The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 7 office recently announced that nearly $200,000 in grant funds have been awarded to Heartland Conservation Alliance (HCA).
According to a press release, the grant was awarded through the Brownfields Job Training grant program. The grant will help HCA train 54 students with at least 27 of them going on to environmental jobs. Students will have an opportunity to earn up to two federal certifications through the training program. HCA will partner with Build Trybe, a program administered by the Kansas City organization Cornerstones of Care, to administer this training program.
“Heartland Conservation Alliance’s Brownfields job training plan with Build Trybe addresses the needs of the city, as well as the needs of the student trainees,” EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister said, according to the press release. “The program’s mentorship community will set up its students for success and result in a cohort of skilled young people able to work on environmental restoration jobs that will benefit the entire Kansas City area.”
HCA Executive Director Logan Heley said the grant will fund the program for years to come and will make a big difference.
"Heartland Conservation Alliance's Nature Action Crew works throughout the Blue River watershed to combat invasive species and reintroduce native plants and trees," Heley said, according to the press release.
The Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Job Training program was established in 1998. Since then, the program has awarded more than 352 grants. Additionally, over 19,456 people have completed training. Of those, over 14,560 individuals have been placed in full-time employment in careers related to remediation and environmental health and safety. The average starting wage for these individuals is over $14 an hour.
Visitors can find more information on selected Brownfields Job Training grant recipients on EPA's website.
