Butte College
News Announcement

Foundation for California Community Colleges is Awarded $21.5 Million Through the American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge – Butte College is a Grant Partner

Project helps place qualified workers into jobs in forestry and fire safety through partnerships with higher education, industry, and community

Butte College will partner with the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) to implement its California Resilient Careers in Forestry, a forestry workforce training program. FoundationCCC received $21.5 million to support its “California Resilient Careers in Forestry” proposal. The proposal was one of 32 grants awarded as part of the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and administered by the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration.

Funding will support a four-year project to help scale a system to place qualified workers into high-quality jobs in the forestry sector, responding to urgent needs to build economic and climate resilience in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade regions of northeastern California. Work will be conducted in partnership with five community colleges (Butte College, Feather River College, Lake Tahoe Community College, Reedley College, and Shasta College), California State University Chico, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Sierra Business Council. This group has proven experience delivering effective workforce training programs in partnership with industry and community.

“We are honored to work with the Foundation for California Community Colleges on the Good Jobs Challenge award as a grant partner serving rural communities,” said Virginia Guleff, Butte College President. “This grant will help our students receive high-paying jobs and supports economic growth in our region.”

The emerging forestry and fire safety sector has the potential to grow into a $39 billion industry. Yet there are currently projected shortages of thousands of workers for relevant well-paying jobs with benefits, including but not limited to fire and forestry crew leads, conservation scientists, and U.S. Forest Service crew members. By working to recruit, support, and train local communities in partnership with multiple Hispanic-serving institutions, Indigenous-led partners, and other community-based organizations, the project will expand the industry’s talent pool while simultaneously diversifying the field.

“As part of this 4 year program, Butte College will serve as a Regional Hub Partner with a local budget of $5.3 million to expand the established Upskill California Utility Line Clearance Vegetation Management workforce training and development programs,” said Annie Rafferty, Director Workforce Training and Development and project lead. “The grant will fund training of 700 utility line clearance arborists, level one and level two pre-inspectors, heavy equipment operators, and general foreman. Grant goals focus on attracting, training and retaining workers by offering advanced utility industry certifications such as ISA tree risk assessment qualification (TRAQ) certifications, Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) utility instructor certifications, expansion of outreach to attract a diverse workforce, and enhance job placement. We are thrilled to support trainees' success in pursuing utility vegetation management related careers, critical work performed by the utility vegetation management sector for our communities.”

To learn more about the Good Jobs Challenge, please see the U.S Economic Development Administration press release. The full California Resilient Careers in Forestry project narrative can also be found here. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has also provided a statement in support of this work.

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