“Green For All successfully advocated for increased funding for green jobs training in the Recovery Act,” said Ellis-Lamkins. “And we successfully pushed the U.S. House of Representatives to include key equity provisions in the climate bill that increase green job training, job quality standards and community access to these jobs. At the state level, Green For All has been a key advocate in shaping similar groundbreaking green jobs legislation in Washington, New Mexico, Texas and Pennsylvania,” she said.
Helping people with barriers to employment work in the green sector is a goal of John Shegerian, CEO and founder of Electronic Recyclers International, one of the largest electronic waste recyclers in the country. With locations in seven states including California, Massachusetts, Indiana and Texas, Shegerian hires a sizable number of individuals–up to 30 percent of the company’s workforce–who have a history of incarceration, homelessness, welfare and substance abuse.
Now they are part of a sector unheard of five years ago, he said. Recycling electronic waste is a growing business as everyone wants the latest technology. Some employees started out sweeping the floor, others become managers at the company, which disposes of 170 million pounds of waste annually. “We want to inspire others to jump in and be part of the [green] economy so we can reinvent the economy and get everyone a part of the American Dream,” Shegerian said.