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EPA Selects Summit County for Brownfields Job Training Funding
The Summit County Brownfields Workforce Initiative has been selected for funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Job Training Program. Led by the Summit & Medina Workforce Area Council of Governments (SAMWA COG), the initiative will connect Summit County residents to training and career pathways supporting environmental cleanup, remediation, and redevelopment activities. This award builds on the County’s ongoing brownfields efforts, including its recent EPA assessment funding announcement.
SAMWA COG will implement the program in partnership with OhioMeansJobs Summit County, the County of Summit, the City of Akron, training providers, employers, and community organizations to ensure alignment between training, employer demand, and supportive services.
The initiative is expected to receive up to $500,000 and train as many as 40 residents, with a goal of placing at least 30 participants into environmental or related careers. Participants will complete core environmental and construction safety training and may earn multiple industry-recognized certifications tied to remediation and site redevelopment. The program will prioritize residents from communities impacted by brownfields activity, along with veterans and justice-impacted individuals.
“This initiative ensures that as we invest in cleaning up and redeveloping brownfield sites, we are also investing in our people,” said County Executive and SAMWA COG Board Chair Ilene Shapiro. “We are creating clear pathways to good-paying environmental careers for residents who live in the communities most affected.”
The project has entered the EPA cooperative agreement phase, with program launch and recruitment details to be announced following execution.
For more information, contact:
Greta Johnson
Director of Communications & Assistant Chief of Staff
ExecutivePress@summitoh.net
330-643-2510
