Councilmember Jan Perry, CdTech, LADWP Launch Green Job Training For South L.A. Community

The Hon. Jan Perry, Councilmember of the Ninth District, the Community Development Technologies Center (CDTech), and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) have launched an energy conservation and services work experience program for at-risk youth that will expose them to career opportunities in the growing green economy.

"It is wonderful to engage young people in meaningful projects that will empower them now and in the future. I am excited that these local youth will be able to learn about conservation and how this knowledge can translate into a promising career that will make them competitive in today's workforce,” Councilmember Perry said.

Funded by a $150,000 grant from LADWP to CDTech and a $600,000 grant for the Los Angeles Urban League’s Reconnections Academy from the L.A. City Community Development Department, the South Los Angeles Youth Energy Services Program (SLA-YES) is a program of the South Los Angeles Green Jobs Collaborative, which links disconnected youth in South Los Angeles between the ages of 21 and 25 to the emerging Green Economy. 

Through the program, 150 South Los Angeles youth will be trained and hired as “market leaders” to increase energy and water conservation among low-income households in South Los Angeles.

“We were left behind during the industrial revolution and, most recently, the digital revolution. The goal of the South Los Angeles Green Jobs Collaborative is to make sure that we are not left behind in this emerging green revolution,” said Dr. Denise Fairchild, President and CEO of CDTech.

The YES trainees will learn to conduct basic (Tier 1) residential assessments of energy and water use among South Los Angeles residences, and educate customers on ways to conserve water and power while helping to lower their utility bills. The first cohort of 20 YES trainees has already been selected and begun their training, which ultimately will help them prepare for work-readiness and certification in energy business services, such as social marketing and environmental conservation techniques.

“I’m thrilled that LADWP is able to co-sponsor this program through a $150,000 grant to CD Tech.  This partnership is truly synergistic; it will train young people who need jobs and guide them on a career path in the emerging green industry,” said Lorraine Paskett, Senior Assistant General Manager for LADWP Sustainability Programs and External Affairs. “At the same time, it will promote and increase knowledge of water and energy conservation among South L.A. residents,” she said.

To support the training and help South L.A. residents start saving energy and water, LADWP will be providing compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), water-saving faucet aerators, and other resources such as literature with tips on ways to save energy and water at home.

LADWP has a vast menu of energy efficiency and water conservation programs that the YES trainees will be promoting in the community. These include consumer rebate programs on household appliances, such as refrigerators, room air conditioners, and clothes washers, to name a few.

Return to June 2010 Western Energy News

To sponsor Western Energy News, please contact WEI at 503 231-1994.