The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County will launch its first-ever deconstruction training program next month, as part of a $3.6 million program, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The training program, provided by CleanEdison, will educate 40 participants in two sessions of 10 days each, with the first session beginning September 20th.

Deconstruction, as opposed to traditional demolition, involves the careful dismantling of residential and commercial buildings with the goal of preserving reusable materials, typically resulting in at least 70 percent landfill diversion. Participants will be trained to disassemble a building in the correct sequence, handle materials deftly, organize them strategically, and prepare materials for safe transport to re-sale centers, which have developed a lucrative market for reusable building materials.

The deconstruction training is part of the Workforce Development Council's GreenLight Project, which is designed to provide clean-energy education and training services to 450 program participants over the next year using federal stimulus funds.

"Deconstruction training addresses two of our community's top priorities -- employment and environment," said Marléna Sessions, CEO of the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County. "The training will provide residents with marketable skills needed to re-enter the workforce, and this industry in particular is a good fit for those with language barriers or other obstacles to securing sustainable employment. Deconstruction also offers environmental benefits to our community -- by reusing building materials, we reduce construction waste in our landfills and conserve raw materials."

The 10-day job training and work experience program is targeted toward residents of specific South Seattle neighborhoods who are 18 or older and unemployed/low-income, high-school dropout, veteran, or formerly incarcerated. Participants will receive classroom and on-site field training in deconstruction techniques, as well as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and practices for construction.

Prominent clean technology training provider, CleanEdison, Inc. was selected to provide the deconstruction training in partnership with instructor Dave Bennink of RE-USE Consulting. Bennink has 17 years' experience in the deconstruction industry and was recently honored by the Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) as their 2009 Deconstructor of the Year.

Case management partners Pacific Associates and Neighborhood House will conduct outreach, screening, and selection of candidates for the free training program. Residents of South Seattle aged 18 or older who are interested in participating in this program should contact Pacific Associates Case Manager, Dmitry Kvasnyuk, at 206.721.7293 or www.dkvasnyuk@pacassoc.com for more information or to apply.

This program is funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Labor through the GreenLight Project of the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County. The WDC and GreenLight Project partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and Providers of Employment and Training Programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. WTRS 800.833.6384 or 711.