green job training

Daniel Paschall Photography

Several major cities, including Washington, D.C., are exploring how an urban green infrastructure can be an ecological resource that returns money to the city and provides jobs for residents. More studies are showing that cities with healthy environments also have healthy economies. Effective urban ecosystem management could create tens of thousands of jobs and save millions of dollars for urban communities around the country.

Green collar training not only provides much-needed expertise in urban landscape management, but also supplies a reliable, qualified labor force of employees to our city’s parks, landscapes, and gardens.

By teaching green skills through hands-on landscape and LID installation projects, it is easier (and more fun) to learn landscaping skills and best practices.  As an added benefit, the projects done during the program provide needed services and lasting beauty to the local sites we use for training.

dc greenworks is partnering with Groundwork Anacostia DC, the Anacostia Watershed Society, and the Potomac Job Corp Center in a pilot green jobs training program that will span from February to June.  The program will introduce 40 PJCC students to green infrastructure techniques that mitigate the effect of stormwater runoff, including green roofs, rain barrels, rain gardens and pervious pavers.  Students will also learn about overall waterway health.

We have partnered with the Earth Conservation Corps, the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, Covenant House Washington, The Coalition for the Homeless, Columbia Heights Shaw Family Support Collaborative,The Mayor’s Green Summer Job Corp., StriveDC, Groundwork Anacostia DC and other great organizations to put great people in great jobs.