*Image courtesy of California Volunteers*

Sacramento, CA – (Mar. 16, 2023) - Today, California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday and City of Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced the first round of awardees in Sacramento’s #CaliforniansForAll Youth Job Corps, a $6.9 million investment in the City of Sacramento to help create new job opportunities for local youth.

#CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps program is an innovative partnership between the State and local governments to help underserved youth and young adults find employment. As part of the first phase of this historic investment, the city is partnering with community based organizations Green Technical Education and Employment (Green Tech), Sierra Service Project and Sacramento Tree Foundation. These organizations will provide dozens of young Sacramentans between the ages of 16 - 30 pathways into clean and green careers.

“The #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps is a win for our young people, the City of Sacramento and the State of California,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. “We are excited to partner with the City of Sacramento and local organizations to create meaningful job opportunities for our vulnerable youth populations.”

Green Tech will train and employ young people in urban farming and forestry, building electrification, and electric vehicle maintenance. Sierra Service Project will employ youth working on home energy efficiency retrofits, water conservation and food sovereignty projects. Sacramento Tree Foundation will train and employ youth in the fields of ecology management, oak tree care and volunteer coordination.

“What we are doing here is not just creating opportunities for young people but also directly investing in how we fight climate change,” said City of Sacramento 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.”

California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Assistant City Manager Michael Jasso and representatives from Sierra Service Project, Green Tech Education, and Sacramento Tree Foundation pose at the press conference to announce the first round of green jobs.

Over the course of the next two years, the City of Sacramento will help employ 600 young people in Sacramento in full and part-time paid positions by May 2024. This first phase of funding totals approximately $500,000 of the $6.9 million investment, and each of the programs will provide hourly pay, training, and career coaching services to youth and young adults in the summer of 2023 in clean and green fields. Future funding phases will create youth job opportunities in public service, food security and jobs that will assist in Covid-19 recovery.

Through this service and career development program, community organizations will also offer wrap-around services such as job coaching and training, while directly employing members. In support of California Volunteers’ mission, priority will be given to youth who are from low-income families, have a history of incarceration, or are transitioning from foster care.

*Image courtesy of Sierra Service Project Sacramento - youth in a summer job program*

“The #CaliforniansForAll program will make available important jobs to the youth in Sacramento that could potentially turn into a career,” said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. “With the focus being on climate-related jobs, this will help Sacramento in its fight against climate change. I’m proud to have advocated for funding for the program and give our youth an opportunity to do life-changing work.”

This infusion of state funding will create new youth work opportunities and potentially expand existing programming run by the City of Sacramento. 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 here.

“Training the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow helps us all,” said Senator Angelique V. Ashby. “California has important and ambitious climate change goals. To achieve them, we need to build a well prepared workforce. This funding helps make that happen here in Sacramento.”

Students interesting in participating in these programs should fill out the interest form at https://www.cityofsacramento.org/Economic-Development/Workforce-Development

More information and updates will be posted at engagesag.org on the City’s Economic Development home page. https://www.facebook.com/econdev. For more information about #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps, visit CAYouthJobsCorps.com.