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Residents praise Team Wilderness and Team Walker programs; graduates seek local hiring commitments
Summary
Dozens of public speakers praised Team Wilderness youth programs and Team Walker vocational training, and several graduates urged the council and developers to prioritize local hiring so trained residents can access jobs on major projects around Jersey City.
Multiple speakers at the council’s public comment period praised Team Wilderness (youth outdoor education) and Team Walker/Jerry Walker vocational training and asked the city to ensure local hiring on current construction projects.
Young participants in Team Wilderness described experiences in photography, hiking, kayaking and youth leadership. Anaya, a seventh‑grader, said the summer hikes and the Empowering Youth program "made a safe space for everyone involved" and asked the council to continue funding and fundraising for the program. Daniella, a tenth‑grader, told the council she used a Team Wilderness camera in gallery shows and sold her first photograph.
Several adult speakers highlighted Team Walker’s vocational training and the difficulty graduates face getting jobs on local construction sites. Jerry (program leader) told the council Team Walker has run two cohorts with 72 graduates holding EPA and OSHA 30 certifications. Jerry asked the council to share any local hiring mandates or requirements so the training program can place graduates. Gary Burgess, a graduate, and other trainees described passing qualifications but being denied entry through construction site gates unless they were members of local unions.
Multiple speakers called on the council to ensure that public and private construction projects include enforceable local‑hiring or community benefits provisions. Jerry said the Gateway Tunnel project will create tens of thousands of jobs and asked the council to work with county and state partners to secure opportunities for Jersey City residents.
The Business Administrator told the council a payment and resolution related to Team Wilderness was on the meeting agenda and would be considered with the other resolutions; the council approved that group of resolutions. Several councilmembers said they would share information about mandates and procurement requirements where available.
Why this matters: Training programs can supply qualified local labor, but speakers said developers and contractors are not hiring locally; graduates asked the city for clearer mandates and enforcement so training converts into long‑term jobs.
