Greencorps Chicago

Greencorps Chicago Prepares Ex-Offenders For The Green Economy.

As a program of the city government, Greencorps Chicago bridges the most economically-disadvantaged people with the nascent green economy of the region, by providing paid nine-month training programs in diverse environmental trades.

After declaring their intent to make Chicago “the greenest city in America”, city officials have seen some of their most exciting results from a public program called Greencorps Chicago. This organization bridges the most economically-disadvantaged people with the nascent green economy of the region, by providing paid nine-month training programs in five lines of work: landscaping, weatherization, environmental remediation, electronics recycling, and household hazardous materials processing.

In over 15 years of operations, Greencorps Chicago has succeeded especially in involving people leaving the prison system, and others with strong barriers to employment. By providing a stable source of income in its four days-a-week training program, and a creditable background in highly demanded skills, Greencorps has helped roughly 80% of its graduates move on to steady employment in the industry of their training. Every year, about 40 people graduate the program, with about 20 people working part time as staff and instructors.

The program has found its consistent $2.5 million annual funding by serving as a labor force for the city, and by pursuing grants from multiple city departments and the state. Through their five-year-old partnership with an environmental services firm, OAI, Greencorps has found additional financial support as well as advanced training in environmental remediation. Future objectives for the organization include more integration between the Greencorps training and that provided through OAI training, as well as expand the network of community gardens which it has already begun.

Through a range of fiscal and environmental policies, Chicago is attempting to develop a healthy green industry sector, and expand the demand for green jobs. One such effort has been the city's success in attracting two solar power manufacturers to the city, by committing to purchasing  their solar panels. As a result, Chicago has over 2 megawatts of solar generating capacity, more than any U.S. city outside of the Southwest.

According to Sadhu Johnston, Chief Environmental Officer for the City of Chicago, the implementation of the city's comprehensive climate action plan could add 5,000 to 10,000 jobs annually in construction, weatherization, engineering, auditing, and other areas. These programs, like Greencorps Chicago, will focus on reaching the most underprivileged population demographics in the city--ensuring that ambitious green strategies also provide pathways out of poverty to those in need.