Sitting Bull College receives $300K to grow green jobs (ND, SD)
Sitting Bull College receives $300K to grow green
jobs
EPA Brownfields job training grant
to create opportunities on Standing Rock Sioux
Reservation
(Denver, Colorado — July 12,
2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today awarded
Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, North Dakota a $300,000
Workforce Development and Job Training Grant to promote green jobs
on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The funds will be used to
develop a training program that will teach students environmental
cleanup skills and assist with job placement. Today’s award
is among 21 similar grants totaling $6.2 million that EPA is
providing throughout the country.
“Workforce development is a critical step towards building a
healthier environment and stronger local economies,” said
EPA’s regional administrator in Denver, Jim Martin.
“This grant will provide opportunities for Tribal residents
to receive valuable training and secure environmental jobs in the
region.”
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will use the funds to train as many
as 20 students. The training program will include specific
instruction on topics such as solid and hazardous waste management,
emergency response, and environmental cleanup and treatment
technologies. The Tribe expects to place 75% of program
participants in jobs with local environmental contractors once
training is completed.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which lies in both North and South Dakota, has established a Brownfields program that has completed several environmental assessment and cleanup projects. The reservation is the 6th largest in the country, and has a population of 7,627. The region historically has higher unemployment and lower household incomes than other places in the country.
Since 1998, EPA has awarded more
than $35 million under the Environmental Workforce Development and
Job Training Program. As of May 2011, more than 6,683 individuals
have been trained through the program, and more than 4,400 have
been placed in full-time employment in the environmental field with
an average starting hourly wage of $14.65. The development of this
green workforce will allow the trainees to develop skills that will
make them competitive in the construction and redevelopment
fields.
More information on EPA’s
brownfields program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
More information on brownfields success stories: https://www.epa.gov/brownfieldssuccess/index.htm