Louisiana Green Corps equips young workers with the tools needed to improve their lives and their communities by People over Plastic
January 11th, 2024
People Over Plastic
This piece originally appeared in People over Plastic.
As the world shifts away from its reliance on the fossil fuel industry, a number of green industries, including clean energy and green infrastructure, are experiencing major growth. Some predictions even suggest jobs in green infrastructure could add millions of jobs to the U.S. economy.
Opportunity
Destiny Barnes is a student with Louisiana Green Corps. She said as a young woman, the program is helping her gain skills so she can enter into predominantly male industries. (Photo Jay Marcano)
An organization in Louisiana is hoping to equip the next generation of young people with the skills they need to work and build careers in these emerging fields. Louisiana Green Corps trains participants ages 18 and up who live in the Greater New Orleans area with job skills and assistance securing employment through youth and adult programs.
Louisiana Green Corps Executive Director Ryan Mattingly acknowledged in the 2022 annual report the different ways people of color in the region have been marginalized, disinvested in, and disempowered. Mattingly also pointed out that while the green economy is growing in the U.S., it’s not as gender or racially diverse as other sectors. The organization sees its work as part of a much larger movement that seeks to advance racial and environmental justice.