Walmart gives generously from its green jobs initiative

Walmart gives generously from its green jobs initiativeThe Walmart

Foundation has presented a grant of almost £380,000 from its Green Jobs

Training Initiative to the Milwaukee Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC)

programme. Presented in conjunction with the US Conference of Mayors, the

grant will support local job training and youth work experience in

conservation projects.The Milwaukee CLC, created and sponsored by Johnson Controls, is a

partnership programme operated by the Student Conservation Association,

Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board and Johnson Controls. “With the

Walmart Foundation Green Jobs Training Initiative grant, the Milwaukee

Conservation Leadership Corps will expand the number of local youth able to

receive job training and gain exposure to a range of green sector jobs,”

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said today at a press conference in the

Menomonee Valley Community Park. “Preparing students with the right skills

to succeed in the green workforce will directly support our community’s

economic development.”The Milwaukee Conservation Leadership Corps consists of crews of urban

high-school students who spend six weeks during the summer completing vital

conservation projects to preserve public lands and improve access to

Milwaukee parks. During the program, members complete hands-on conservation

projects, build job skills, develop a strong work ethic and gain a personal

sense of stewardship for the environment. The program focuses on preparing

economically and socially disadvantaged high-school age youth for the job

market. Key components of the program include:Paid summer employment in a difficult job market.Job-readiness skills

training for jobs in the green economy.Hands-on conservation work

experience.Developing a “green jobs pipeline” for businesses and government

agencies.Strengthening an awareness of environmental sustainability.The grant check was presented to Mayor Barrett, Donald Sykes, President and

CEO of the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, and Mark Bodin, Chief

Operating Officer of the Student Conservation Association based in

Charlestown, N.H. The location of the presentation is one of 10 site

locations where students are working this summer.“The Walmart Foundation is committed to supporting job-training programs

that address the need for a green job-ready workforce to support this

growing economic engine,” said Lisa Nelson, senior manager of Public

Affairs for Walmart. “Mayor Tom Barrett’s innovative leadership and his

partnership with the Milwaukee Conservation Leadership Corps stand out as

an exemplary program that will help build a strong green economy in

Milwaukee.”According to the Milwaukee Conservation Leadership Corps, the Walmart

Foundation Green Jobs Training Initiative will support the following:Expansion of the summer program to 100 participants from its current 50

participants.Launch a school-year program for 30 youth

participants.Strengthen recruitment and retention processes.Prepare crew

leaders to deliver green jobs training curriculum and report the

results.Ensure the delivery of the highest quality of green jobs training

to those that need it.The Walmart Foundation donated $5 million to the U.S. Conference of Mayors

to support the Green Jobs Training Initiative. The grant to the U.S.

Conference of Mayors will work to create jobs in an array of emerging green

industries. In the spring of 2009, through a competitive selection process

led by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, six grants were awarded to non-profit

organizations that have a history of working with mayors to train people

for green jobs. In early 2010, three additional grants will be given to

cities with newer commitments to providing green workforce training.Walmart’s Sustainability CommitmentAs part of its company-wide sustainability goals, Walmart is committed to

being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, creating zero waste and

selling environmentally-