California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on June 30 that City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is among eleven recipients of nearly $10 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funds to launch regional California Green Job Corps pilot programs throughout the state.

The $931,087 award from the Federal Recovery Act funds will be matched by CCSF.  As one of four Bay Area recipients of the California Green Jobs Corps funding, CCSF will provide job training and community service opportunities in California’s emerging green economy. Statewide 1,500 at-risk young adults aged 16–24 will be served, and they in turn will help to create a cleaner environment as well as spur economic growth in California.
 
“Community colleges throughout the State serve an essential role in workforce training. Through this program for Green Jobs’ training, City College will continue its impressive community service in meeting critical job training and community development needs,” said CCSF Board President Milton Marks.
 
“I’m very excited at this news. Back in February 2009 when I proposed the Bridge to Green Jobs Training program at City College, I never dreamed that the fruits of our collective labor would be realized within the span of a few months,” stated CCSF Board member Chris Jackson.  “I want to thank the Green Industries Council, City College and the community for their support of this effort,” said Jackson.
 
CCSF will partner with the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the Workforce Investment San Francisco Board, the San Francisco Conservation Corp, Luminalt, and a number of other community-based organizations and employers to develop a comprehensive training program for a wide range of green careers.  Disadvantaged youth from low-income neighborhoods will be recruited into a semester-long “launching pad” that will prepare them to enter green training certificate programs at CCSF.
 
“The City and County of San Francisco is thrilled to be the lead partner in City College of San Francisco’s California Green Job Corps program.  The Mayor fully supports this effort to bring green job opportunities to San Franciscans and further expand on the efforts to bring the green economy to our great city," said Rhonda Simmons, Director of Workforce Development of the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
 
The College’s program is likely to begin in Spring 2010 and consist of six-week courses. This program will orient students to the variety of green career pathways available to them, provide them with contextualized language and math instruction, and engage students in green community service as well as teach them about the importance of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility.

Partnering CBOs with deep roots in the communities served will provide students with wrap-around and case management services. At the conclusion of the Semester-long training, students will transition into one of CCSF’s many green jobs’ certificate programs including solar panel installation, environmental monitoring, environmental horticulture, hybrid/electric vehicle service, green business, and green construction and energy efficiency. This high-quality training will fully prepare students to enter the workforce, and become “green” members of the San Francisco Bay Area community.