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Brownfields Success Stories
New Jersey Youth Corps is Helping Residents to Help Themselves
A Brownfields Job Training Pilot was awarded to the State of New Jersey, Department of Human Services' New Jersey Youth Corps program, which, in conjunction with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and community organizations in Camden and Newark, completed two job training cycles in environmental technology. The $200,000 Pilot targeted areas within some of the most disadvantaged communities in the state. The Pilot recruited low-income and otherwise disadvantaged residents for job training, specifically those who had already completed the New Jersey Youth Corps-a program designed to help young adults earn their General Educational Development degree and learn employment and life skills. After completion of the Youth Corps' job readiness program, trainees began the EPA-funded brownfields training. Designed and implemented by NJIT, the Pilot's environmental technician training curriculum consisted of 150 hours of technical training, including 40 hours of Occupational Safety and Health Administration training for hazardous waste workers and training in environmental sampling, remediation techniques, monitoring, and the use of innovative technologies. Graduates were then provided career counseling, job placement assistance, and the opportunity to participate in an eight-week internship during which they received approximately $5.50 per hour. The Pilot graduated 25 of its 29 trainees in Spring 2000, and 12 graduates have either secured professional jobs (with an hourly wage up to $10.50) or are pursuing additional education. For more information on the New Jersey Youth Corps Job Training Pilot, contact EPA Region 2 at (212) 637-4314.