As the drama of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to play out, the need for alternative sources of energy and energy conservation are gaining increasing attention. However, according to a recent Department of Energy study, a shortage of training is the major barrier to expanding home energy efficiency.
The Baltimore Center for Green Careers is a new training center intended to create an innovative green career workforce. Operated through Civic Works, Baltimore's urban service corps, the center opened its doors last week and should help solve the workforce shortage -- at least in Baltimore.
With a $532,319 grant from the Foundation for an OSI-Baltimore and a $524,023 grant from the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR), part of its Maryland RISE initiative (Reaching Independence and Stability through Employment), the program will promote 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, the recent Department of Energy report citing a shortage of training as the major barrier to expanding home energy efficiency and the launch of Governor O'Malley's Skills2Compete Maryland agenda.
The grant enables Civic Works to expand its B'more Green program, which will now train unemployed and underemployed Baltimore residents in providing energy retrofit services. This is in addition to B'more Green's existing training classes in brownfields remediation, hazard abatement, and environmental demolition. In addition, the funding has contributed to Civic Works being able to move its green jobs training operations to a dedicated building. Here it will be able to construct improved hands-on practice areas that better resemble the real work environments of abatement workers, environmental field technicians and energy retrofit workers.
The Baltimore Center for Green Careers is located in a 12,000 square foot facility in Moravia Business Park, 6260 Frankford Avenue. The center includes warehouse, classroom and hands-on training space, as well as meeting and office space. At the center installers will learn the principles of building science and how to use various diagnostic tools to identify sources of air infiltration.
"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.
Working closely with the DHR, 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. Of the 44 participants served, 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 how to make a house more energy efficient by providing services such as air sealing, insulation, and Cool Roofing. In addition to training, 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) and opportunities for advancement. Employers who hire graduates will be offered a wage subsidy for up to six months.
Civic Works will work to transition each installer graduate into an entry-level position with a home performance contractor, weatherization company, or a home builder interested in an entry-level employee with demonstrated energy retrofit skills. Environmental field technician and abatement worker graduates will be eligible for entry-level positions with brownfields remediation, hazard abatement, and environmental demolition firms. Entry into this specialized construction field is dependent upon the possession of environmental health and safety certifications. The graduates will also be eligible for entry-level jobs in the general construction trades.
Source: Baltimore Center for Green Careers
Writer: Walaika Haskins