People interested in exploring sustainability, landscaping, or environmental jobs in Syracuse are sure to gain a competitive edge by attending Onondaga Earth Corps’ upcoming Workforce Advancement Opportunity (WAO).
WAO is a completely free professional development series open to any interested participant and required for all aspiring young adult OEC Crew Members. Upon completion, participants will receive new First Aid/CPR, NARCAN, Industry-specific safety training, and Soil Erosion and Sediment Control certifications (a value of over $500). Other focus areas of WAO include hands-on experiences through local field trips; how to get and keep a job; and basic concepts in sustainability, landscaping, and environmental work.
Event Details
WAO will take place 9:00am – 4:30pm Monday, March 28th through Friday, April 1st at the Mercy Works Vision Center at 1221 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13202.
Participants will be tested for COVID-19 on Monday, March 28th before the program gets underway to help ensure the health and wellbeing for all attendees. Masks will be required for all attendees for the duration of WAO regardless of vaccination status.
Please register ahead of time for WAO to secure your spot and get important updates.
Why are these certifications important?
First Aid/CPR and NARCAN certifications cover topics that are valuable for anyone, like how to help someone having a heart attack or experiencing an overdose. Similarly, Safety training covers general workplace safety protocols, workers’ rights, and how to report workers’ rights violations. This group of certifications is relevant and powerful for anyone committed to protecting themselves and the people around them no matter what field you’re in.
As a person interested in sustainability, landscaping, or environmental work, there’s a good chance having a Soil Erosion and Sediment Control certification will help you stand out in a crowd of other applicants. It makes you a more attractive applicant by increasing your technical and professional credibility and shows that you’re serious about your career.
For more info:
What are the other topics covered in WAO important?
Local field trips offer participants a chance to build hands-on experience doing things like identifying plants, using landscaping tools, reading maps and project outlines, and other skills related to environmental jobs (it’s also an great excuse to get out of the classroom for a few hours).
Career skills building is valuable for anyone searching for a job or trying to get better at keeping a job. Some of the topics covered in WAO are writing a resume and cover letter; basic job-keeping skills like being on time and dressing appropriately; and how to communicate in-person, digitally, and over the phone in a professional and effective way.
Basic concepts in sustainability, landscaping, and environmental work will give you a framework for understanding what OEC does, how you can help protect and improve your neighborhood and environment, and whether this field is interesting and engaging to you.
Interested in Being on a Crew?
Serving as a youth or young adult Crew Member is an excellent step for young people in Syracuse interested in jobs in the environmental, landscaping, or sustainability fields. Crew Members work mostly outside and complete environmental and neighborhood improvement projects related to urban forestry, green infrastructure, parks, and other focus areas. Some typical projects are tree planting, rain garden maintenance, litter clean-up, and community outreach/environmental education.
The trainings covered during WAO are essential for the success and safety of our Crew Members; WAO is required for all young adult Crew Member applicants (aspiring youth Crew Members are not required to attend). The application deadline for young adult applicants (18-25 years old) is Monday, April 4th.
For more information about our young adult (YA) Crew Member positions and how to apply, check out our “Submit a successful application” section at the bottom of the page and read the position description.
If you have any questions about WAO or our YA Crew Members positions, please email, call, or message us.