Partners
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is a leading institution for career-focused education in technical and engineering disciplines. The Environmental Engineering Technology (EVT) program, with specializations in Stormwater Management (EVTS) and Water/Wastewater (EVTW), prepares students for high-demand green careers through a combination of applied learning, technical coursework, and industry-aligned training.
“From Classroom to Career” engages Cincinnati high school students in hands-on environmental engineering experiences, providing mentorship, scholarships, and a clear pathway to earn an Environmental Engineering Technology (EVT) degree at Cincinnati State. This funding supports current community college students with scholarships to incentivize the completion of their Associate of Applied Science degrees and become job-ready in high-demand green careers in stormwater, water, wastewater management and sustainability.
Easterseals Redwood has provided workforce development services for over 30 years. Building Value was founded in 2004 as a social enterprise that is committed to a “Triple Bottom Line” of Social, Environmental, and Financial Performance to: 1) create sustainable training and employment opportunities for people facing economic disadvantages, 2) reduce environmental waste by salvaging building materials for reuse and repurpose by the public, and 3) operate a profitable and growth-oriented business and thereby increase our impact.
Building Value’s professional deconstruction service works with national and regional builders, developers, and property owners to carefully deconstruct residential and commercial buildings brick by brick, saving thousands of pounds of materials from landfills while training young adults in deconstruction, salvage, retail, and customer service. This grant will help them integrate social-emotional and conflict resolution training to their existing program where, upon completion of the five-week course, participants will come away more self-aware, self-regulated, motivated, empathetic, and socially agile.
Groundwork Ohio River Valley’s mission is to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships that empower people, businesses, and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social well-being.
The Green Corps serves as an innovative force in green workforce development for young adults across Cincinnati by training employees to master green infrastructure, restoration and arborist skills. This grant funding will be used to train young adult workforce members on urban forestry, landscaping, and invasive species, all while gaining hands-on experience and certifications.
Roots to Boots is Keep Cincinnati Beautiful’s youth workforce development initiative that equips high school students and young adults with the knowledge, skills, and certifications needed to pursue meaningful careers in Cincinnati’s green economy.
Roots to Boots prepares Cincinnati youth for green careers through hands-on training, barrier reduction, and systems-level partnerships that advance workforce equity, green infrastructure and outdoor learning access. This grant will allow Roots to Boots to deepen this work through a cohort-based training model, expand capacity, and move closer to a city where every young person has access to a green career, and every neighborhood benefits equally. The program reduces barriers to employment while preparing participants for jobs in land care, green infrastructure, and environmental restoration.
Headquartered in Cincinnati, the Partnership for Innovation in Education (PIE) is an Industry Sector Partner (ISP) with the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation (OWT), Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and a member of the Auto and Advanced Mobility Workforce Steering Committee with the Ohio Dept. of Development. Serving as the Fiscal Agent and Program Director for multiple youth workforce development programs, PIE directs statewide youth workforce programs preparing and prequalifying Ohio's K-16 students to fill 30,000 high-paying occupations from 2025-2030 (JobsOhio, 2024). These industries include: Advanced mobility, drone technology, aviation/aerospace engineering, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicle design, sustainable urban planning and city operations, energy conservation, and battery manufacturing.
The Delivery Vehicle Innovation Via Environmental Sustainability (DRIVES) Workforce Program will impact 150 Cincinnati Public School students in youth workforce engagement, featuring industry recognized credential adoption, green job industry site visits, experiential learning STEM content in sustainable manufacturing of electric vehicles and battery design using the fee-free FormulatE curriculum, provided by Ohio Dept. of Education and Workforce, DriveOhio and Partnership for Innovation in Education; this DRIVES initiative is featured in the 2026-28 Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) Statewide Design Challenge, called #STEMmovesOhio, focused on electric "green" transportation and EV occupations training high school students for emerging technical, operational and engineering jobs.
The Cincinnati Construction Academy (CCA) was launched in 2019 to address the skills gap in the construction industry while opening doors for underserved populations. Their programs combine NCCER-certified carpentry training, OSHA-10 certification, supportive services, mentorship, and job placement to ensure that graduates are not only technically skilled but also prepared for long-term success in the workforce.
Through its Cincinnati Construction Academy, the We Shall Overcome Foundation will offer a Green Building Construction Skills program that emphasizes residential insulation and energy conservation techniques that incorporate rough and finish carpentry techniques. With this grant funding, the Green Building Construction Skills Program will embed three new green education modules into CCA’s existing curriculum:
1. Residential Insulation & Air Sealing – focused on energy efficiency retrofits, weatherization, and comfort improvement.
2. Energy-Efficient Framing & Carpentry – integrating rough carpentry with best practices in sustainability.
3. Sustainable Finish Carpentry – teaching techniques and materials that support both functionality and conservation.