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Sea Grant, SCIPP Part of Green Collar Jobs Project

Louisiana Sea Grant (LSG) and the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) are collaborators on a funded $6.9 million grant to establish a program to place people in “green collar” jobs that advance climate resilience and assist employers in developing a climate-literate 21st-century workforce.

The project, titled the Climate Resilient Skills Training Program (CREST), is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) $60 million Climate-Ready Workforce for Coastal and Great Lakes States, Tribes and Territories Initiative. Funding is available through the Inflation Reduction Act and advances NOAA’s effort to help underserved communities prepare, adapt, and build resilience to weather and climate events. The principal investigator (PI) for the Louisiana project is Erica Cullman with the Flood Mitigation Industry Association (FMIA). Co-PIs are Roderick Scott, FMIA, and Amy Rapp, Climate Resilience Solutions.

The Climate Resilient Skills Training Program will be a pilot project based in St. Charles Parish- to help develop a skilled workforce for the flood mitigation industry. The program will be offered in multiple languages, beginning with Spanish.

Project partners will develop an employer-led curriculum training program and recruit and instruct recruits through collaborations with Louisiana State University, Louisiana Sea Grant, SCIPP, SOWELA Technical Community College and other NOAA affiliates. Trained recruits will be placed into apprenticeships, green-collar jobs and other career paths in the flood mitigation industry.

Louisiana Sea Grant’s involvement in the project includes assisting with building the curriculum; consumer flood mitigation extension/education; aiding community colleges in outreach about the program and workforce development; wet-proofing outreach for coastal fisheries and other infrastructure that cannot elevate or move behind flood walls; and facilitating collaborations with other Sea Grant programs. SCIPP, also at LSU, will provide data and support on local and regional flood risks related to heavy rainfall, riverine flooding and storm surge; aid in curriculum development and facilitate workshops; and participate in education activities related to understanding flood risks. LSU, Louisiana Sea Grant and SCIPP combined will receive $504,000 for their efforts in the project.