PathStone receives $200K to train in environmental careers
The US Environmental Protection Agency has awarded PathStone Corporation Puerto Rico $200,000 to train 60 residents of nine municipalities on the island, of which at least 41 are expected to hold positions in environmental jobs, the nonprofit announced.
The program includes 214 hours of training that are distributed in courses from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration related to, among other topics, the handling of pesticides as well as asbestos, lead, and mold reduction programs.
The nonprofit will reach out to participants in Morovis, Vega Baja, Vega Alta, Toa Baja, Toa Alta, Dorado, Cataño, Bayamón and Naranjito, said Mileidy Soto, administrator of the PathStone Regional Office in Arecibo.
“PathStone is committed to providing new opportunities to the residents of Puerto Rico. For us it is an honor to be able to continue strengthening ties with the EPA for the benefit of the citizens who need it most,” said Jeffrey Lewis, vice president of Direct Services for PathStone Corporation.
“We make a double contribution: we contribute to improving the environmental health conditions of our communities and we improve people’s quality of life,” he said. “This program will insert participants from rural areas in specialized jobs with which they will be able to improve their living conditions.”
The EPA funds this project through its Brownfields Job Training Program. Since this program began in 1998, it has awarded more than 352 grants.
Some 19,456 people have completed the training, and of those, more than 14,560 people have been placed in full-time employment in careers related to environmental health and safety.
The average starting wage for these people is more than $14 per hour.
