By ALAN HOSKINS
Full scholarships will be available for 20 unemployed or underemployed adults as part of the 2013 Construction Green Up program at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
An eight-week program beginning Jan. 7, 2013, it is designed to prepare workers and entrepreneurs for work in Deconstruction, Building Materials Reuse and Environmental Remediation.
“To apply, interested adults need to attend of one of two upcoming information sessions,” said Brennan Crawford, KCKCC Green Up Program coordinator. The sessions will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. the next two Wednesdays – Oct. 17 and 24 – at the KCKCC Workforce Partnership headquarters at 552 State Avenue in Kansas City, Kan.
Brennan said residents will be recruited from the Kansas City metropolitan area with focus on Wyandotte County. “Our goal is to train 20 individuals for careers in deconstruction and environmental remediation industries,” said Crawford.
The additional training is being made possible through funding support from EnergyWorks KC and the OAI Minority Worker Training Program of the National Institute for Environmental Health Services, delivered in partnership with the Building Materials Reuse Association.
The eight-week program will include the BMRA’s deconstruction worker training curriculum, 40 hours of training in hazardous waste, 30 hours of OSHA construction, forklift certification, small business and entrepreneurship, job placement assistance and hands-on work experience.
Eligibility requirements include being at least 18 years of age and unemployed or underemployed, have a high school diploma or GED, be registered for selective Service and a U.S. citizen or legal resident, drug free, physically able to do the work and be committed to completing the program and seeking employment within the field.
Applicants attending either of the information sessions should bring a valid photo identification, Social Security card, birth certificate, high school diploma or GED and proof of unemployment or underemployment (last two paystubs from employer).
Additional information about the training program is available by contacting Brennan Crawford at 913-627-9133 or Warren Adams-Leavitt at 816-285-3059.
