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Employment Skills Center awarded $500,000 EPA grant for environmental workforce training in Carlisle
Summary
The Employment Skills Center, in partnership with the Redevelopment Authority and the borough, received a five‑year $500,000 EPA Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant to run hands‑on environmental remediation training with stipends and supportive services for participants.
The Employment Skills Center announced that it secured a $500,000 Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to train residents for environmental cleanup and related jobs.
Mary (borough staff) and others briefed council that the program follows an earlier, successful EPA grant and will be a five-year contract that aims to run at least five cohorts (a minimum target of 60 participants). “It is a highly competitive grant,” Mindy Tremblay, executive director of the Employment Skills Center, told the council. She said the program provides multiple industry certifications and is free to eligible participants.
The training is full-time and hands-on—participants spend roughly 8½ to 9 weeks in instruction and fieldwork and receive an array of certifications listed by program staff: OSHA 30 (construction), HAZWOPER 40, asbestos inspection, confined-space entry, lead-based paint inspection, and first aid/CPR/AED. Forklift certification, offered under the prior award, was removed for this grant cycle. Mindy said an important enhancement this time is funding for supportive services, including a biweekly stipend to offset lost wages during full-time training; she called the stipend a “huge selling point.”
Staff said supportive services also include safety gear, gas cards, bus passes when feasible, and partnerships with Project Share to provide food boxes and nutrition education to participants while they train. The program will seek partnerships with regional postsecondary institutions and industry experts; staff mentioned discussions with Shippensburg University, Harrisburg University, and Dickinson College. Employers who have hired past participants — and who are expected to participate in job placement and mock interviews — include regional environmental and construction firms and local utilities.
Council members praised the stipend and transportation supports as key to removing participation barriers. Councilor Mellon said transportation is often a primary barrier; staff confirmed funds are earmarked for gas cards and ride services when needed. Staff said the program’s target start for the first cohort is later this summer while remaining paperwork and partnership details are completed.
