About the Institute

The Institute for Environmental Sustainability in the Workforce at Clover Park Technical College began in 2008 with a legislative appropriation administered by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. But the commitment to improving both our local environment and economy through education and training has been a staple of our institution since our founding. Past is prologue. Long before green jobs became a ubiquitous phrase in workforce development, Clover Park worked with local public and private partners to create training programs that led to career pathways in fields that provided for both economic and environmental sustainability. A good example is our long-standing Brownfields initiative that has provided low-income individuals a way out of poverty and a way to restoring the communities where they live. The model we created, one that leverages multiple resources and services and has resulted in a 70% job placement rate for graduates, was the basis for our National Council for Workforce Education National Conference, "From Brown to Green: Funding the Green Collar Future by Learning from the Brownfields’ Past." Our success in developing green jobs programs was also recognized with the 2007 Governor’s Award for Best Practices in Workforce Development. Leading the way to a better future. In the past year, the Institute has since helped expand sustainability efforts at Clover Park, both in and outside the classroom. Our students and staff have volunteered at the Sustainability Summit and Expo, have volunteered to help restore native plants to the 110-acre Flett Creek Natural Resource Laboratory and Research Park, and have helped implement new recycling and resource management policies. The Institute also developed a new two-year degree program, Sustainable Building Science, with classes set to get underway in January 2010. Over the next year, we are looking forward to doing even more to provide green jobs opportunities for people of all ages, as well as working with community partners to leverage even greater resources. This place that we call home deserves nothing less. For more information about the Initiative: Brandon Rogers Coordinator for Advancement and Grants 253.589.5501 brandon.rogers@cptc.edu