Baton Rouge nonprofit the Walls Project announced this week it has received a $6 million grant from the U.S. Forest Services that it will use to launch an agroforestry apprenticeship program.
The grant is part of a $1.5 billion U.S. Department of Agriculture allotment from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to promote urban and community forestry.
Walls Project is partnering with Baton Rouge Green, East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority and the parish’s Recreation and Park Commission to provide paid workforce training that will support tree planting and green infrastructure in the Capital Region, which helps mitigate heat, absorb stormwater and conserve energy.
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Nationwide, apprenticeship programs are gaining popularity as an alternative to college, with the number of registered apprentices growing 64% over the past decade, according to a report from U.S. Department of Labor.
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In a statement about the Walls Project program, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome praised the initiative, saying it was in line with her administration’s “vision for a brighter and more sustainable Baton Rouge.”
This story originally appeared in a Sept. 21 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.