The city is awarding $2.24 million for equal access to clean energy training and career paths

Seattle- The City of Seattle is investing more than $2.24 million to recruit, train and place workers from communities that have experienced economic and environmental injustices into competitive, salaried jobs in construction and clean energy.

The investment reflects Mayor Bruce Harrell’s ongoing commitment to the city to make progress on its ambitious climate goals, while supporting residents most harmed by climate change and creating career paths with fair wages.

“These investments address two key needs: doing everything we can as a city to respond to the climate crisis, and creating new clean energy economic opportunities for residents whose communities are most impacted.” said Mayor Harrell. “The climate crisis requires bold action, innovation and collaboration, and Seattle is proud to be a national leader when it comes to partnering with the private and public sectors to address some of our most pressing challenges.”

The funds have the potential to prepare over 260 workers for careers in construction and clean energy, providing workers with pre-apprenticeship training and job readiness support provided by the six awardees:

• Emerald Cities cooperation – heating, ventilation and air conditioning
• Pacific Northwest Steelworks Local 86
• Emerald Cities cooperation – electric paths
• Apprenticeship and non-traditional employment for women (ANEW)
• YouthBuild by YouthCare
• Seattle Central College Pre-Apprentice Construction Training (PACT)

Each organization will be tasked with prioritizing individuals for priority employment in construction apprenticeship programs and/or clean energy positions. Priority Employment is the city’s target for workers who have had insufficient past experience in a construction career – people living in economically disadvantaged zip codes, women and/or Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC).

Since its inception in 2013, the Priority Hire program has generated more than $101 million in wages for Priority Hire employees — an amount the city estimates is $47 million more than they would have earned without it. Under the program, the city partners with community organizations and delivers pre-apprenticeship training programs to recruit, place and train Priority Hire workers in 20 different construction trades, such as ironwork, carpentry, cement masonry and plumbing.

“Today’s investment will help us as a city move the needle on racial and economic justice. These investments will ensure that women and people of color can find promising and meaningful family-wage work in Seattle, and we as a city respond to the climate crisis.”assistance from Kiersten Grove, acting director of the City’s Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS), which manages the Priority Hire program.

Examples of the use of funds include the work of the Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC), which will work with Puget Sound Electrical’s Joint Apprenticeship and Training Commission to create employment pathways for up to 60 eligible workers in electrical positions. These positions are crucial to the shift towards energy conservation, but the region and country are struggling with a shortage of residential electricians.

“Expanding access to technical careers through specialized pre-apprenticeships enables more people in our diverse region to earn good wages in high-quality jobs, including new roles related to combating climate change.” said Roz Jenkins, senior economic integration manager for the PNW Emerald Cities Collaborative Region.

The city has passed Green New Deal legislation directing all city departments to work together toward the goal of eliminating all climate pollution in the city by 2030. Building a climate workforce is a key tenet of Mayor Harrell’s One Seattle Climate Justice Agenda , bringing together people most affected by climate change to take bold actions to address the climate crisis.

“As the impacts of the climate crisis intensify, we need a trained workforce to help make the necessary transition from fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy,” he added. said Jessyn Farrell, director of the Office of Sustainability and the Environment. “By investing in inclusive training and job opportunities, we are not only tackling the urgent climate crisis, but also ensuring those most impacted by it have access to family wage careers and pathways to success as climate workers.”

“Meeting the demands of climate change and transitioning to an inclusive, green economy is a huge economic opportunity for our region, combining our environmental values ​​with our spirit of innovation.” said Markham McIntyre, director of the Office of Economic Development. “Investing in green jobs like high-wage jobs in clean energy and construction is one of the many ways we can ensure that historically underserved communities can take advantage of this opportunity.”

The latest investments join a number of significant steps Seattle is taking to advance climate justice and build an inclusive climate workforce. In May, Seattle received nearly $3.2 million to help households and small businesses transition from fossil fuels to clean, energy-efficient appliances.

Last December, the city adopted new Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards (BEPS) regulations that will require Seattle’s largest existing buildings to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The city is also working to decarbonize all city-owned buildings by 2035 and supporting residents in the transformation process from oil and fossil gas to all clean energy sources. These policies will create hundreds of local jobs that cannot be outsourced and support workers directly in the Seattle area.