Gateway Greening | Jobs Training

Jobs Training

GO! Green Job Training

Go Green Program

The VWIP or Veterans Workforce Initiative Program is the current employment program underway at City Seeds. The Veterans Go! Green Program was funded through St. Patrick Center by the U.S. Department of Labor. This program prepares St. Patrick Center clients for local St. Louis jobs in landscaping, nurseries, gardening retailers, and other green-care jobs. The GO! Green Project is a ten week intensive on the job training in green horticulture, working with Gateway Greening and the City Seeds Urban Farm in St. Louis.

The Gateway Greening/City Seeds Horticulture & Landscaping training includes presentations from industry and trade association experts, a fully functional urban farm and landscaping laboratory, and 180 hours of on the job training. Pre and post tests, a 175 page manual, homework assignments and field competencies all help individuals absorb the material. Field trips to Forest Park, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and employer work sites all contribute to a well-rounded experience to prepare participants for entry-level jobs in multiple sectors of the green industry. Originally, this program was awarded in August 2009 by the U.S. Conference of Mayors as one of the six national winners of the Green Jobs Training Initiative Grant funded by the Wal-Mart Foundation. Since August of 2009, 43 out of 58 Go! Green graduates have been placed in jobs.