A \ 2016 Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training W? I Grant Fact Sheet Springfield, MO EPA Brownfields Program In 2010, the EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) led an effort to more closely collaborate with other programs within the Agency on workforce development and job training. Program offices now participating in the expanded initiative include the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR), Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRU), Office of Communications, Partnerships, and Analysis (OCPA), Office of Wastewater Management (OWM), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). This initiative was created to develop a job training cooperative agreement opportunity that includes expanded training in other environmental media outside the traditional scope of brownfields hazardous waste assessment and cleanup. As a result of this effort, the Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program now allows applicants to deliver a broader array of training in the environmental field, in addition to, the traditional brownfields hazardous waste and petroleum training historically provided. Through the expanded Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program, graduates develop wider skill sets that improve their ability to secure full-time, sustainable employment in various aspects of hazardous and solid waste management and within the larger environmental field, including water quality improvement and chemical safety. This effort also gives communities more flexibility to provide different types of environmental training based on local employers' hiring needs. Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant funds are provided to nonprofit organizations and other eligible entities to recruit, train, and place residents from solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities, including low-income and minority, unemployed, and underemployed individuals. To date, EPA has funded 256 job training grants totaling over $54 million through the Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program. As of January 2016, more than 14,600 individuals have completed training, and of those, more than 10,500 have obtained employment in the environmental field, with an average starting hourly wage of $14.32. This equates to a cumulative placement rate of approximately 72% since the program was created in 1998. Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grant $200,000.00 EPA has selected the City of Springfield for an Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant. The City of Springfield plans to train 50 students and place at least 35 graduates in environmental jobs. The core training program includes 250 hours of instruction in: 40-hour HAZWOPER; OSHA 10-hour construction safety; environmental sampling and monitoring; lead renovation, repair, and paint; asbestos worker and handler; confined space; commercial driver's license; and stormwater management. Participants who complete the training will earn a total of six state certifications and six federal certifications. The City of Springfield is targeting unemployed and underemployed residents of Springfield, Missouri. Key partners include Ozark Region Workforce Investment Board, Southwest Missouri Safety Company LLC, CI Truck Driver Training, Bryan University, Greenfield Environmental Trust Group Inc., Springfield City Council, Environmental Works, and Gerken Environmental. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 7 Brownfields Team (913)551-7380 EPA Region 7 Brownfields Web site (https: //www. epa. go v/bro wnfields/brownfie lds-and-land-revitalization-iowa-kansas- missouri-nebraska-and-nine-tribal) Grant Recipient: City of Springfield, MO (417) 841-3361 Hie information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States _ . w__tp Environmental EPA 560-F-16-024 Protection Agency Re™S (51<»T) M»»2016 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (Si us ) ------- |