Job Training in the Green Impact Zone®

Upcoming opportunities:

Unemployment rates are estimated to be as high as 50 percent in some parts of the Green Impact Zone. To combat this, zone partners are working to identify zone residents who need assistance in entering the job market or need to upgrade their skills; connect these individuals with training programs and opportunities; and help them find jobs that pay a living wage and offer a career path to long-term employment.

The Green Impact Zone is working with a group of partners, including the Full Employment Council, the Metropolitan Community Colleges and local businesses, to put more residents on the path to employment by developing a curriculum for Essential Employability Skills (EES) training. EES is a free, week-long training for unemployed and underemployed residents. It provides a refresher on basic skills for job seekers, such as a strong resume, a professional appearance, interviewing skills and a good work ethic. EES is designed to complement the ‘hard skills’ training and job placement services provided by organizations such as the Full Employment Council and Institute for Workforce Innovation.

The Green Impact Zone staff is also seeking job tickets from area employers. Residents who successfully complete the zone's week-long Essential Employability Skills training will be matched with job tickets and referred to participating employers. Particular emphasis is being directed toward contractors associated with current projects in and around the Green Impact Zone, such as the 27th Street KCPD Crime Lab, the 5008 Prospect building and Bancroft School — with an expectation that these contractors will consider hiring graduates of the numerous training initiatives the zone facilitates.

August 2012 Graduates

August 17 Graduates: Front row, from left: Kimberly Bryant, Samuel Cole, Eddie Bell, Marcel Walker, Derrick Davis, Lee Dickinson, Anita Borchers. Middle row: Alejandro Arriega, Brandon Marler, Robert Davis, Javon Harris, Ken Smith, Clevell Roper. Back row: Ronald Whitley,  David Davis, Stephen Pointer, Tyrone Veasley,  Michael Price,  Francisco Green.
August 30 Graduates and Facilitators: Front row (seated), from left: Florene Bellows, Anita Maltbia, Twana Hall-Scott. Middle row: Curtis Iverson, Mikall Boyd, Kenneth Alexander, Tiffany VanBuren, Robert Gregory, Eric James, Derrion Cooper, Michael King. Back row: Desmond Tucker, Robert Henderson, Dandridge Fuller, Lacey Simmons, Robert Everette, Alfred Cheffen, Rodney Knott.

In August, the zone conducted two EES sessions with a total of 29 participants — residents from the Green Impact Zone and other parts of the city, including some enrolled in the Metropolitan Energy Center’s environmental remediation training. The second session, held Aug. 27–31, included an introduction to business management for five small-business entrepreneurs. It targeted residents of the Manheim neighborhood who are seeking employment related to the upcoming redevelopment of the vacant Bancroft School into housing units by the Dalmark Group and the Make It Right Foundation. EES training was facilitated by Twana Hall-Scott and Anwar Jones of the Green Impact Zone, Florene Bellows of U* R*MPLOYABLE and Rodney Knott of ReEngage, Inc.

In addition to training, August participants received an added bonus. Rodney Knott worked with Men’s Wearhouse to provide free suits and dress shirts to men in both classes, and Lewis Smith of Diamond Knots provided free men’s ties. Women who participated received business attire from Connections to Success. Participants in the second class also received catered lunches each day, courtesy of the Haddad Restaurant Group. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II attended a graduation celebration for EES participants on Aug. 30 at the zone office.

Those who successfully complete the zone’s EES program are entered into a jobs pipeline, and staff works to keep them informed about job openings and connect them with employers and other job placement service providers. On the last day of the first August session, four employers — Garmin, CareGivers, Truman Medical Center and Green Vet — accepted the Green Impact Zone’s invitation to interview current and past EES graduates. Another interview fair for EES graduates is scheduled for September 17.

The Green Impact Zone provides each graduate with a certificate of completion and continuous job leads, but participation does not guarantee graduation. In order to graduate, participants must arrive on time, dress in business attire and demonstrate professionalism each day. The next EES training will be held in October. For more information about EES or the Green Impact Zone, call 816-936-8803.

Job Openings

The Mid-America Regional Council, which administers the Green Impact Zone initiative, posts its job openings online here.

Other links to Green Impact Zone partners' job openings pages include:

Note to Green Impact Zone partners: While we cannot list individual job openings, we may be able to link to a job openings page on your website. If you would like to be considered for a link, please contact the webmaster.