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While this opportunity provides entry-level training to interested individuals, the Green Jobs team is committed to each participant’s success as they advance in their career. We spoke with Green Jobs Academy Program Manager, Evan Pagliuca, to find out what participants can expect from this training opportunity.
In their boot camp, Green Jobs instructors train individuals to ready them for a weatherization team, “It’s everything from ceiling air leaks and ducts within a home, to blowing in insulation, and then we offer some certifications that are needed,” Evan said. Participants will be trained and equipped with an OSHA 10 Certification, OSHA Confined Spaces, and RRP Lead Renovator Certification, so that when they complete the program, Evan said, “they have the skills, knowledge, and credentials to join a weatherization team and begin a potentially very lucrative career within home weatherization.” Participants in the program spend their time in the classroom preparing for their certification exams, but one of the most unique features of Green Jobs Academy is their lab facility.
Evan shared that in their lab, they have a one-story house model where students can get hands-on experience taking off the siding of a house and blowing in insulation. On the inside, one of the walls is all plexiglass so that when students practice, the instructors can address any mistakes and help them prepare. “We’re able to go through and let them experience what it would be like working in the field,” he said, “[We allow] them to make the mistakes here, where we’re able to correct it, instead of out at a job site.” Their lab is stocked with the equipment one would need on a home weatherization job, as well as different furnaces and boilers that are typical in New England homes, so that graduates could create a career for themselves anywhere in New England. Evan explained that their lab also allows them to create various home settings, such as a draftier house, so students learn how to identify a specific issue and solve it.
After completing the Home Weatherization Boot Camp and securing their certifications, participants have a few different options to consider for the next steps in their career. After some time working with a home weatherization crew, participants could return to Green Jobs to get certified as a Crew Chief or train to be an auditor. If individuals work for a larger company, they could advance to oversee multiple weatherization crews, become a Mass Safety Contractor, or even start their own company. After this two-week boot camp comes a number of career opportunities and Green Jobs is positioned to support graduates along the way. “We provide the skills [and] knowledge that you would need to enter the workforce and succeed,” Evan said, “Our trainers [have] held a position either as an auditor or a weatherization installer, so they know what it’s like out in the field.” In addition to their skilled instructors, Green Jobs Academy has a large network of contractors who come to the boot camps to share about their companies or reach out directly looking for potential hires and Green Jobs can facilitate those connections with participants.
Students from Green Jobs Academy have been described as well-rounded, being able to do their job much better than those from other training centers in the area. We are excited to begin the partnership between Green Jobs and ATR, and equally excited to see the success our participants achieve!
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