Apply for Green Workforce Accelerator Program – US

The Innovation Office, alongside the Office of Sustainability, Economic Development Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Austin Resource Recovery, will hold the City of Austin’s Green Workforce Accelerator, a capacity-building accelerator program to help community organizations and/or social impact for-profit organizations develop or expand programs that employ, train, and/or place residents in green jobs.

Each applicant’s program should fall into one or more of the following industries identified in the study:

• Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy Sources
• Water Management and Conservation
• Waste Management and Resource Recovery
• Transportation
• Lands, Parks and Urban Agriculture

The Green Workforce Accelerator will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the organizations participating. That said, participants can expect to experience or gain the following throughout the accelerator:

• Support to create new or expand existing programs that provide green jobs, training for green jobs, and/or placement for green jobs.
• Expanded organizational capacity.
• A community-centered model centered around collaboration and networking building.
• A greater understanding of the types, demand for, and interactions between Austin green jobs/economy-related programs and organizations.
• Program opportunities to strengthen work in other strategic priority areas.

Program Overview

• Organizations selected for the GWA will participate in three components: 1) needs assessment, 2) accelerator, and 3) post program data collection. This comprehensive structure will be facilitated in partnership with Blue Sky Partners, prioritizing equity and accessibility, and dives deep into each participant’s strengths and opportunities for improvement related to the goal of creating jobs or training for jobs. The program will provide targeted technical assistance along with an unrestricted grant of $15,000 for their participation in the program aimed to fill specific needs related to development and capacity.
  • Needs Assessment: The program will provide each participating organization with an individualized needs assessment that will highlight strengths and areas for capacity building and growth. The needs assessment will be built on data gathered from a survey and interview. Organizations will have the opportunity to provide input to ensure that the information in the assessment best reflects the needs of the organization.
  • Accelerator: The accelerator is a 12-week cohort-based program that covers a number of education, engagement, and development needs, and provides the space, resources, and guidance for participants to grow and expand their service offerings. Elements include:
    • Hands-on workshops where participants create strategies, test ideas, and build critical work products with expert guidance.
    • Access to custom-built tools and systems to support teams as they address opportunities from the needs assessments.
    • Expert speakers who provide insights on developing, testing, scaling, and adapting programs.
    • Peer-to-peer learning loops where participants will build experience in generating real-time self-awareness and self-constructive criticism with their cohort.
    • Facilitated meetings with Austin leaders where participants will learn to network and make connections with key partners, gatekeepers, influencers, potential investors/funders, and beneficiary aggregators.
    • Promotional training, network-building, and potential funding/partnership opportunities via a culminating showcase event.
  • Program Data Collection: The GWA will follow up with participating organizations at the three and six-month post-program marks to understand outcomes from and the efficacy of this initiative in creating jobs and training programs. Metrics gathered could include how many jobs, training opportunities, and/or job placements the participants have created based on their work in the program; pay rates and income levels of those opportunities; stability of jobs; effectiveness of training and placements; etc.

Eligibility Criteria

• This program may be a good fit if:
  • you represent a nonprofit organization OR a social innovation for-profit organization;
  • a decision-maker in your organization has capacity to attend (virtual) sessions twice a week for 12 weeks in early 2024 (anticipated end in May); and
  • your organization is ready to begin, expand, or reconfigure a program that does one or more of the following:
    • Green jobs training
    • Green jobs placement
    • Green jobs provision or creation

For more information, visit City of Austin.