July 10, 2019
Sarah Anderson, American Forests
Devon Buskin, The Greening of Detroit
Employers are desperate to fill a labor shortage on the front lines in urban forestry, yet struggle to source and retain a sustainable workforce. Few employers have successfully tapped into the supply of workers in communities with the lowest tree canopy cover, which tend to have higher rates of unemployment. In this webinar, Sarah Anderson will present American Forests' efforts to address the shortage nationally through Tree Equity: Career Pathways, an initiative to build the capacity of urban forestry pre-employment programs and facilitate cross-sector partnerships that will ensure a sustainable workforce into the future. Devon Buskin will share how The Greening of Detroit has successfully connected low-income and underemployed Detroiters to careers in urban forestry for more than a decade through its Detroit Conservation Corps program. Whether you represent an urban forestry employer, are curious about running your own pre-employment program, or simply feel committed to creating an equitable and diverse work force in urban forestry, join this session for more on closing the urban forestry labor shortage gap in your area.
Presentations
Tree Equity: Career pathways
Sarah Anderson
Senior Manager, Tree Equity
American Forests
The Greening of Detroit's Detroit Conservation Corps
Devon Buskin
Workforce Director
The Greening of Detroit
Resources
Resources Mentioned in the Webinar
Tree Equity
Learn more about American Forests’ work to advance tree equity and build career pathways for underserved communities.
Equity
These resources, compiled by the Vibrant Cities Lab, reference methods for creating successful pre-employment programs that lead to positions in the field for youth and those in the re-entry population.
The Greening of Detroit: Workforce development
Learn more about The Greening of Detroit’s workforce development program and other activities.
US Forest Service Resources
The Baltimore Wood Project
The Baltimore Wood Project aims to create a diversified regional wood economy that fosters urban to rural sustainability and creates cross-sector jobs, especially for people with barriers to employment, through the use of wood from abandoned rowhomes and “fresh cut” wood from urban tree operations.
NUCFAC Highlights: Growing the managers of tomorrow’s sustainable urban forests
This July 2018 Urban Forest Connections webinar explores the state of the urban forestry profession, including career and employment opportunities.