Some inspiration about people transitioning to green jobs in the most challenging of circumstances, from a Florida prison:
On February 29, 2020, seven men walked into the education building at Everglades Correctional Institution (ECT) as inmates. Three hours later, after passing a taxing Florida Department of Environmental Protection state exam, those same seven men walked out as certified Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators — with a promising career ahead of them.
The journey to that small classroom was not an easy one, but for hundreds of men and women in the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), it has been rewarding. The prerequisites to the state exam are challenging: students must possess a high school diploma and pass tests in chemistry, microbiology and algebra through a California State University correspondence course on water treatment.
They’re able to do this because of a years-long effort led by currently incarcerated people at ECI to lead a wastewater class regularly attended by 60 people. It’s created an effective job pipeline into the green jobs industry with stability, high pay and benefits, all of which serve as important lifelines for people leaving prison. Read the full article on Reasons to be Cheerful.