Authors: Albert H. Arnofsky, Melanie O’Dea (New Jersey Youth Corps)
Lynn Keepers (New Jersey Youth Corps)

Key Words: Brownsfields, Job Training, Economic Development, Pilot Program, Environmental Cleanup

Abstract:

The EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiatives are designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse Brownfields. The EPA is funding job training pilot programs to provide training for residents of communities affected by Brownfields to facilitate cleanup of Brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field. These pilot programs are intended to provide the EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment and opportunity to qualify residents for jobs developed as a result of Brownfields efforts.

The goals of the Pilots are to facilitate cleanup of Brownfields sites contaminated with hazardous substances and prepare trainees from socio-economically disadvantaged communities for employment in the environmental field, including training in alternative or innovative treatment technologies. EPA has selected the New Jersey Youth Corps for Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots. The New Jersey Youth Corps has partnered with the Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot programs of the cities of Newark and Camden, Middlesex County and the Town of Phillipsburg.

The New Jersey Youth Corps is a program of the State of New Jersey’s Department of Human Services, Office of Education and provides youth education, job training and career development programs throughout the state. The Pilot training program consists of science and math concepts, the 40-hour OSHA health and safety training, preliminary assessment and remediation investigation courses, ASTM auditing, site characterization, measurements and instrumentation, risk communication, and remedial selection. The 150-hour training program includes training in the use of innovative assessment and cleanup technologies.

New Jersey Youth Corps training efforts are supported by organizations such as New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), International Youth Organization of Newark, and The Work Group of Camden, New Brunswick Council for Youth, Middlesex County Community College, New Jersey Department of Labor One Stop Career Center in Phillipsburg, and the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has committed to assisting the training program. In addition, local unions have offered their assistance.