ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis is recruiting for a new green jobs workforce development effort that will be piloted this fall.
“This is an innovative way for us to make strides with the City’s ambitious climate protection goals while advancing diversity and equity in the workforce at the same time. We’re fortunate to have strong community partners willing to join us in taking a leadership role in this endeavor. I trust this pilot will deliver a tangible, comprehensive set of essential skills needed by City residents to participate in growing a green economy,” said Mayor Lyda Krewson.
The Solar Workforce Development Pilot is a collaboration between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and National Electrical Contractors Association (IBEW-NECA), the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) and community partners with expertise in the solar industry.
It was developed by the city’s Office of Sustainability with support from the Energy Foundation through the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge, according to a news release.
St. Louis is one of 25 cities selected to participate in the climate challenge, an effort to “take strong action to reduce pollution that contributes to climate change and impacts public health.”
Local nonprofit organization Employment Connection will coordinate the program, which is “designed to address barriers experienced by unemployed and underemployed city residents.”
“Employment Connection has been focused on providing career training and placement services for our clients for more than 40 years. We are excited to join these partners in providing these opportunities for City residents,” said Sal Martinez, CEO of Employment Connection. “This paid training program will introduce minorities and people of color to opportunities in the career fields of green technology and the electrical trades.”
The pilot aims to place a group of 10-20 participants in a training program with supervised field training and mentoring experiences. Solar installation experts will provide installation instruction, supervise on-the-job training and consider participants for hired positions.
The objective of the program is to position graduates into paid jobs or entry-level career opportunities, the release stated.
“St. Louis continues to show how cities can lead by taking steps to enhance air quality, improve public health, and create good, local jobs in low-income communities and communities of color that have endured the worst effects of climate change,” said Stefan Schaffer, City Strategist for the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Anyone interested in learning more about the program should call Employment Connection at (314) 333-JOBS, visit their headquarters at 2838 Market Street or click here.
