Job Training in the Green Impact Zone®
Unemployment rates are estimated to be as high as 50 percent in some parts of the Green Impact Zone. To combat this, zone partners are working to identify zone residents who need assistance in entering the job market or need to upgrade their skills; connect these individuals with training programs and opportunities; and help them find jobs that pay a living wage and offer a career path to long-term employment.
The Green Impact Zone is working with a group of partners, including the Full Employment Council, the Metropolitan Community Colleges and local businesses, to create a "jobs pipeline" that will put more residents on the path to employment. The pipeline will connect unemployed and underemployed residents with training opportunities, and connect potential employers with trained workers. An important part of this program will be to enhance long-term job retention through a mentoring program — not only helping residents find jobs, but helping them manage their paychecks and household budgets for continued success. The Green Impact Zone will host several informational sessions in April to help residents begin their individual employment pathways.
Workforce development components are a crucial part of several initiatives currently underway in the zone, including the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program, EnergyWorks KC and the SmartGrid demonstration project. Some highlights:
- Working with OAI, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on innovative workforce development, the Green Impact Zone helped recruit unemployed residents to receive training in weatherization, energy audits, hazardous waste remediation and OSHA construction safety. Grants from the Environmental Protection Agency allowed OAI to offer training to zone residents at no charge.
- Zone staff have worked to develop partnerships with the Building and Construction Trades Council and the Laborers International Union of North America to connect residents with good paying jobs. In August, zone staff explored a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau to host workshops on green careers and building job skills for women who live in the zone.
- In spring 2010, the Green Impact Zone partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to help connect residents with temporary job opportunities. The zone office served as a testing site for the Census Bureau, hosting employment tests several times each month in January, February and March.
- The zone also partnered with the Full Employment Council to provide 30 summer internship positions as part of the Green Ways to Green Careers program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant also covered salaries for three supervisors for the six-week internship program. Interns received training for the outreach work they conducted over the six-week period and also learned about the Green Impact Zone initiative and ways they can make a difference in the community. Three of those interns were even offered full-time, permanent employment by a Green Impact Zone partner.
Job Openings
The Mid-America Regional Council, which administers the Green Impact Zone initiative, posts its job openings online here.
Other links to Green Impact Zone partners' job openings pages include:
Note to Green Impact Zone partners: While we cannot list individual job openings, we may be able to link to a job openings page on your website. If you would like to be considered for a link, please contact the webmaster.
