Boston Green Jobs Get Funding

A new round of funding will help create more Boston green jobs.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino recently announced that the city has received $300,000 in Empowerment Zone grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The money, which is meant for green-collar workforce investments,will fund job creation and workforce training for three separate programs, each of which will receive $100,000.

"With help from a number of our partners, Boston is ahead of the curve when it comes to investing in the emerging green economy," Menino said. "These are smart investments that will make a difference in our neighborhoods in the short and the long term.

"Our grantees have the ability to give both high-risk youth and adults in need of career training an opportunity to gain meaningful jobs to make sure that we stay at the forefront of the green economy," he continued. "This funding will train people for jobs that are available today and for careers coming in the future."

The Green Youth Corps, a year-round jobs program that allows youth to explore green careers and promote sustainability in Boston, will use the $100,000 to fund 30 new positions. The program, which targets high-risk youth, will partner with various community organizations to offer employment opportunities.

The Asian American Civic Association and JYF Networks will use the $100,000 to fund 10 to 15 adults in green-collar job training programs. The AACA will train green facilities maintenance technicians and JYF Networks will train assistant energy auditors and brownfield remediation technicians.

Finally, the remaining $100,000 will be used to create energy auditor jobs in partnership with Next Step Living for the Mayor's Renew Boston initiative. The recently-created Residential Energy Efficiency Pilot Program will work with Next Step Living to provide more than 150 Boston homes with free, extensive energy audits and immediate retrofits to make homes more efficient.

Visit BostonJobs.com to find out more about Boston jobs.