories
April 2011
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Oil Spill Assistance
(continued from page 1)
20 students had lined up for
interviews.
Other Stark State brownfield
students were offered positions
with Sunpro to clean up spills
in the Ohio area on an as-
needed basis. The brownfield
environmental technician
program at Stark State is
provided through a Recovery
Act-funded $422,000 grant
from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency to train
more than 100 unemployed and
underemployed Canton residents
over three years.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Immediately after Dee Craig
graduated from the City of
Chattanooga's brownfields job
training class, he applied for
a number of jobs in the City.
He was offered temporary
employment at an environmental
staffing firm in Nashville,
Tennessee. He had one job with
that company, cleaning a site
containing illicit substances (a
crack house). On June 22, Mr.
Craig received a call from one
of the Chattanooga emergency
response companies he had
applied with in February. Within
two days he was on his way
to Panama City Beach, FL
to work on the BP oil spill.
He worked as a crew leader,
overseeing more than 10 workers
who are cleaning up oil on
the beach. He made $14.00
per hour and worked 14 hour
days, earning him overtime at
$21.00 per hour. After the BP
spill, Mr. Craig began work in
Michigan, cleaning up the spill
in Kalamazoo. At 51, he was the
oldest student to graduate from
the City's job training program.
Former students respond to the
gulf coast oil spill, laying boom to
contain the oil
Shovel-Ready Placements Under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Richmond, CA—
Last year, the City of
Richmond, California was
selected by the EPA for an
American Reinvestment
and Recovery Act (ARRA)
job training grant focused
on brownfields cleanup.
The city plans to train
128 students, place 102
graduates in environmental
jobs, and track graduates
for one year. The training
program is part of the
RichmondBUILD Green
Careers Academy and
consists of 250 hours
of training in a variety
of environmental,
green technology, and
construction skills.
Graduates can receive
six certifications,
including HAZWOPER;
lead, asbestos, &
mold abatement; solar
technology & installation;
and energy efficiency
training. The primary
trainers are staff from
the Richmond BUILD
program, as well as
instructors from CAL Inc,
a private environmental
training firm identified
through a competitive
procurement process.
Earlier this month,
5 graduates of the
program were hired by
Global Diving, a private
firm providing skilled
technicians to clean up the
BP Gulf Oil Spill. Those
Students in Richmond, California's Job Training Program
graduates are provided
with free room and board,
meals, transportation
between Louisiana and
Richmond every four
weeks, a per diem, and $17
per hour plus overtime and
double-time. Since they
will be living aboard a
ship in the ocean with free
living expenses, most of
that money will be coming
back to Richmond and the
greater Bay Area.
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King County, Washington
Second Chances Through
- Offering Ex-Offenders
Job Training
Graduates of King County Washington Jobs Initiative
King County, Washington—
In Washington State,
the King County Jobs
Initiative (KCJI) helps
formerly incarcerated
County residents move
beyond the stigma of
jail time and into living-
wage "green jobs"
focused on environmental
cleanup. Currently, 100
percent of the program's
participants have a prior
conviction. Program staff
developed relationships
with Work Release
and the Department of
Corrections, the King
County Community
Corrections Alternative
Program, jails and other
groups. The program also
enhanced its job clubs,
training, and job readiness
efforts with a focus on
the employment barriers
that former offenders face.
KCJI is succeeding in
overcoming the hesitation
to hire workers with
criminal records because
of its close relationship
with employers and its
history of providing skilled
workers. KCJI works
with community-based
organizations, community
and technical colleges,
labor unions, employers
and others to create
customized training that
meets employers' specific
job needs.
To date, King County
has trained over
314 participants in
environmental cleanup
and placed over 218 into
jobs with an average wage
rate of $17.66 an hour.
The Program provides
an advanced, 23 8-hour
curriculum in topics
such as HAZWOPER,
soil vapor extraction,
bioremediation, wastewater
treatment, lead and
(continued on page 4)
Cleanup Job Provides Stepping-
Stone to Environmental Career
Jacksonville, Florida
Lonnie Jones, a single
working mother, completed
the Brownfields training
course with Florida State
College at Jacksonville on
May 28th, 2010. Shortly
after graduation, she was
hired to help with the Gulf
of Mexico oil spill cleanup
in Pensacola, Florida.
Soon after, Applied
Environmental Health and
Safety in Panama City,
Florida offered Lonnie
a job as a Site Safety
Supervisor. She earned
$20 an hour for the first
40 hours/week and $30 an
hour for overtime.
Lonnie is no longer
working at oil spill
sites, but she is still
employed with Applied
Environmental Health and
Safety, working to help
market their company's
environmental services.
The company pays her
$16 an hour for marketing
services and $20 an hour
for field work. Lonnie
recently enrolled in school
and is now working on
a bachelor's degree in
environmental science.
Below: Graduates from Florida
Community College at Jacksonville's
Job Training Program
Above: Jacksonville's Job
Training Class # 3
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Offering Ex-offenders
2nd Chances
(continued from page 3)
asbestos abatement, and
confined space. Graduates
also receive Basic Science,
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA)
and construction readiness
certifications upon completion.
King County has many success
stories, but our most recent
include Brownfield graduates
who spoke recently at County
budget hearings on the value
of the program and how they
have benefitted from the
Brownfields Job Training
program. Daema spoke to the
King County Council on how
her life changed after she made
bad mistakes early in life and
subsequently enrolled in the
King County Brownfield's
Job Training program. Daema
called the program "a lifesaver".
She became employed with
Walsh Construction in 2010 as
an environmental technician
and since that time has received
additional training within the
company. She is now self-
sufficient and is able to care for
herself and her daughter.
Another participant, Bryan,
also spoke at the Council
hearings on how much the
program has changed his life
after he had been incarcerated.
He encouraged the council
to ensure continued funding
for the program. He currently
works for Nuprecan with wages
of $32.00 an hour. Bryan on
occasion will attend job clubs
to encourage those searching
for jobs and to remind program
participants how fortunate
they are to have received the
brownfields training and to
stay focused on their goals. His
employer was quoted as saying
that he is an excellent employee
and that he can have a great
future with the company.
KCJI is highly regarded
nationally and was chosen
to represent the EPAs Green
Jobs strategy at the "Good
Jobs, Green Jobs" National
Conference last May as a long-
standing program with a proven
track record. The program was
also recognized at the state
level with a "2010 Governor's
Workforce and Economic
Development Best Practices
Award."
Gerald Writenour, former graduate
turned instructor
Graduate Returns to Train Others
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Gerald Writenour participated
in two rounds of job training
courses, and was determined
to take full advantage of the
opportunities they presented.
After completing the courses,
he worked closely with his
job developer and was able to
receive an additional grant that
provided him with resources
to attend additional training.
Ultimately, Gerald become
an instructor for the OSHA
30-hour training course, and he
now has over twenty years of
experience in the field of quality
control and safety. He is now an
instructor for the Brownfields
Job Training program.
"I have been pleased with the
diverse training programs
offered in conjunction with
the Brownfields program,
and equally pleased with the
level of instruction provided
by those teaching the courses.
I'm grateful to many people
from several organizations
involved; The Greater New
Bedford Career Center, New
Directions, Bristol Community
College, to name a few that I've
dealt with personally and that
have assisted me to be able to
participate in the Brownfields
Environmental Training
program. In addition, I thank
all those involved in helping
me to receive additional grant
funding to further my education
and career in the field of safety
and health."
"I know, as do other graduates
from these types of programs,
or as future prospective
graduates from these programs
should understand, there is
an ever-increasing concern
growing with regards to our
environment, and therefore
the outlook and prospect
of employment within
environmental related careers
looks promising. And it will
in most cases look even
more promising for those
individuals that seek out and
take advantage of available
educational programs, and
acquire further knowledge."
—Gerald J. Writenour
Brownfields Training in the
Rocky Mountain Region
In 2003, the Fort Belknap
Community Council was
awarded a Brownfields Job
Training grant for $200,000.
The remote location of the
Tribal reservation contributes
to an extremely high
unemployment rate, which was
estimated at 71%, compared to
4% in the surrounding counties.
In order to make this a
successful endeavor, the
Council formed partnerships
with Fort Belknap College,
Montana Tech, White Clay
(cultural) Society, Buffalo
Chasers Society, Portage
Environmental, and many
local Tribal programs such
as TANF, Voc-Rehab, and a
childcare program. A total
of 123 participants completed
one or more courses. Twenty-
four individuals obtained
employment specifically related
to their Brownfields training; 10
individuals obtained unrelated
employment.
Building on these and
other efforts in the remote
mountains, plains, and tribal
territories of EPAs Region
8, the Brownfields Office
Students ofFortBelknap'sjob
training program
has contacted all tribal and
community colleges in the
Region to publicize EPAs job
training grant opportunities.
With help from the Region's
green jobs coordinator, the
office compiled a list of all the
workforce investment boards,
job service assistance centers,
and state workforce centers and
made efforts to contact them via
phone or email. Many of those
contacted viewed the program's
"CLU-IN" training webinars.
The Region is hopeful that these
efforts will spur additional
communities to apply for grants
to provide brownfields-related
training, perhaps including
regionally relevant topics such
as redevelopment of mine-
scarred lands, meth-lab cleanup,
or renewable energy system
installation.
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Stories from California's Graduating Bioneers
Long Beach, California—
The Pacific Gateway
Workforce Investment
Network's Bioneers Program
is preparing to train its fourth
class since receiving a job
training grant from EPA in
2009. The Bioneers program
includes the following types
of training:
• Life skills training
addressing
communication,
conflict resolution,
problem solving,
motivation, teamwork,
critical thinking, anger
management, time
management and financial
literacy.
• Industry certifications,
including first aid/CPR,
OSHA 30, HAZWOPER
40, confined space entry,
and asbestos/lead/mold
abatement.
• Fitness and nutrition
training (2 weeks) to
prepare trainees for the
physical demands of
working in the field.
• Job readiness activities,
including mock
interviews, job search
techniques, resume
preparation, completing
job applications, and
communication skills
training.
Bioneer Profiles
Rafael Serrano came to the
center at the age of 24 to
"turn his life around" and
learn more about "Green
Jobs." He was excited
when he was chosen for
the Program and excelled
in class. Rafael was chosen
to be one of the Class
Valedictorians at graduation
March 11.
By March 15, Rafael had
gained employment with IQ
Personnel, an employment
agency with strong ties in the
environmental remediation
and safety industry. He is
still working towards a full-
time, permanent placement.
He is currently working part-
time as a Hazmat Technician,
using his Bioneers training
on a daily basis.
Louis Thomas is a 20-year-
old man who recently
completed the Bioneers
Academy
training. Louis
completed
every module
of the program
successfully. His
determination
to secure
employment
paid off when
he was hired on
October 18, 2010
with Brookfield
Homes, a housing
development
company, as a
Site Laborer on
the Coronado
Workforce
Housing Project
in Long Beach,
CA. He is earning
$12.00 an hour
and is working
full time and receiving a
full benefit package. Louis'
supervisor recognizes Louis'
attention to arriving to work
early and ready to begin,
seeking more work when
needed, and respecting his
break and lunch time frames
in being ready to return
to work. Louis continues
(Above) Louis Thomas' and (below) Rafael Serrano's
Job Training graduation
his involvement with the
Pacific Gateway Workforce
Investment Network as
a speaker at graduation
ceremonies, where he
encourages graduates to
embrace what the training
provides as it well prepares
you for work.
Environmental Contractors Take Interest in Job Training Program
EPA Region 2 has
longstanding work
relationships with
engineering, construction,
and consulting firms doing
cleanup and redevelopment
work at both brownfields and
Superfund sites. Often these
contacts can be leveraged to
connect local residents with
cleanup jobs in their own
communities.
Hiring Needs
When a need arose in early
2010 to hire a technician to
work on Superfund projects,
the engineering firm
CDM coordinated with the
Region 2 Brownfields Job
Training Grant Coordinator
and was referred to the St.
Nick's Alliance Workforce
Development Program.
Located in Brooklyn, NY,
the alliance center provides
training, career development,
and support services to local
residents.
Allan Hunter was a recent
graduate of the 12-week,
full-time Environmental
Response & Remediation
Technician Program at St.
Nick's. The program provides
390 hours of classroom
training and nine recognized
certifications applicable
to work in environmental
response and remediation
services. In addition to the
nine certifications, Allan
also completed the EPA
Region 2 Environmental
Sampling training, which
provided a foundation in field
techniques that is applicable
to much of EPA's Superfund
work.
(continued on page 6)
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Environmental
Contractors
(continued from page 5)
Based on the full suite
of environmental
certifications and training
provided to Allan along
with the appropriate
health and safety, medical
monitoring, and job
readiness training he had
received, CDM hired Allan
and he started working
almost immediately. Allan
started as a Technician
Level 3, which is a
position with significant
opportunities for career
growth. Allan has been
actively working on a
number of EPA Region
2 projects including
the Raritan Bay Slag
Sediment Project, Federal
Creosote, brownfields,
and others.
CDM reports that this
has been a win-win
relationship for both the
firm and the employee.
Allan has proved to be
a dedicated worker and
has worked well with
field teams. He has
been an asset to his new
organization and his
work reflects well on the
job training program at
St. Nick's Alliance in
Brooklyn.
Annual Brownfields
Grantee Meeting
EPA Region 2 also invited
CDM to participate in
a panel discussion with
EPA-funded job training
grantees to provide an
employer's perspective
of the program. In an
open discussion, CDM
representatives provided
feedback to the grantees
on the hiring process,
technical experience of
the student graduates,
and recommendations
for additional items
to be added to the
program curriculum.
The national job training
program is working
to encourage similar
discussions throughout
the country, where
job training grantees
can speak directly
with environmental
contractors.
Burgeoning Entrepreneurs in St. Louis, Missouri
St Louis, Missouri
Around the time the
economy started to slow
down, Archie L. saw his
hauling business come to a
virtual stop. To try to make
ends meet after shutting
the doors of his one-man
business, Archie took work
as a security officer for a
local church group. But,
he never lost his dream to
have his own business. In
the hauling business he
saw "potential for a small
business person with the
right set of credentials
to succeed in the
environmental field". With
his many years of both
life and work experience,
Archie came to the
Brownfields Job Training
Program through a referral
from his church. Archie
worked and studied very
hard and on July 2, 2010
successfully graduated
from the training program.
Since graduating, Archie
has successfully bid on a
few small jobs (less than
$10K), has utilized the
services of some of his
Brownfields classmates,
and has successfully
registered his company
with the secretary of state.
Brownfields Job Training Graduating Classes from St. Louis, Missouri
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Letters from our Job Training Graduates
On September 13th 2010,1
began my first day with the
Brownfields Job Training
Program. At that time, I
was under-employed and
working part time. After
successfully graduating
from the Brownfields Job
Dennis W. Thomas during HAZMAT training
Training Program on October
29th 2010, my work hours
increased to a fulltime job
with unlimited opportunities
for advancement within the
environmental field. The
professionalism, positive
reinforcement, effective
teaching and training from
the FSCJ (Florida State
College at Jacksonville) staff
influenced me. My work
ethics improved and my
enhanced awareness of safety
challenges resulted in me
advancing to a level where I
became "part of the solution,
not the problem". I believe
that if it had not been for the
consistent and concentrated
HAZMAT training, I would
not have been prepared for
the EPA HAZMAT finals. I
know that at this time within
life, I am prepared to face
environmental challenges
and to face these challenges
safely.
Please continue with
the training and even
more success within the
Brownfields Job Training
Program. The program
instructors said that we,
as students, should give
back to the program. Those
words stuck with me and
now it is my turn to give
back. Therefore, I have been
promoting the program to
employers here in the local
area, including JAXPORT,
the military base, and other
environmental companies. I
will be joining the program
team, as a volunteer, to share
my experience and expertise
with the next training class.
—Dennis W. Thomas,
HAZWOPER trainee
at Florida State College
Finding Living-Wage Jobs in Region Six
New Orleans, Louisiana
Iryn Rowan completed the
Goodwill/Limitless Vistas
Southeastern Louisiana
brownfields job training
in May 2009. After
graduating from high
school, Iryn had worked
at several low paying jobs
and had been unemployed
for six months before
receiving brownfi elds job
training. After completing
the program, Iryn was
placed in a subsidized pre-
apprenticeship program
and hired at the Waterford
Nuclear Plant in Taft,
Louisiana as a pipe fitter.
His hourly rate was $15.00
an hour and his take-home
pay including overtime has
been as high as $1600.00 a
week. Iryn often expressed
that the program had a
profound impact on his
life. He said he "needed to
turn (his) life around and
find a career."
Currently, Iryn is well
underway to establishing
a career as a plumber
and is employed with
NA Mechanical where
he does both commercial
and residential plumbing
and pipe fitting. He makes
$15.50 an hour. He has
been with this company
for approximately nine
months.
Camden, Arkansas
Since being awarded
two grants from the U.S.
EPA, the City of Camden,
Arkansas job training
program has graduated
61 students. Of those 61
graduates, 45 are currently
employed.
The first class was
offered during the day
and was only available
to unemployed residents.
Not many people knew
about the program and
only six students signed
up for the class. One of
these students, Ron Jones,
was a single parent with
three children living with
his mother. An asbestos
contractor working at Lion
Oil in El Dorado hired all
six graduates at $14 per
hour immediately after
graduation. Although Ron
did not have a car and
had to ride with fellow
graduates to get to work,
he turned out to be one
of the best hands and
eventually ended up as a
supervisor for that same
job.
For more information on the
Brownfields Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Program, please visit: www.epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm
job Training Success Stones
EPA-560F-II-OIO
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