As climate change continues to rise global temperatures, reduce biodiversity and increase extreme weather patterns, communities worldwide are feeling the impact. Green jobs, essential for mitigating these effects of climate change, are growing rapidly in response.
Green jobs focused on restoration and environmental sustainability in the U.S. have been growing at an annual rate of 8% over the past five years, presenting a viable area for economic opportunity for today’s workforce, especially as unemployment levels hover above 4%. However, the talent pool for these jobs has only increased at a rate of 6%. To help fill the growing demand of these roles, all workers (entry-level and seasoned) need the right skills and access to training.
The North Port St. Joe Community Development Corporation (NPSJCDC) (formerly Pioneer Bay Community Development Corporation) in northwest Florida is one organization making strides to bridge this gap. Historically disadvantaged and personally impacted by environmental injustice, the community of North Port St. Joe, through the leadership of the NPSJCDC, has created a comprehensive job training program aimed at equipping residents with the skills necessary to enter the green-collar workforce in the region and more broadly across the highly hurricane-impacted Southeast. This initiative, supported with funding by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is helping to revitalize the local economy while also addressing the region’s unique environmental challenges.
Closing Skills Gap with Targeted Training
In a community burdened by environmental crises, starting with the long-time residency of a highly toxic paper mill in the area, the impact of environmental damage is very tangible. As such, the residents in the area have a particularly high interest in helping prevent such painful environmental impacts on property and human health in the future — in their own community and in others as well. Correspondingly, the need for specialized skills to address issues like brownfield remediation, water management and environmental site assessments has never been more urgent in nearly every corner of the globe.
Environmental job training.
North Port St. Joe’s environmental job training program offers a practical solution to this demand by providing regional residents access to free, structured training designed to meet a multitude of environmental needs. This program focuses on green industry skills that are increasingly sought after across the state of Florida and beyond.
The six-week, 40-hour-per-week course has already proven successful, with its third cohort recently completed in August 2024. The program covers valuable subjects including environmental site assessments, stormwater and wastewater management and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) waste management. These are the critical proficiencies required for ongoing work in a variety of environmental remediation, waste management and other manmade and environmental disaster management scenarios.
A unique aspect of the program is its focus on hands-on experience. Environmental jobs are undoubtedly tactile jobs. In front of us each and every day we all touch and interact with the environment, so the green jobs are very hands-on as well. Participants engage in environmental testing and assessment projects, on-the-job training and internships, offering them the chance to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world scenarios. This practical approach helps ensure graduates are not only credentialed but also job-ready upon completion.
Environmental career readiness.
Certifications are also crucial in environmental industries, often acting as a barrier to entry for employment. The North Port St. Joe Community Development Corporation’s job training program provides participants with certifications such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 30-hour General Industry Certification and the OSHA HAZWOPER 40-hour certification. These credentials can empower participants with the credentials necessary to pursue careers in the environmental field that are not only more secure, but also offer higher wages and opportunity for upward mobility.
Beyond certifications, the program also equips participants with broader job readiness skills, ensuring their employability in Florida’s growing environmental sector. The NPSJCDC also takes an active role in matching graduates with job opportunities through close collaboration with local employers and industry leaders. This ensures that the skills being taught directly align with current job market demands, streamlining the transition from training to employment. By maintaining close contact with major green job employers in the area, the team consistently evolves the curriculum to meet the workforce demand in real time.
Weekly stipends provided to participants further support their ability to focus on the program without facing financial hardship, ensuring that those who are financially disadvantaged can participate.
Supporting Economic Recovery with Green Jobs
The potential for green jobs to spur economic growth is especially evident in communities like North Port St. Joe, where the environmental challenges have long inhibited local development. Through its targeted training initiatives, the program is helping residents not only find employment but also contribute directly to the area’s revitalization — an opportunity both economically and emotionally important to many participants to date.
With this in mind, one of the key focuses of the program is brownfield remediation, a process critical to transforming previously contaminated sites into usable land. On the north side of Port St. Joe, Florida — where pollution and environmental degradation have left scars on the community — brownfield remediation is essential. By upskilling residents to tackle the challenges left by the occupancy of the community’s former paper mill, the North Port St. Joe job training program is directly contributing to both environmental recovery and local job creation.
Long-term impact and career growth.
Green job training programs, like the one in North Port St. Joe, extend far beyond individual job placements. These courses help lay the foundation for sustainable career paths in the environmental industry, offering workers in economically disadvantaged areas a greater chance at long-term stability. Participants gain access to positions in hurricane recovery zones, areas in need of environmental remediation after new research shows hazardous health impacts and areas with growing demand for infrastructure development to fight off the impact of climate change — all fields that are projected to grow as states prioritize sustainability and climate resilience.
With each new cohort, the program is building a talent pipeline for Florida’s green economy. The program is also slated to launch another new cohort of 10-12 participants later this year as well, continuing this successful filling of the region’s green job pipeline.
Investing in the Workforce of the Future
As organizations across industries shift toward more sustainable practices, and as our climate continues to change, the demand for workers skilled in environmental assessment, hazardous waste operations and stormwater management continues to rise. By equipping members of the workforce across age and experience with high in-demand specialized skills, green job training programs can not only address environmental skills gaps, but can also provide a pathway to career growth and financial stability for workers in economically disadvantaged communities.
North Port St. Joe is leading by example, demonstrating that with the right support and training, local workforces can meet the dual challenges of environmental recovery and sustainable economic development. As a result, programs like this one have the potential to reshape local economies and create meaningful, lasting change for residents, while tackling critical environmental issues that affect us all — a true multi-pronged outcome of public good.
