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Advancing Tree Equity with Urban Forestry Career Pathways (UFOR) Workforce Development Program

On-the-job training for tree care puts young adults on pathways to green careers

  • Economic Development
JULY 11, 2024

On a rolling green “farm” in the middle of Atlanta’s westside neighborhoods sits a house that nurtures growth through investment in people. Recently, the first trainees of the Urban Forestry Career Pathways (UFOR) workforce development program graduated. The house was crowded with graduating trainees, families, friends, and the nonprofit partners who gathered to celebrate these young adults entering the urban forestry workforce.  The goal of the Urban Forestry Career Pathways program is to put each trainee on a clear pathway to green jobs within 30 days of graduation, bringing more young adults into urban forestry careers. 

During a ten-week program, trainees are taught and practice fundamental tree care and maintenance skills, such as structural pruning, proper watering, and mulching. UFOR is a hands-on training program, and skills curriculum changes based on the season. This spring, the first cohort of trainees pruned 932 trees in 12 neighborhoods in southwest and northwest Atlanta, from Thomasville Heights and Lakeview Heights to Bankhead and Grove Park.

UFOR trainees work with program partners to learn how to conduct a job search and present themselves as qualified candidates for jobs in urban forestry and related industries. Program participants qualify to receive MARTA stipends to assist in transportation costs, UFOR work shirts, and other support to successfully complete the program. Coaching to improve financial fluency (such as, how to open and manage a bank account, save, invest, etc.) is also an important component of UFOR to improve long term success for program participants.

Over 100 individuals will be trained and paid while improving their job prospects. Urban Forestry Career Pathways seeks applicants between the ages of 18 to 30 who live in historically underinvested neighborhoods, including those in south, southwest, and northwest of downtown Atlanta and other historically underinvested areas in Metro Atlanta. Training classes begin every 3 months, and individuals who generally meet the criteria are highly encouraged to enroll in upcoming classes.  The second cohort of trainees began this week. UFOR is currently accepting applications for the next cohort that starts in October. 

The Urban Forestry Career Pathways program will help alleviate a shortage of workers specializing in nature-based solutions in urban areas, particularly in urban forestry. UFOR partners work together to upskill people to work in and with the communities where they live, as well as beyond. These skilled workers will help fill a shortage of urban forestry professionals in great demand in Atlanta and across the country. 

Urban forestry has rapidly increased in importance as scientific evidence and public policy strongly emphasize the role of trees in offsetting climate change and environmental pressures in urban areas, such as rising urban heat island effect, increased flooding and stormwater damage, and rapid expansion of construction and development. Meanwhile, awareness of urban forestry, the benefits and rewards of more trees, and new career pathways to enter the trade – including the UFOR workforce training program – is catching up. 

The Urban Forestry Career Pathways program is a collaboration of these Atlanta-based nonprofit organizations with proven track records working with diverse populations in communities with high need for environmental repair, greater sustainability, and workforce development.

  • Trees Atlanta – Grant holder, urban forestry expert and skills training, training sites coordination, program management and oversight, outreach and community engagement

  • Greening Youth Foundation – Workforce recruitment and training, job search skills training, personnel management, outreach and community engagement

  • Atlanta Beltline, Inc. – Project coordination, workforce strategy, reporting, outcomes tracking and evaluation, employer opportunities, outreach and community engagement

  • On the Rise Community Development Center – Financial education and long-term financial success planning

The greater Atlanta area is an urban area containing 13 counties and 5.16 million residents, and quickly growing, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). More urban forestry professionals are needed to respond to the escalating challenges of development growth and the need to protect and plant trees for environmental sustainability. Graduates of UFOR get a step forward in finding some of the 35,000 urban forestry and community forestry jobs in the state of Georgia that paid $1.6 billion in compensation in 2022. Skilled workers can also take advantage of getting a job in the related working forests industry that contributes $42 billion in economic value to the state annually (Georgia Forestry Commission, 2022 Economic Benefits of the Forest Industry In Georgia). Georgia is the top producer of forest products in the nation.

The Urban Forestry Career Pathways (UFOR) program is funded through a multi-year grant as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history. The grant aims to increase workforce development for urban and community forestry and address tree equity in the city’s most environmentally vulnerable communities in areas identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). The USDA Forest Service, through its Urban and Community Forestry Program, selected Trees Atlanta’s proposal to create a workforce development and tree planting program in metro Atlanta area CEJST communities. USDA, Trees Atlanta, Greening Youth Foundation, Atlanta Beltline, Inc., and On the Rise Community Development Center are equal opportunity providers and employers.

Trees Atlanta is working with local community partners and nonprofit organizations to fulfill the goals of the program. This project is one of nearly 400 projects awarded by the Forest Service to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, improve access to nature, and expand workforce development in population centers in every state and territory in the United States. The project meets Justice40 goals for urban areas, which means that it will benefit disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution and environmental injustices, including nature loss and access to the benefits of trees. 

About Atlanta Beltline, Inc.: Atlanta Beltline, Inc.’s vision is to be the catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life. As one of the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs in the United States, the Atlanta Beltline is building a more socially and economically resilient Atlanta with our partner organizations and host communities through job creation, inclusive transportation systems, affordable housing, and public spaces for all. For more information on the Atlanta Beltline, please visit www.Beltline.org 

About Greening Youth Foundation:  Greening Youth Foundation (GYF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides educational programming, training, and career exposure to opportunities in the conservation and environmental fields for diverse youth. GYF’s mission is to nurture enthusiastic and responsible environmental stewardship among under-served youth and young adults while exposing them to conservation and environmental careers. For more information on Greening Youth Foundation, please visit www.greeningyouthfoundation.org  

About On the Rise Community Development Center: On the Rise is a deeply immersed community-based non-profit organization that offers a holistic approach to financial wellness through education, mentorship, and individualized one-on-one financial coaching. Our dedicated team is committed to empowering individuals, youth, families, and supporting other community organizations within Georgia and beyond. Together, we foster asset building and resilience in under-served and under-supported communities. Together, we strive to create a more equitable and prosperous future for all.  https://ontherisecdc.org

About Trees Atlanta: Trees Atlanta is a nonprofit community group that protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating. Since its founding in 1985, Trees Atlanta has planted over 170,000 trees throughout metro Atlanta with volunteers and partners to ensure environmental, social, and economic benefits of trees are available and abundant for the health and well-being of all communities. Trees Atlanta plants over 7,000 trees every year, including helping to design, install, and maintain the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum; educates youth and adults through classroom lessons and hand-on training; and improves forested land by removing invasive species and restoring the native plant ecology of the area. Trees Atlanta is a trusted leader in organizing and demonstrating stewardship of our urban tree canopy. To volunteer and to learn more about the organization, please visit: treesatlanta.org

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