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As part of our commitment to sustainability and community empowerment, GYF North America is proud to partner with Trees Atlanta in the Urban Forestry Career Pathways (UFCP) Workforce Program. This initiative, driven by the significant investment from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, is designed to foster workforce development and enhance urban green spaces in metro Atlanta's CJEST (Communities of Justice, Equity, Sustainability, and Trust) neighbourhoods. Funded through the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, the UFCP program provides training and job opportunities in urban forestry, focusing on underserved communities.
The goal of the Urban Forestry Career Pathways program is to put each trainee on a clear pathway to green jobs within 30 days of graduation, bringing more young adults into urban forestry careers.
During a ten-week program, trainees are taught and practice fundamental tree care and maintenance skills, such as structural pruning, proper watering, and mulching. UFOR is a hands-on training program, and the skills curriculum changes based on the season. The first cohort of trainees pruned 932 trees in 12 neighborhoods in the southwest and northwest Atlanta, from Thomasville Heights and Lakeview Heights to Bankhead and Grove Park.
UFOR trainees work with program partners to learn how to conduct a job search and present themselves as qualified candidates for jobs in urban forestry and related industries. Program participants qualify to receive MARTA stipends to assist in transportation costs, UFOR work shirts, and other support to complete the program. Coaching to improve financial fluency (such as, how to open and manage a bank account, save, invest, etc.) is also an important component of UFOR to improve long-term success for program participants.
Over 100 individuals will be trained and paid while improving their job prospects. Urban Forestry Career Pathways seeks applicants between the ages of 18 to 30 who live in historically underinvested neighborhoods, including those in the south, southwest, and northwest of downtown Atlanta and other historically underinvested areas in Metro Atlanta. Training classes begin every 3 months, and individuals who generally meet the criteria are highly encouraged to enroll in upcoming classes.
The Greening Youth Foundation’s (GYF) mission is to engage under-represented youth and young adults while connecting them to the outdoors and careers in conservation. GYF’s cultural-based environmental education programming engages children from local communities and exposes them to healthy lifestyle choices in order to create an overall healthy community.
