Overview
The Green Economy Network is a partnership between workforce development agencies, community-based organizations, and employers that strengthens collaboration among nonprofits, colleges, and employers to improve skills training, leverage knowledge and resources, and increase access to quality jobs in the green economy.
The Challenge
In New York City, economic burdens and legacy pollutants leave under-resourced communities especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Efforts to mitigate this urgent challenge can potentially create high-quality, good-paying jobs. However, the communities most affected by climate change often face the greatest difficulty in accessing these jobs. New York City needs a collaborative, unified strategy to prepare the green workforce—with a focus on including those most affected—and to meet the city’s lofty climate goals by 2030.
At the time of the partnership’s first convening in 2020, stakeholders highlighted the following:
140,000
GREEN ECONOMY WORKERS IN 2021
40%
EMISSIONS-REDUCTION GOAL BY 2030 REQUIRING THE CREATION OF NEW JOBS AND EXPANDED WORKFORCE TRAINING
230,000
GREEN JOBS PROJECTED IN NYC BY 2030
The Approach
The Green Economy Network establishes effective practices and aligns current systems to create green jobs and career paths, prioritizing access and sustainability.
As New York City and State implement plans for climate and equity, the Green Economy Network aligns data, policy, practice, workforce, and economic development. It has built a community of practice among organizations and people working in this space.
The Network brings together hundreds of nonprofits, government agencies, and employers to assess the green economy, improve the collective understanding of challenges and opportunities, connect workforce developers with employers, and facilitate a faster transition to a greener future. The Network is committed to:
- Developing formal employer partnerships to increase economic opportunities, understand industry needs and priorities, align partners by sector, and develop and market training.
- Establishing replicable, scalable paths for jobseekers to enter and advance in quality careers in the green economy.
- Advocating for standardized government investments in green economy careers.
Impact
The Network has completed the investigate, imagine, and incubate phases of JobsFirstNYC’s partnership development process and is currently in the implementation phase, which will impact green career pathways and job quality, ultimately benefiting jobseekers and employers alike.
Green Economy Network Members
Green Economy Systems Map for New York
Related Publications
One JobsFirstNYC Green Economy Network partner is opening doors for advancement through skills training. Take a peek at how skills training has introduced three New York City women to the green tech job market — and see how one program is working to ensure that they have well-needed support to stay focused on their path […]
Policy Proposals for Economic Growth and Climate Resilience Building an inclusive green economy in New York City and across New York State requires understanding the knowledge and skills needed to execute climate, resiliency and circular economy priorities most effectively, while also growing a sustainable pipeline of good jobs. This is why in December 2020 JobsFirstNYC […]
On December 3, 2020, the Green Economy Network hosted their second partnership design meeting, focused on the Investigate Phase of the JobsFirstNYC Process. In this meeting, the group explored labor market conditions, market demands, and economic opportunities, and then considered the data in relationship to their on-the-ground experience. The green economy labor market insights were […]
On October 27, 2020, NYC’s first Green Economy Network was launched as part of a broader collaborative effort anchored by JobsFirstNYC, Green City Force, The HOPE Program, and Nontraditional Employment for Women. The initial meeting of this group centered opportunities at one of NYC’s largest drivers of local green jobs, the New York City Housing […]
Building an inclusive green economy in New York City requires understanding the knowledge and skills needed to most effectively execute sustainability, climate, resiliency and circular economy priorities, while also growing a sustainable pipeline of good jobs. As New York City and State implement plans for climate and equity, the time is now to build […]
