Cindy Manzanares (Green City Force) on NYC Climate Corps and NYCHA pathways
Cindy Manzanares of Green City Force describes their AmeriCorps program for young adults 16-24 from public housing. She proposes a NYC Climate Corps and recommends funding holistic green workforce pathways, prioritizing NYCHA residents, creating funded bridge programs into apprenticeships, using public sites as training sites, and tracking equity outcomes.
Thank you.
We train our graduates.
Hello, my name is Cindy Manzanares.
I'm the Chief Operating Officer of Green City Force.
Green City Force runs an AmeriCorps program for young adults 16 to 24 who live in public housing and highly affordable housing.
And we train them for careers in the green economy.
Green City Forest has proposed a New York City Climate Corps as a practical vehicle for linking ambitious climate goals with workforce.
Union construction careers are critical, but so are entry points in maintenance, operations, stormwater management, urban agriculture, zero waste composting, clean energy, building systems, energy efficiency, solar operations, and resilience.
Many of these pathways can serve as bridges into more advanced training, apprenticeships, civil service, union pathways, and good jobs.
We'd like to offer the following recommendations.
Fund holistic green workforce pathways, not only technical training.
City investments should include outreach, recruitment, paid service, mental health support, case management, professional development, sector exposure,
technical training, placement, and retention support.
Prioritize NYCHA residents and frontline communities.
Community hiring and place-based strategies should intentionally connect public climate investments to residents of communities
facing the greatest burdens from heat, flooding, pollution, and disinvestment.
Create funded bridge programs into apprenticeships, civil service, and advanced training.
Young adults need supported on-ramps that help them move from readiness and exposure
into rigorous credentials, union pathways, and full-time employment.
Use public sites as workforce training sites.
Schools, NYCHA campuses, city-owned buildings, public green infrastructure, and resilience projects should include funded roles for community-based workforce partners and track equity outcomes.
The city should measure NYCHA resident participation, credential attainment, work hours, placement retention.
Thank you.