The purpose of this study was to address green-collar job training programs that focus on the social and psychological experiences of young adults transitioning into full-time employment in the area of urban natural resource management. The study examined graduates of New York City's MillionTreeNYC Training Program (MTTP) who had previously been disconnected from the workforce, were 18-25 years old, and held a high school diploma or GED. Of the 25 graduates, 20 had been placed in jobs, and 16 were still employed two to three months after their hire date.
Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the 16 graduates that were still employed, 17 supervisors of the 16 graduates still employed, and the three supervisory staff members of the MTTP. Interviews were semi-structured and composed of flexible open-ended questions. Questions for the program graduates ranged from work experiences to transiting from MTTP to employment. Supervisors were also asked about their experiences supervising the graduates.
The five themes that emerged from the data included (1) employees' motivations, (2) knowledge/skills acquired, (3) attitudes, (4) the significance of environmental work, and (5) challenges faced. Most employees were motivated to look for the MTTP (81%) or stay in their green job (88%) because of a personal support network. Almost all employees interviewed (94%) described acquiring new knowledge or skills during the training programs. Changes in employee attitudes toward self and work were generally positive. Within positive attitudes about work, an important sub-theme present in all employee interviews was positive comments about coworkers, whether fellow entry-level employees or supervisors. Almost all supervisors (88%) observed positive employee attitudes toward work that facilitated employee trust and encouraged them to see others as reliable members of the work team. Some supervisor's comments indicated that the employees had difficulty meeting expectations because of their previous lack of sustained work experience. This challenge was experienced by both employees and supervisors and reflects the need for increased “soft skills” training in the MTTP, including establishing expectations for appropriate workplace behavior, such as attendance, timeliness and professional demeanor.
The study supports the idea that “soft skills” like attitudes, motivation, and emotional intelligence should not be overlooked in green-collar jobs training programs, rather they are just as important as technical knowledge and skills.
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