Leadership, Workforce, and the Future: Why the Green Jobs Training Initiative Matters
When we talk about capacity building, we often focus on organizations — but real impact happens when we build pathways for people.
I’m pleased to share the nomination for the Green Jobs Training Initiative from Employment Connection, recognized in the Emerging Initiatives category for the 2026 What’s Right with the Region Awards. And although it did not receive an award this year, it’s an important and excellent initiative for a region’s workforce.
This initiative addresses a critical gap at the intersection of workforce development and sustainability — creating accessible training and clear pathways into the growing green jobs sector for individuals facing barriers to employment. Through strong partnerships, industry-aligned training, and committed funders including Ameren Missouri, the Community Development Administration, and the St. Louis County Port Authority, the program is building both individual opportunity and regional capacity.
Below is the full submission outlining the program, its partnerships, and its impact to date:
Entry for 2026 What’s Right with the Region - Emerging Initiatives category
NOMINEE: Green Jobs Training Initiative hosted by Employment Connection
NOMINEE TYPE: An initiative COUNTY: St. Louis City (MO)
CONSTITUENCY: low-income residents and residents with significant barriers to employment
WEBSITE: https://employmentstl.org YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2023
GENERAL DESCRIPTION/PROBLEM ADDRESSED:
individuals with limited opportunities to self-sufficiency for over forty-seven years. The organization was established in 1977 after the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis Young Lawyers (BAMSL) study on recidivism found employed ex-offenders were 66% less likely to return to incarceration. The agency became a full United Way agency in 1980 and is the oldest workforce development program targeting ex-offenders in the St. Louis Region. As gaps in services were identified, EC expanded its targeted population beyond ex-offenders to include clients who have barriers to employment and self sufficiency.
EC’s client-centered approach produced more than 20,000 job placements for underserved populations in the St. Louis area. In 2020, EC began a strategic shift toward providing more community-based programs. A majority of EC’s clients come from predominantly Black, “benignly neglected neighborhoods of St. Louis city, and those neighborhoods are in need of more solutions to generational poverty and crippling violence.
EC has developed a Green Jobs Initiative in partnership with the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy. The plan was developed after identifying a lack of regional training opportunities, especially targeting low-income residents with significant barriers; wage disparities between White and Black workers in the green jobs sector; employer feedback on workforce shortages.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES/ACTIVITIES:
The vision of the Green Jobs Initiative is to ensure the region has the workforce of green jobs and sets participants up with basic green jobs skills.
EC’s paid training program pilot was launched in the fall of 2023. The training curriculum for the Green Jobs Program is designed to help those who traditionally have barriers to employment successfully enter the workforce. The focus of this training is Conservation and Urban Agriculture.
Using a blend of existing training from EC plus new curriculum from partners, the overall 5-6 week training program will result in graduates who can competitively apply for careers in green fields and be leaders in their own communities. The following training curriculums include:
Roots of Success
OSHA 10
First Aid/CPR
Native Plant Identification
Blueprint Reading
Stormwater and Phytoremediation
Site Visits
Certifications Upon Completion: OSHA 10, CPR/First Aid, Environment Specialist
After completing the first training cohort, it became clear that establishing a definitive list of partner employers committed to participating in Conservation and Urban Agriculture is critical to the program’s success. By curating a network of dedicated employers, the program aims to streamline the transition from training to meaningful employment, ensuring graduates have access to sustainable career pathways.
PARTNERSHIPS/COLLABORATIONS:
The Green Jobs Initiative has assembled a broad base of partner organizations who fulfill the stated goals of the initiative by providing education, services and support, and employment in our areas of focus.
Education/Training Partners:
Employment Connection
St Louis Community Credit Union
Alltru Credit Union, Rejuvenating Comprehensive Services, St. Louis Community College, Missouri Botanical Garden, Forest Releaf Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation, Seed St. Louis, Beyond Housing, Green City Coalition, Americorps St. Louis, City of St. Louis, Forestry Division, Shaw Nature Reserve, Various Community Gardens
Financing Partners:
Missouri Department of Conservation, Mysun Charitable Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Community Development Administration (City of St. Louis), Ameren Missouri, St. Louis County Port Authority, Missouri Botanical Garden, Forest ReLeaf Missouri, Local municipalities and community organizations
The following employment partners attend the job fair after graduation with employment opportunities in the Conservation and Agriculture fields: AmeriCorps St. Louis, City of Crestwood, City of Pine Lawn, Missouri Department of Conservation, City of St. Louis, Great Rivers Greenway, Beyond Housing, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Forestry, and Employment Connection-Dutchtown Beautification Program.
IMPACT:
(Initial cohort of 20 participants.) In November 2023, 15 participants successfully graduated from the program. Since then, five additional cohorts have completed the training, bringing the total number of graduates across all six cohorts to 75. Of these graduates, 42 have secured employment. Through insights gained from each cohort, green-focused job fairs are held following every graduation to connect participants with potential employers in Conservation and Urban Agriculture.
Continuing to develop a green jobs sector is inextricably linked to our collective economic and social well-being. The Green Jobs training initiative allows the St. Louis region to capitalize on the growing national call for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, green economic development, and carbon sequestration. Through fostering and developing additional conservation efforts, the region will preserve the rich natural resources and history of our region for the future to come. By focusing on sustainable agriculture and land management, the region develops new and innovative ways of growing and producing food, reducing the environmental impact on food production, and creating sustainable uses for land within our region.
OTHER INFORMATION:
The development of a robust green jobs training initiative is a vital piece to addressing the ever growing environmental and economic challenges our region and our society are set to face in the coming years.
Green jobs, which span various industries and occupations, from renewable energy to conservation, not only contribute to a healthier, greener, cleaner but also hold immense economic potential. Building a strong green jobs training initiative is key to fostering a sustainable environmental and economic future for all within the region.
It is through this robust green jobs training initiative that we can begin to gow the region’s green job ecosystem. With continued investment in building partnerships within the green jobs industry, bolstering new and existing relationships in public and private industries, and developing rich collaboration to grow and fortify a robust green jobs training initiative we can grow and strengthen the sector for green jobs. However, job training alone cannot handle the task of tackling the looming climate and economic crises alone. It is through a robust network of relationships both public and private, collaborations both green and non-green, and initiatives both locally and nationally to develop a green ecosystem capable of supporting pathways to our regional economic growth and addressing our environmental needs.