Government Initiatives Train Workers for Climate Resilience

Government Initiatives Train Workers for Climate Resilience
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Whether it’s forest management, solar panel installation or building resilient homes, a new program provides experience and training for a variety of green careers.

If you’ve spent time this year visiting national parks, chances are you benefited from the trails, hiking shelters and visitor’s centers constructed nearly a century ago by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). More than three million people participated in that New Deal program between 1933 and 1942, many of them planting trees that provide shade and sustenance for people and forest animals. 

green jobs

Taking a cue from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Joe Biden announced the creation of the American Climate Corps early in his presidency. In June 2024, the first 9,000 members of the American Climate Corps began their work at jobs such as installing solar panels and in landscape restoration. By the end of 2024, more than 20,000 people are expected to join the program. 

The five-year goal is to hire 200,000 young people to provide them with skills and experience that can lead to careers in various sectors of green industries, including homebuilding. The mission is to generate trained workers with experience in climate resilience, clean energy and conservation of private and publicly owned land. 

While some people join the American Climate Corps for the job training, others may want to consider it as a way to manage their stress over climate change. Approximately three-fourths of Americans are stressed by the climate crisis, according to COGNITION Smart Data from a recent Green Builder Media survey.

Stressed Out over climate change

Acting now and starting on a path to a career that addresses the climate crisis can be a major stress reliever.

Multiple government agencies are participating in the American Climate Corps project, including the Commerce Dept., USDA, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Labor Department, the EPA, AmeriCorps and the White House. Numerous states also launched Climate Corps programs, including Vermont, Illinois, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah and Washington. 

American Climate Corps partners with the nonprofit TradesFutures organization, which develops, improves and promotes Apprenticeship Readiness Programs (ARPs) to help women, veterans and people of color establish and maintenance careers in construction. ARPs are educational programs that provide a foundation of skills and knowledge to succeed in a formal Registered Apprenticeship in the construction industry. 

TradesFutures develops courses for ARPs, helps organizations establish ARPs, and supports other efforts to assist historically underrepresented and underserved communities establish and maintain careers in the construction industry. Each American Climate Corps member will have access to the TradesFutures apprenticeship readiness curriculum. 

Expanding American Climate Corps Programs

Initial proposals for the American Climate Corps planned for 1.5 million jobs to be created over five years. While that goal won’t be met by the new program because of a lack of funding, support for training for green jobs is planned in other ways. 

For example, the Energy Communities AmeriCorps, a new interagency public private partnership, will place American Climate Corps members in priority energy communities across the country. “Energy Communities” are places such as former coal-mining towns or other ecologically damaged places that need environmental remediation. 

In addition, AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, and the U.S. Forest Service recently inducted the first class of 80 individuals who will be part of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Forest Corps. 

The Forest Corps will address the wildfire crisis with young adults ages 18 to 24 who will gain skills and experience in natural resource management, forest health and climate resilience in preparation for a career at the U.S. Forest Service or other organizations. 

AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps members will receive a compensation package equivalent to $15 an hour, including lodging, transportation, clothing, a living allowance, health benefits and more. 

Opportunities with the American Climate Corps

Jobs available on the American Climate Corps career listing page in July 2024 are located throughout the U.S. with terms ranging from eight months to as long as three years. The jobs can be indoors or outdoors, in urban or rural locations, travel positions or remote work. Applicants can choose their area of preference such as environmental justice, biodiversity protection and restoration, community gardens, wildfire prevention and more.

While the main benefit of participating in the American Climate Corps may be the ability to tackle the climate crisis with hands-on activity, the positions are paid and provide training. Compensation for the work, which includes a living allowance along with housing and transportation, will be equivalent to a salary ranging from approximately $12 to $28 per hour. 

The variety of job opportunities include conducting energy audits, weatherizing homes, helping to rebuild a community after a disaster, building resilience to climate disasters in communities, eliminating invasive plants, installing solar panels, helping with stormwater management and more. 

Some positions include benefits such as healthcare, childcare, transportation and housing. After completing a term with the American Climate Corps or multiple terms, participants have access to a streamlined pathway into federal service. 

Some American Climate Corps opportunities will offer a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that can be used towards post-secondary education or training or to pay down student loan debt. 

Whether they’re looking for a path to a career in the public or private sector, or just want a gap year to do something meaningful about the climate crisis, the American Climate Corps could be an opportunity to experience the U.S. and the world of work in a different way.


Publisher’s Note: This content is made possible by our Today’s Homeowner Campaign Sponsors: Whirlpool Corporation. Whirlpool Corporation takes sustainability seriously, in both their products and their operations. Learn more about building and buying homes that are more affordable and less resource intensive.