EPA 2025 Brownfields Grant

The Port of Oakland (Port), a Department of the City of Oakland, is partnering with Lifers Leaving a Legacy and the Cypress Mandela Training Center Collaborative to bring full-time sustainable jobs to residents in East Oakland.

In 2018, the Port hired a Workforce Development Manager to support workforce policies and initiatives that expand economic opportunities for Local Impact Area (LIA) residents, responsible for the Port’s relationships with local workforce CBOs, organized labor partners, and job providers and seekers. Since 2000, over $839,000 has been awarded to community-based training programs that serve underrepresented job seekers in the Port’s LIA. This Project supports the development of a trained and skilled workers, ready to enter the workforce with competitive pay and benefits. Local hiring rates for this Project will be tracked in accordance with MAPLA requirements.

The Port will dedicate staff to support the partnership, implementation, and evaluation of the Project’s training program, and will utilize a contractor to perform the grant administration and reporting. Community outreach for this Project will build on the partners’ existing deep relationships with residents and CBOs, including the multi-year community engagement that has occurred as part of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Assembly Bill (AB) 617 Community Air Protection Program focused on reducing exposure in communities most impacted by air pollution.