FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2024
Workforce Alliance Media Contact:
Amanda Duncan
316-640-4125
amandaduncan@workforce-ks.com
Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas receives $500K for EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant
December 12, 2024 – Wichita KS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 16 organizations to receive nearly $7.5 million in grants for environmental job training programs across the country, including nearly $500,000 to the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas.
EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator Cliff Villa announced the awards in Wichita, presenting a check to grant recipient Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas represented by CEO Keith Lawing and Board Chair Jeff Longwell. EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister, City of Wichita Council Member Brandon Johnson, Sedgwick County Commissioner Pete Meitzner, and Kansas Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary Mike Been also joined the ceremony. The Workforce Alliance hosted the event at the Wichita Workforce Center.
“EPA’s Brownfields Job Training grants are changing lives and improving communities that have been overburdened by contaminated properties for far too long,” Villa said. “Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA is helping to create good-paying jobs for low-income, unemployed, and underemployed residents who are helping make their communities cleaner, healthier, and stronger.”
“Today’s announcement is a key step in revitalizing communities and transforming underutilized Midwestern spaces,” McCollister said. “We congratulate the selected organizations and eagerly look forward to working together to develop a skilled workforce in environmental jobs.”
"The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas is pleased to be named a Brownfields Job Training Grant partner by the EPA,” said Workforce Alliance President and CEO Keith Lawing. “This is an exciting step forward for Wichita. Through this funding, we will be able to partner with community organizations and local employers to empower 90 individuals, especially those who are unemployed or underemployed in communities impacted by blighted properties and contaminated sites. Graduates will gain the skills necessary to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental sector. This program not only opens doors for personal growth, but also contributes to the environmental revitalization and sustainability of our community. Together, we are building a cleaner, healthier Wichita for future generations.”
The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas will provide training in key areas, including asbestos abatement; obtaining a commercial driver’s license for the transportation of hazardous waste; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hazardous Waste Management; and OSHA 30-hour Occupational Health and Safety for General Industry. This comprehensive training will equip students with the necessary expertise to contribute effectively to their community and empower them with the essential skills needed to tackle and mitigate critical environmental issues within the local community. Partners in the grant include the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Regional Economic Area Partnership, Kansas Department of Commerce, the Heartland Environmental Justice Center at Wichita State University, Goodwill Industries of Kansas, and local employers Clean Harbors, Dondlinger Construction, iSi Environmental, Remediation Contractors, and Terracon. Information for individuals who would like to enroll in the program will be available in spring of 2025.
Each job training grant, of up to $500,000, will provide funding to organizations that are working to create a skilled workforce in communities where assessment, cleanup, and preparation of brownfield sites for reuse activities are taking place. Individuals completing a job training program funded by EPA often overcome a variety of barriers to employment. Many are from historically underserved neighborhoods or reside in the areas that are affected by environmental justice issues. All 2025 EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant recipients are:
- *Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas – Wichita, Kansas
- *Iowa Western Community College – Council Bluffs, Iowa
- *Saint Louis University – St. Louis
- Groundwork Rhode Island – Pawtucket, Rhode Island
- Worcester, City of – Worcester, Massachusetts
- *Groundwork Elizabeth – Elizabeth, New Jersey
- *Montclair State University – Montclair, New Jersey
- *Center for Nonprofit Advancement – Washington
- *Groundwork Richmond Virginia – Richmond, Virginia
- *Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Blacksburg, Virginia
- *Eco Ed Impact Corp – Miami
- Southwest Economic Solutions – Detroit
- Groundwork Denver – Denver
- *NyE Communities Coalition – Pahrump, Nevada
- *Pocatello, City of – Pocatello, Idaho
- *Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network – Tekoa, Washington
*First-time Brownfields Job Training Program grant recipients.
For more information on the selected Brownfields Job Training Grant recipients, including past grant recipients, please visit EPA’s Grant Fact Sheet Search tool or learn more about EPA Region 7.
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Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas (WA) The Workforce Alliance is the Local Workforce Development Board, Administrative Entity and Program Administrator for US Department of Labor Education and Training programs in Local Area IV of Kansas, operating the KANSASWORKS Workforce Centers - South Central Kansas across Butler, Cowley, Harper, Kingman, Sedgwick and Sumner counties. It is a proud partner of the America’s Job Center Network and KANSASWORKS.COM. For additional information on the Workforce Alliance please visit workforce-ks.com.