CHICAGO – Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) celebrated the 47 newest graduates of Greencorps Chicago, the City's green workforce training program which serves individuals overcoming barriers to employment, including returning residents. By building valuable job readiness skills through paid classroom and hands-on field training in ecological restoration, tree care, green infrastructure, landscaping, and environment related occupations, the program empowers Chicagoans to build brighter futures for themselves, their families and their communities.

"On behalf of the City of Chicago, I want thank and congratulate the 2025 Greencorps graduates for investing in themselves, both personally and professionally, and committing to improving our city," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Today we're celebrating the many new career and life opportunities these dedicated graduates will take with them. Greencorps exemplifies our commitment to building a safer city and strengthening community ties by reducing recidivism, tackling environmental injustice, and creating opportunities for young people."

Video of the graduation ceremony is available here.

Mayor Johnson's remarks are accessible here.

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Photos of the event can be viewed here.

The 9-month program provides opportunities for returning residents and others with employment barriers to earn $18.50 an hour in addition to wrap-around social services, job readiness training, and placement assistance. This year's graduating class includes 37 trainees and 10 crew supervisors, who are past program graduates who stepped up into higher level responsibilities.

"For decades, Greencorps Chicago trainees have made Chicago a more vibrant and beautiful place to live while gaining the skills and support to jumpstart new careers," said Acting CDOT Commissioner Craig Turner. "As a lifelong Chicagoan, I have seen this program's impact firsthand. These graduates rose to the challenge, and I'm excited to see how they grow next. CDOT is proud to be the home of Greencorps Chicago, and on behalf of our committed partners, I want to congratulate the class of 2025 on this achievement and wish them the best in their future success."

CDOT works with more than 30 public and private sector partners, including WRD Environmental and Greencorp Equitable & Transformative (G.E.T.) Solutions. Partner organizations support trainees with job readiness and provide professional certifications and internship opportunities, helping them acquire additional experience that can lead to permanent jobs and future careers.

Work completed by 2025 Greencorps Chicago trainees includes:

• Improved 300 vacant lots on the South and West Sides;
• Cleaning and building gardens in under-resourced communities where violence is most prevalent;
• Improved 200 acres of natural habitat in Cook County Forest Preserves;
• Maintaining pedestrian trails at Chicago Parks; and
• Beautifying landscaping on City Colleges of Chicago campuses.

Over the last several years, Greencorps' job placement rate has been over 75% while the 95% of our 2024 graduates are still employed one year later. Nearly 70% of graduates are placed in industry-related fields including landscaping and ecological restoration where they earn starting salaries of $18.00-$20.00/hour.

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Greencorps graduates have gone on to work at the Chicago Park District, ecological restoration companies, the Cook County Forest Preserves, and local businesses across Chicago. The licenses, certifications, field experience and job readiness training that Greencorps provides allows many participants to take on higher level positions in environmental fields.

The program is a lifeline for returning residents and Chicagoans facing employment barriers including homelessness, childcare challenges, low educational attainment, past substance abuse issues, and housing challenges. Most this year's participants were unemployed when they started the program and over 50% self-reported being justice impacted.

During the program trainees are supported with mentoring and professional coaching, increasing their ability to secure full time employment. Upon completing the training, a placement coordinator works with graduates to identify job matches and follows-up with participants post placement to ensure continued success.

By providing workforce development opportunities for returning residents and increasing living standards and the built environment by improving the condition of vacant lots in underserved communities, Greencorps Chicago is a critical facet of the City's work to reverse disinvestment on the South and West Sides.

The Greencorps Chicago program is made possible by a network of partner organizations who provide multiple layers of support and valuable fee-for-service work experience to the graduates, they include:

• Forest Preserves of Cook County;
• Chicago Park District - Department of Cultural and Natural Resources;
• Chicago Department of Water Management;
• Chicago Department of Streets & Sanitation – Bureau of Forestry;
• Chicago Department of Planning and Development;
• Cook County Bureau of Economic Development;
• 811 Chicago;
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

To learn more about Greencorps Chicago visit greencorpschicago.org.

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