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PARKLAND GREEN JOBS Sometimes projects funded through grants made possible by our government take longer than the public expects to be considered a success in part because the funding is not enough to meet all the requirements necessary for success. To have all the right funding at the right time with intra and interagency cooperation and knowledgeable, hard-working individuals in the public and private sector willing to commit their time and energy sounds like something too good to be true. Add the right policy and economic climate and you have a fairy tale. And yet it has happened. The Parkland Green Jobs project, part of the East Missouri Action Agency’s (EMAA) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Community Action Plan, has recently graduated 11 participants from Mineral Area College’s Weatherization Technician and Green Building Concepts Training Program and is ushering participants into the next phase of the project. The over-simplified goal of the Parkland Green Jobs project is to have ten unemployed individuals trained and employed, but what they would be trained and employed in is also a large contributing factor to its success. Low income individuals often lack the skills necessary to
earn a wage sufficient to support their families. In addition, there is a
lack of trained weatherization skilled workers and BPI certified auditors in
our region. To change this, it was going to take a partnership of agencies,
training providers, and individuals and grant funding. EMAA was aware of the shortage of skilled
weatherization workers and knew that with more funding was being made
available to help individuals living in poverty weatherize their homes. In
addition, they were aware that In December 2009, the Parkland Green Jobs Network met for
the first time. Network members include East Missouri Action Agency
Weatherization and Community Services departments, With training decisions made, the next task was to
identify ten participants for the project. A criterion for selection was
determined by the network with significant input by the Without Linda’s
input and knowledge of upcoming training, a key component of the project
would not have transpired. Individuals who completed the WRC received a
Career Readiness Credential in addition to completing ACT’s WorkKeys Assessment, a determining factor for participation
in the project. All Parkland Green Jobs participants have successfully
completed this program or a similar one. The selection process, which involved WorkKeys assessments, background checks, interviews and an application process, was completed in February. In the event that one of the participants would have to drop the class, which is not an unusual circumstance, EMAA chose to select 11 candidates (ten men and one woman) to increase the probability of having ten participants complete the class. Training began at an off-campus site to accommodate the classroom requirements on February 22. After just three days of training, feedback from St. Louis Carpenter’s JAP Instructor Barry Stelzer, was very positive. By midway through the second week, not only were all participants fully engaged in the training, but they had already exceeded all MAC’s expectations for the training. At the end of week three, all eleven participants had earned OSHA 10 certificate, the EPA’s Renovation, Repair & Painting certification, the Home Builder’s Institute Weatherization credential, and a MAC certificate of completion of the 160 hour weatherization training program. They are currently in their last week of the class, which is completing a week long on-the-job-training at a Habitat for Humanity home in Park Hills. Habitat for Humanity is one of the nation’s largest builders of “Green” homes. The next phase of the project will be On-the-Job-Training (OJT)with EMAA’s Weatherization Department to strengthen the skills acquired in the classroom and provide a job reference for their resume. The eight week OJT will begin on March 29. Participants will be EMAA employees earning the prevailing wage for the industry. The last phase of the project will be Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst certification. Those participants that have the desire and are best suited will be selected to receive this training. BPI training is necessary to become a Home Energy Auditor. A Home Energy Auditor conducts energy audits on homes and determines what needs to be done to make the home more energy efficient. They create a TO DO list for the weatherization technician who will actually do the work required. EMAA has already identified five participants and is considering another two that will move on to this phase. BPI training is typically a week long and is a very intense training. It is not unusual for an above average student to do very well in the course and still fail the exam. EMAA’s new Weatherization Program Manager, Caleb Cooley, felt it would be beneficial to have the participants chosen for BPI training to shadow EMAA Auditor Home Repair Technicians during the OJT phase of the project. He felt this would give them the added experience they would need to successfully complete the exam. Caleb knows this firsthand, as he successfully completed the course and exam this past year. A bonus to this training is that this type of work can be contracted by Electric Cooperatives, Public Utilities, home owners, etc. An energy auditor with some business acumen and entrepreneurial training could easily start their own small business to provide this service in their community. EMAA is currently providing seed capital through the Economic Recovery Entrepreneurship Project, which is also part of its ARRA Community Action Plan. EMAA’s partnership with the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Southeast Innovation Center, and the economic development leaders in three communities has made it possible to provide the First Step FastTrac: The Entrepreneurs Handbook curriculum developed by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, free of charge to low-income individuals in EMAA’s service area. Those who present viable business plans at the end of the course will be eligible to receive up to $5000 in seed capital through this project. Three of the Parkland Green Jobs participants are currently attending this six week course two evenings a week. Of course, the end goal for the project is that these participants are employed, their first step in becoming self-sufficient. EMAA is confident that this is attainable. Policies that will lead to more jobs in this area are already well underway. The Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency, formed with the combined effort of the U.S. Department of Energy(DOE), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Environmental Protection Agency, has been operating since 2005 to help households cut 10 percent or more off the cost of home energy bills over the next decade. The most visible of these policy initiatives is Recovery Through Retrofit, part of the Middle Class Task Force Council on Environmental Quality. Recovery through Retrofit states “Existing techniques and technologies in energy efficiency retrofitting can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent per home and lower total associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually by 2020. Retrofitting existing homes also has the potential to cut home energy bills by $21 billion annually. Yet, despite the real energy cost savings and environmental benefits associated with improving home energy efficiency, a series of barriers have prevented a self-sustaining retrofit market from forming. These barriers include a lack of access to information, financing, and skilled workers.” ARRA funding is creating a unique opportunity to address these barriers. Not every idea that comes out of a focus group makes it to contract approval, and recognizing a project that is both worthy and attainable takes both experience and vision. This project would not have come together without the support and direction of EMAA Executive Director, Bill Bunch, and Community Services Director, Keri McCrorey. Their guiding hands are evidenced in every phase of this project. EMAA is working diligently to find employment opportunities for the eleven Parkland Green Jobs participants. Having participants that are well trained and experienced, is a great place to start. This project is funded in
whole/or part with federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
funds received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support
Division. The funds received from the
Family Support Division are all federally funded. |
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East Missouri Action Agency, Inc. NOT copyrighted—feel free to use to
help alleviate poverty. |
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