NEW ORLEANS – If you are a young person impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the Gulfsouth Youth Biodiesel Project (GYBP) may be the program for you. The GYBP is a youth-led social enterprise focusing on the production and sale of biodiesel fuel as a means of educating and developing leadership and social entrepreneurship of young people as part of a “Green Collar” workforce.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must have been impacted by the oil spill and must provide a Gulf Coast Claim Facility letter and number as well as proof of Employment Separation (job loss) as a result of the spill. Applicants also should be between the ages of 16 and 25.
As part of the program, participants will take part in intensive workforce development training that includes basic safety, basic rigging, biodiesel production, processing and testing, construction drawings and blueprints, financial management, introduction to alternative fuels, and lots more. Additionally, participants will receive certification by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and enrollment in Delgado Community College, where students can further education in skill areas of interest, including but not limited to plumbing, welding, pipefitting, HVAC, automotive, carpentry, etc.
The program is scheduled to begin with orientation on March 10 & 11. Classes begin Monday, March 14 and run 11 weeks, Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 am – noon.
For more information, eligibility requirements and an application, contact Wilfred Wright at (504) 529-1922 ext. 105 or wwright@operationreach.org. www.operationreach.org