How Non-Profit ICAST is Teaching Green Construction Skills to At-Risk Youth, Training for Jobs of the Future

In December 2017, EDA provided funding for the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (ICAST), a nonprofit that focuses on providing a higher quality of living for low-to-moderate income communities, to launch a green construction training and job creation program for disadvantaged youth.

The EDA-supported youth workforce development program helps disadvantaged students (ages 16-24) from low-income communities across New Mexico and Texas receive education and training in the growing green construction industry. The program covers topics such as energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality remediation, and renewable energy systems. Trainings are offered both online and in-person, with a complementary apprenticeship program for on-the-job training (OJT). ICAST also partnered with Santa Fe Community College to create a curriculum and offer an official certificate that will help the students secure full-time employment in green construction jobs.

“ICAST provides our students with valuable OJT experiences directly related to their trade training,” said Corbin Cook of Clearfield Job Corps, Advanced Training and Work Based Learning Coordinator. “The internship opportunities provided by ICAST to our students, via their projects, help prepare them to enter the workforce with confidence in their skills and abilities.”