Sacramento seeks partners to train young people for green jobs

Art by Sarah Cummings who was one of the winners in the City’s Carbon Zero Art Contest

Sacramento (Nov. 10, 2022). Starting today, community organizations that work with youth in Sacramento are being asked to submit their plans to help young people in Sacramento break into clean and green career pathways.

The City is poised to distribute an initial $1 million in grant funding as part of a new statewide service initiative, called #CaliforniansForAll, to train young people for government and non-profit jobs. The City of Sacramento will be providing a total of $7 million in grant funding for job training and skill development over the next two years.

“This program provides a collaborative opportunity to achieve the City’s workforce development and climate action goals,” said Deputy Director of the Office of Innovation and Economic Development Denise Malvetti. “With this funding, the City will support an integrated approach to economic mobility and climate change.”

This first round of applications will be for 10 community organizations to host up to 100 interns over the next 4-8 months. These new opportunities from the City of Sacramento will focus on jobs that that will have a direct impact on the city’s climate resiliency. Eligible climate-related internships could include opportunities focused on water conservation, maintaining and enhancing Sacramento’s tree canopy, solar manufacturing and/or installation, building weatherization or retrofits, and electric vehicle repair. Over the course of the next two years the goal is to employ 600 interns.

“What we are doing here is not just creating opportunities for young people but also directly investing in how we fight climate change,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “Our young people and neighborhoods should be first in line for good climate-focused jobs, and this is a step in that direction.”

Jobs can be full or part-time and must start at a minimum of $18.50 per hour.

Community organizations chosen by the City will be responsible for recruiting and directly employing participants between 16-30 years of age. They will also be required to offer wrap-around services, job coaching, and job training. As part of the mission of CalVolunteers, priority will be given to youth that come from low-income families, have a history of incarceration, or are transitioning from the foster care system, among other factors.

Art by Jessica Nguyen, one of the winners in the City of Sacramento Carbon Zero Art Contest

The application which opened today offers community organizations a chance to detail their expertise and demonstrate how they will be able to provide some or all of these services. The program will launch after the initial round of applications is reviewed and awarded. The application period ends on December 14, 2022. Organizations that will receive funding will be notified in early 2023.

In addition to the creation of new youth work opportunities, existing programming run by the City of Sacramento could also be expanded with this infusion of state funding.

As additional programming is rolled out by the City of Sacramento’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development and other programs are expanded, interested parents and community organizations that work with youth should sign up to be notified.

Community groups interested in applying for the initial round of funding can apply using the button.