City of Boston Receives $9.8 Million to Build a Climate-Ready Workforce

Mayor Michelle Wu yesterday joined Senator Ed Markey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials, state officials and local partners to announce that the City of Boston has been awarded $9.8 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to develop the workforce needed to enhance climate and coastal resilience across Boston neighborhoods. The grant will assist City departments in developing training programs that build in-demand and emerging climate resilience skills, offer wraparound services to ensure workers' success, and place workers in good jobs and career pathways. The Office of Workforce Development (OWD), under the leadership of the Worker Empowerment Cabinet (WE) and in collaboration with the Environment, Energy, and Open Space Cabinet (EEOS), Green New Deal Office, and the Office of Green Infrastructure applied for the grant.

“Boston is the economic engine of New England. We are the national leader in education, healthcare and biotechnology. If we want to continue being the best home for innovators, entrepreneurs and working families, we need to not only invest in creating more jobs but protecting our coast and our residents from the effects of climate change,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This nearly $10 million dollars in funding from NOAA is going to help us do all of that in partnership with dozens of community partners across labor, academia, non-profit and the private sector. This Alliance will create a pipeline of highly skilled workers ready to fill the good paying jobs it’ll take to protect our communities from higher tides and stronger storms. Thank you to all of our partners across industries who are forging this alliance with us and to NOAA for helping execute on our responsibility as a city to keep our community safe with a once in a generation opportunity for Boston’s workforce.”

This funding comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate-Ready Workforce initiative. This represents a $60 million investment to support sectoral partnerships that will develop and implement job training programs to help train and place people in jobs that advance a climate-ready workforce for coastal and Great Lakes states, Tribes, and Territories as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda under the Inflation Reduction Act. The City of Boston received the largest grant among the nine projects selected for funding through a competitive process. Modeled after the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration’s successful Good Jobs Challenge, the Climate-Ready Workforce initiative is uniquely focused on preparing and placing people in good jobs that will advance climate resilience nationwide, ensuring coastal communities are prepared for the worst impacts of climate change. The program will also assist employers in developing a 21st-century workforce that is climate literate and skilled at addressing climate challenges. 

“Thanks to this grant funding, Boston’s Office of Workforce Development is uniquely positioned to implement climate resilience plans for the City of Boston,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator, Jainey Bavishi. “The cohort they will be a part of highlights the importance of regional public and private partnerships in climate careers, and will ultimately strengthen efforts to build a community that is more ready, resilient, and responsive to the impacts of climate change.”

Boston is uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. According to the 2016 Climate Ready Boston Report, by the 2070s annualized losses from coastal and riverine flooding could amount to $1.4 billion. To reach our climate goals, the public, private, and institutional sectors must make unprecedented investments that will require a larger, more diverse workforce. Boston has become a leader in coastal resilience planning and implementation. Since the 2016 Climate Ready Boston report, the City of Boston has worked with community partners to complete coastal resilience solutions plans for all 47 miles of Boston’s coastline, presenting district-scale and nature-based solutions to reduce coastal flood risk while simultaneously improving connectivity along and access to the waterfront, enhancing public open space and recreation, and restoring natural ecosystems. 

In addition, Mayor Michelle Wu established the Green New Deal as a framework for tackling the climate crisis in Boston — with policies that address economic, social, and racial inequities, while advancing health, livability, and justice throughout our neighborhoods for all Boston residents. Through a series of ambitious policies and city-wide investments, Boston has been steadily advancing towards its climate and equity objectives, striving to achieve carbon neutrality in our built environment, promote economic vitality, and enhance climate resilience across the city for all our residents.

"Building climate resilience is not just about infrastructure and innovation — it's about people. This funding from NOAA enables Boston to lead in creating a workforce that is both climate-ready and equity-driven,” said Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Environment Commissioner and Green New Deal Director. “By investing in training programs and job opportunities that prepare individuals for high-demand resilience roles, we’re not only fortifying our city against climate impacts but also breaking down barriers to economic opportunity for historically underserved communities. The Greater Boston Climate and Coastal Resilience Workforce Alliance is a testament to our commitment to a just, inclusive, and sustainable future."

Boston cannot have a climate-ready city without a climate-ready workforce. The funding announced today creates the Greater Boston Climate and Coastal Resilience Workforce Alliance, an equity-based initiative that will advance new sectoral workforce development systems aligned with achieving the objectives of a green economy and growth. By creating workforce development programs centered on equity and engaged employers, this generational green investment can address age-old inequalities in the city. The Alliance brings together 30+ key stakeholders, including employers, training providers, community engagement partners, climate policy practitioners, adult basic education programs, and wraparound service agencies to develop and implement training pathways aimed at filling over 1,200 committed jobs in coastal and climate resilience occupations over four years. Workers trained through the grant will be placed in jobs that help advance coastal resiliency strategies, especially in the municipal and public sector including: 

• Installation of green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions which are key strategies for flood protection and water quality.
• Working to ensure our water and wastewater systems are reliable.
• Building critical flood and coastal protection infrastructure.
• Strengthening the City's emergency preparedness and response capabilities.
• Climate and coastal resilience community education and outreach.

"To create a climate resilient city for all, we must create a trained, well-paid, diverse talent pool to tackle these pressing issues with a focus on equity and engaged employers,” said Trinh Nguyen, Chief of Worker Empowerment. “We are incredibly grateful to NOAA for providing this funding to create the Greater Boston Climate and Coastal Resilience Workforce Alliance that will allow us to address critical workforce development needs to support Boston's coastal climate and coastal resilience goals."

"Developing a workforce with climate-informed skills is essential for building statewide capacity for advancing climate adaptation and resilience," said Rebecca Tepper, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary. "The City of Boston’s leadership on equitable workforce development for regional climate resilience is commendable, and this collaboration among municipal, state, and private sector partners underscores the City's and the state's dedication to creating climate career and education pathways for people from underrepresented populations. We are proud to support this initiative through positions at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and we deeply appreciate NOAA’s support.”

The Alliance is employer-driven with employer engagement in the curriculum, assessment, pre-hiring, and support services for graduates. Unlike other employer-driven approaches, this initiative is unique in that the City of Boston is leading the way as a model employer. In addition, the Alliance will benefit individuals from historically underrepresented communities and incorporate wrap-around services like childcare, career coaching, and training stipends to ensure their success. 

“Parterre Ecological Services is proud to partner with the City of Boston to help prepare our company and our city for the ever-advancing impacts of climate change," said Jason Harris,  Owner of Parterre Ecological Services. “The Alliance will assist us greatly in finding the people we need to grow and rise to this challenge. As an employer, this presents us with a rare chance to add skills and talent to our base while working closely with local government and non-profits to impact our local communities while improving our business prospects.”

Learn more about the Greater Boston Climate and Coastal Resilience Workforce Alliance here.