January 8, 2024
The unveiling of the American Climate Corps initiative last year marks a significant step towards achieving our climate goals while creating good-paying jobs for Appalachians. This groundbreaking initiative, which updates the effective approach of the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) will equip young individuals with the necessary skills for rewarding careers in the clean and climate resilience economy.
While we don’t know yet exactly what this program will look like, here are some of the early goals of the program that have been detailed by the White House. We are so excited by the early indicators of how this program is shaping up, and will be paying attention to ensure that Appalachian priorities are included as the program develops.
About the American Climate Corps:
The American Climate Corps will provide a diverse group of more than 20,000 Americans with hands-on experience in conserving and restoring lands, deploying clean energy solutions, and advancing environmental justice. Participants will receive paid training and gain valuable skills, opening doors to well-paid jobs in both the public and private sectors. Appalachia, with many lands scarred by fossil fuel extraction, should be one of the geographical targets for new Corps positions.
One of the key strengths of the American Climate Corps will be its focus on opportunity for all. By targeting young people who could be disconnected from work and education—a variation on the targeting of the original CCC to people who were jobless in the Great Depression—this initiative will help ensure that no community is left behind in the transition to a clean and sustainable economy.
The American Climate Corps will deliver a triple payoff to our region: it will grow jobs that can support a family, deliver community-enhancing conservation benefits, and invest in carbon-absorbing reforestation and climate-friendly agricultural practices.
It is a down payment on a larger-scale Climate Corps that would match youth AND adults who lack jobs with the almost unlimited amount of useful climate-related conservation work, starting with planting trees, that we needed to do yesterday.
The American Climate Corps aligns with growing efforts in Appalachia to build pathways into good-paying jobs in the trades for women and people of color. Over the past decade, labor unions, contractors, workforce development, and community-based organizations have been expanding pathways into careers in the trades for women and people of color. These efforts are being funded by hundreds of millions of dollars that Pennsylvania unions and contractors invest in apprenticeship and training, complemented by smaller amounts of philanthropic and state and local government dollars.
Now the federal government is adding unprecedented funding to grow the trades workforce and making local hiring of diverse workers a priority for accessing federal climate and infrastructure funds. Our ReImagine Appalachia region could launch a state-based climate corps, as Arizona, Utah, Minnesota, North Carolina, Maryland and others have already done.
The American Climate Corps modernizes the blend of training, paid employment, and on-the-job learning that characterized the original CCC by addressing the contemporary crisis of college student debts. American Climate Corps members will be able to access education awards that can be used to pay for higher education or repay student debt.
Other Biden-Harris investments in expanding pathways into good-paying trades jobs will complement the ACC program. The U.S. Department of Labor has already awarded $90 million to YouthBuild grantees for pre-apprenticeships that prepare young people for family-sustaining careers. A historic $20 million cooperative agreement with Trades Futures will enroll over 13,000 participants in pre-apprenticeship programs. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Career Skills Training Program will deploy both on-the-job training and classroom instruction to provide participants with certifications in installing energy-efficient building technologies.
Opportunity to shape the American Climate Corps:
The American Climate Corps sounds great, but how do we make sure it works for our region? Good news! The White House is hosting virtual listening sessions to hear your ideas on how to shape this historic initiative. Each listening session will feature a special guest and climate champion like Senator Ed Markey, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith, and more.
Click and sign up for the following days:
Given the level of anticipated interest, participants are asked to please limit keep comments to under 3 minutes. If you are unable to join or have more to share, send your thoughts and ideas to: ACC@americorps.gov by January 31, 2024.
Not sure what to say during these listening sessions? Here are some of our priorities at ReImagine Appalachia:
- Have a re-entry component that targets the formerly incarcerated or those recovering from the opioid crisis;
- Involve unions when implementing apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs;
- Implement reforestation programs that makes sense for Appalachia– for example: foresting brownfields and abandoned mine lands;
- Include fossil fuel workers in the middle of their careers;
- Push for more sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.
The American Climate Corps initiative is a visionary and transformative step towards a sustainable and equitable future both here in Appalachia and across the country. By investing in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience, we can combat climate change while creating good-paying jobs for Appalachians.