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 (OSRTI), 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.
$193,746.00
EPA has selected Auberle for an Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant. Auberle plans to train 40 students and place at least 35 graduates in environmental jobs. The core training program includes 118 hours of instruction in 40-hour HAZWOPER and first aid/CPR. Auberle will offer supportive services to participants to help overcome employment barriers, such as mental health counseling, life skills development, and leadership training, as well as, job readiness skills, such as professional conduct, resume writing, and interviewing. Participants who complete the training will earn two federal certifications. Auberle is targeting unemployed and underemployed residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Key partners include the Weavertown Environmental Group, Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, Sustainable Pittsburgh, MAX Environmental Technologies, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.