Green Jobs

The NCLR Green Jobs Initiative was launched in 2010 with funding from the Walmart Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor. The initiative helps low-skilled, low-income Hispanics with significant barriers to employment enter into and advance along green jobs career pathways by providing linguistically and culturally appropriate training built on research-based practices, which leads to industry-recognized certifications, employment, and upward mobility.

In partnership with NCLR, Affiliates implemented green jobs training programs in eight cities to prepare Latino workers for high-quality jobs while providing employers with a pipeline of qualified and diverse candidates. Many Affiliates used integrated training curricula—incorporating basic skills and language instruction with technical skills—to advance participants quickly along education and career paths to well-paying jobs. Weatherization training was the most popular among NCLR Affiliates; they also offer training for solar panel installers, home auditors, building engineers, basic construction workers, green office managers, biogas plant operators, and landscape workers.

The video below highlights the program at the NCLR Affiliate Spanish Catholic Center in Washington, DC.

The NCLR Green Jobs Initiative was implemented by:

• Center for Training and Careers (CTC) (San Jose, California)
• Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (Brooklyn, New York)
• Hacienda Community Economic Development (Portland, Oregon)
• Instituto del Progreso Latino (Chicago, Illinois)
• MAAC Project (Chula Vista, California)
• Mi Casa Resource Center (Denver, Colorado)
• Spanish Catholic Center (Washington, DC)
• Spanish Speaking Citizens’ Foundation (Oakland, California)

Since the program’s inception, nearly 700 participants have been enrolled in various green jobs training programs across the eight sites, of which 61% have graduated. Most program graduates have been placed in jobs with wages ranging between $10.00 and $16.75 per hour.

For more information, please contact Surabhi Jain, Manager, Career Pathways Initiatives, at sjain@nclr.org.