New Ecology partners with Action for Equity to launch the Green Equity Partnership
By Tarshia Green-Williams, Action for Equity Jobs Director, and Marty Josten, Principal Director, Building Decarbonization
Action for Equity successfully led an effort to create and fund a new model of a Joint Community-Employer Skills Partnership that will focus on inclusion of Black and BIPOC Boston residents and employers in the green economy. Named the Green Equity Partnership (GEP), it will prepare workers to be active participants in the building decarbonization economy. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has awarded the GEP $1.2 million for three years.
GEP will provide deep skills technical training for professionals working on retrofit or new construction projects, and in existing building maintenance. The program is initially focused on upskilling for existing employees with technical positions—heat pump installation and maintenance, HERS raters, Electricians, and Green Project Leads—all critical to advancing building decarbonization. The Green Equity Partnership’s focus is on ensuring inclusion now, beginning with this economic expansion, so Black and BIPOC communities are not playing economic catch up later.
New Ecology will be both an employer partner and a technical partner, identifying workforce needs and developing curriculum content. New Ecology is also leading the development of the initial training program for Green Project Leads, which we hope to launch as early as February 2024. Planning for all trainings is currently underway, and GEP classes will be starting in early 2024.
GEP has partnership spaces open for MBE/community contractors committed to providing quality jobs, training their existing employees, and/or advancing community inclusion. As our GEP partner employers grow, we will expand to train new employees. Our training is fully-funded so that neither employer or trainee will have to pay.
Spread the word! If you are an employer who wants more information, get in touch with Tarshia Green-Williams, Action for Equity Jobs Director, at tarshia@action4equity.org.