20 Jun — Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su Announces Grant Award and Launch of New Resiliency Workforce Training Program in South Florida

Visit highlights investment in climate resiliency and disaster recovery jobs

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, June 20, 2024 — Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, visited South Florida on Monday, June 17, 2024, to announce a significant grant award aimed at creating 1,000 new jobs in the climate resiliency and disaster recovery sectors across the nation. OIC of South Florida and Resilience Force, two pivotal partners in the South Florida region who are at the forefront of building a sustainable and resilient workforce, were joined by private-sector partners from PuroClean and Signal Restoration for the announcement. The partnership between these organizations, dubbed the Partnership for a Resilient America, uniquely combines public and private sector resources to kickstart an innovative approach to critical sector job creation and career training. OIC of South Florida will serve as the workfore development partner in the region to train and prepare the much-needed resiliency workforce talent pipeline.

The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s ongoing efforts to foster job growth and economic stability through innovative partnerships and investments in critical sectors. The awarded funds will support training and employment initiatives focused on enhancing South Florida’s capacity to prepare and respond to climate impacts and natural disasters. It aims to meet the urgent need for skilled restoration and reconstruction workers in Florida and across the U.S., especially as the height of the 2024 hurricane season looms over U.S. coastal areas.

Speaking to Newton Sanon, President & CEO of OIC of South Florida, about OIC’s involvement in the partnership, Acting Secretary Su said, “Your organization, that provides the connectivity between working people and the good jobs that they need, has been incredibly important and effective for a very long time before this particular project. So, at the Department of Labor, we’re so proud to have built the connectivity between you and this project, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.”

The announcement, held at PuroClean’s state-of-the-art disaster-restoration training facility in Tamarac, Florida, featured a Resilience Force simulation roof and PuroClean’s “flood house,” a unique facility that simulates floods to train workers.

A New Career for the Emerging Climate Era

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management, 2023 saw 28 weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion each that affected the U.S. The combined total cost of these 2023 disasters was $93.1 billion, making 2023 second only to 2021 for total damage costs in the first half of any year since 1980.

“What we’ve seen as our workers have gone from New Orleans across the country over the last 15 years fixing homes is that there is a vicious cycle of recovery. Hurricanes come. Families have to leave their homes waiting for them to get fixed. Workers are there. They’re professional; they’re skilled, but there are not enough of them, and they’re hanging by a thread.” said Saket Soni, founder and Executive Director of Resilience Force.

To address these growing dangers and the rising costs of catastrophic weather events, the Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration, OIC of South Florida, Resilience Force and California-based North Bay Jobs with Justice, through the Partnership for a Resilient America  are championing the creation of the Certified Climate Resilience Technician (CCRT) role. These careers will be crucial to making both the built and natural environments more resilient to climate shocks and stressors. They’ll play a vital role in weather-proofing homes, schools, hospitals, commercial buildings and other structures, as well as natural landscapes. Additionally, CCRTs will be trained to decarbonize environments to meet essential climate goals and respond to disasters by rebuilding communities.

A multifaceted role like this promises to create family-sustaining careers with economic mobility while delivering long-term climate solutions.

“With this emerging sector, we remain steadfast in assuring that low-to-moderate income families in our community are not only protected from the devastating impact of major weather events, but that they can also be part of the solution,” Sanon of OIC said. “The certifications they’ll received through our training will ensure that they are positioned to obtain good jobs.”

Good Jobs Principles: the Foundation for Job Creation

This summer, Acting Secretary Su embarked on her Good Jobs Summer tour where she’s promoting the Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Principles that ensure every American worker has access to quality jobs offering fair wages, benefits and opportunities for advancement. These principles are integral to the department’s mission and are reflected in every grant and initiative it supports, including those created to support the resiliency workforce. Key aspects of the Good Jobs Principles include

• Recruitment and Hiring: Qualified applicants are actively recruited, ensuring all applicants have fair access to opportunities.
• Benefits: Full-time and part-time workers are provided family-sustaining benefits that promote economic security and mobility.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA): All workers have equal opportunity, fostering workplaces that value diversity and provide equal opportunities for all.
• Empowerment and Representation: Workers can contribute to decisions about their work, how it is performed and organizational direction, ensuring they can advocate for their own best interests.
• Job Security and Working Conditions: Workers have a safe, healthy and accessible workplace, built on input from them and their representatives.
• Organizational Culture: All workers belong, are valued, contribute meaningfully to the organization and are engaged and respected especially by leadership.
• Pay: All workers are paid a stable and predictable living wage before overtime, tips and commissions, and wages increase with increased skills and experience.
• Skills and Career Advancement: Workers have equitable opportunities and tools to progress to future good jobs within their organizations or outside them.

“Good jobs are not just transformational for the individuals who do them, and for their families, but they also uplift communities. They bring hope,” Acting Secretary Su said.

Key Certifications Awarded

Graduates of the Partnership for a Resilient America program will be awarded certifications as “climate resilience technicians” and receive assistance with job placement. Additionally, the initiative includes a voluntary program for emergency response and rebuilding for Floridians who cannot afford to rebuild themselves. This effort addresses a growing crisis where homeowners and renters struggle to obtain adequate insurance as insurers are abandoning Florida and other states at the front lines of climate change.

Join the Conversation at the 2024 OIC of South Florida Middle Class Summit

This effort is just another example of outcomes from ongoing dialog on the issues facing the Middle Class and those aspiring to enter it. OIC of South Florida will again convene a diverse group of workforce and economic development professionals, policymakers, educators, employers and community stakeholders for the 2024 Middle Class Summit, October 2-3, 2024, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. For more information about the Middle Class Summit, visit https://www.middleclasssummit.com.

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OIC of South Florida Media Contact:
Vicki Timiney
Director of Marketing, Communications and Community Engagement
OIC of South Florida
(954) 368-5605
vtiminey@oicsfl.org

About OIC of South Florida

OIC of South Florida is a community-based, non-profit organization that provides quality education, job training and career placement for individuals looking to enter or advance in the workforce. With a focus on empowerment and skill development, OIC of South Florida serves more than 8,000 youth and adults annually. The organization has been making a positive impact on communities in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties for nearly 25 years. Follow OIC of South Florida on social media.