Fact Sheet

Posted on 02. Feb, 2009 by jeff in About Us

About Us

Veterans Green Jobs is a Denver, Colo.-based national nonprofit organization that provides green jobs education, transition support, and career and enterprise development opportunities for military veterans.

Founded in 2008, Veterans Green Jobs operates programs in a variety of green jobs fields, including home energy efficiency, renewable energy, land conservation and urban forestry. We believe that our nation’s military vets, equipped with the skills, tools and resources, can lead America’s transition to energy independence, ecological restoration, community renewal and economic prosperity.

Our key focus areas are:

Education & Training. One of the fastest areas of green job growth in the next decade will be in energy efficiency, green retrofitting and renewable energy. Working in partnership with academic and conservation partners, we offer education programs in home energy efficiency and land conservation and management to help vets prepare for the green jobs economy.
Service Transition. Our award-winning service transition programs provide short-term, work-intensive projects for those just completing military service or veterans ready to make a transition to a new life path. Projects include public lands conservation, urban forestry, energy efficiency and weatherization.
Enterprise. We are building a self-sustaining organization through revenue-generating enterprises in partnership with the public sector, private entities and other nonprofit organizations. We are exploring enterprise opportunities in industrial and commercial energy efficiency, recycled building materials and contract workforce deployments.

Program Highlights

Weatherization Services. Veterans Green Jobs has been awarded more than $11.8 million in contracts by the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office to provide weatherization services to low-income households in Denver, Jefferson County and the San Luis Valley. While creating new employment opportunities for veterans, these services make homes more comfortable in winter and summer, reduce utility bills and significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Veterans Green Corps. Our Veterans Green Corps program consists of veteran crews who build the skills needed to protect and preserve our natural land resources. Completed in cooperation with conservation corps, national forests and parks, the Bureau of Land Management and government agencies, these projects offer vets an opportunity to take care of our national treasures while working alongside other vets. Corps programs are offered in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada – and are rapidly expanding.

Veterans City Canopy. In partnership with the City of Denver, Veterans City Canopy equips homeless veterans with the skills needed to green up our urban neighborhoods through tree planting initiatives. Classroom coursework is complemented by field training experience, neighborhood canvassing and tree planting – ultimately preparing vets for career pathways in urban forestry. By 2012, 35 veteran crew members will have planted 4,600 trees to shade inner-city homes and lower utility bills.

Veteran Development. Recognizing a national need to help military veterans effectively reintegrate back into civilian life, Veterans Green Jobs offers support services that link vets to important resources. These include education and training, vet benefits services, mental and physical health services, career counseling and placement assistance, and alternative tools for coping with stress.