$1 Million Grant Funds High Demand 'Green Collar' Job Training and Placement

BALTIMORE, May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Job creation and reducing energy usage are key concerns not only in the United States, but also throughout the world. Here in Baltimore these two issues have come together to create an innovative green career workforce development program operated through Civic Works, Baltimore's urban service corps.

Funded by a $532,319 grant from the Foundation for an Open Society and a $524,023 grant from the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR), the program will create sustainable employment in high demand "green collar" jobs for Baltimore's underserved populations. This new program is particularly timely, given the increased interest in home energy efficiency and April's Department of Energy report citing a shortage of training as the major barrier to expanding home energy efficiency.

The grant enables Civic Works to expand its B'more Green program, which trains unemployed and underemployed Baltimore residents in brownfields remediation, hazard abatement, and environmental demolition. The funding enables Civic Works to move its green jobs training operations to a dedicated building. Here it can construct improved hands-on practice areas that better resemble the real work environments of abatement workers, environmental field technicians and energy retrofit workers.

Called the Baltimore Center for Green Careers, the 12,000 square foot facility is located in Moravia Business Park, 6260 Frankford Avenue.  

"Getting Baltimoreans back to work in living wage high demand jobs is a win-win for everyone," says John Mello, Green Projects director, Civic Works. "Our programs have been transforming lives, but this grant will enable us to greatly expand our operation and provide much needed skills development in high demand jobs to Baltimore's unemployed and underemployed populations," he adds.

Civic Works will target Baltimore's unemployed and underemployed residents who are 18 and older and have one or more significant barriers to employment. The program will serve 44 participants over the two-year grant period; 24 will be trained in the three-month long Energy Retrofit Installer training program, and 20 will be trained as Environmental Field Technicians and Abatement Workers in the seven-week B'more Green program.

Graduates will learn to energy retrofit a house, providing services such as air sealing, insulation, and Cool Roofing. Graduates will also receive job readiness and placement services. Graduates will be placed into entry-level green careers with environmental employers that offer a living wage ($12 to $16 per hour. Employers who hire graduates will be offered a wage subsidy.

A grand opening event and tour are scheduled for Tuesday, June 8, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.  

Source: Civic Works Baltimore Center for Green Careers, (410) 929-6124 or visit www.civicworks.com.

SOURCE Civic Works Baltimore Center for Green Careers