Brownfields Job Training Program Newsletter - October 2025
Building Stronger Communities Through Brownfields Workforce Development
This quarter’s newsletter summarizes highlights from recent events: the National Brownfields Training Conference and the Tribal Lands & Environment Forum. In addition, key strategies and best practices are presented to help job training programs address and manage mental health challenges (as discussed during the Professional Learning Community call on September 24, 2025).
On this page:
Recent Events
August was a big month for brownfields practitioners and trainers. From Chicago to Minneapolis, national gatherings brought together grantees, Tribal leaders, and workforce partners to share new ideas, celebrate successes, and strengthen connections.
National Brownfields Training Conference
The National Brownfields Training Conference (held August 5-8, 2025, Chicago, IL) brought together thousands of practitioners to share strategies for turning contaminated sites into community assets. Several sessions were focused on job training programs, with highlights including:
- Several grantees shared how their job training programs are preparing residents for careers in environmental cleanup and related trades, with graduates securing certifications and living-wage jobs.
- Technical panels and Brownfields University sessions offered insights on remediation, green infrastructure, and workforce development, which is knowledge that directly supports job training curricula.
- Trainers connected with EPA staff, community partners, and peers through poster sessions, mobile workshops, and interactive events, strengthening pipelines for trainees and graduates.
Session recordings and poster gallery highlights are now available online at gobrownfields.org.
Tribal Lands & Environment Forum
- The Tribal Lands and Environment Forum (held August 18-21, 2025, Minneapolis, MN) brought together hundreds of Tribal environmental professionals, along with federal, state, and community partners, to share knowledge on land stewardship and environmental protection.
- Discussions highlighted how cleanup, emergency response, and land and waste management projects can create pathways to employment, while also supporting healthier Tribal communities.
- Sessions emphasized the potential for job training programs to integrate Tribal-led environmental topics into curricula, especially around hazardous materials, remediation, and land stewardship.
- On-the-ground field trips highlighted Tribal land management and remediation strategies.
- Meet-ups and networking gatherings fostered collaboration, cross-learning, and connections that can strengthen job placement pipelines and curriculum development.
- Sessions focused on capacity building and strategic planning, including strategies for working effectively with Tribal, federal, and local partners.
Job Training & Mental Health
BFJT programs often serve people from communities with high unemployment, economic disinvestment, and exposure to trauma. These stressors can contribute to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, affecting the overall well-being of community members. BFJT program participants may arrive carrying these burdens, impacting participant focus, attendance, and retention, subsequently impacting graduation and job placement. Therefore, incorporating mental health support services into BFJT programs is not only supportive of participant well-being and success but also strengthens the entire workforce pipeline.
Key strategies discussed during the Professional Learning Community call held on September 24, 2025, include:
- Normalize the Conversation
- Use people-first, non-stigmatizing language.
- Integrate quick check-ins or five-minute mindfulness breaks.
- Establish confidentiality and respect from day one.
- Build Resilience and Coping Skills
- Teach grounding, journaling, exercising, and other stress-management tools.
- Emphasize that wellness (being rested, on time, and focused) is a professional skill.
- Encourage peer support to reduce isolation and relapse risk.
- Program-Level Supports
- Adopt a wellness policy that explicitly includes mental health and recovery.
- Train staff in Mental Health First Aid and allow flexibility for counseling or support groups.
- Provide debriefs after demanding modules, such as HAZWOPER, that can trigger anxiety.
- Partnerships & Resources
- Formalize relationships with local treatment providers and recovery groups.
- Share national resources like SAMHSA and NAMI.
- Engage “recovery-ready” employers who can support workers navigating sobriety and mental-health challenges.
- Program Design
- Staff wellness is essential: Supporting trainees in recovery can be emotionally taxing – create support systems for your team.
- Structure is protective: Consistent schedules and clear milestones offer purpose and reduce relapse risk.
- Culture change starts early: Set expectations about mental health from the very first session to build trust with both trainees and employer partners.
A BFJT program that integrates mental health and recovery support helps participants graduate, stay employed, and strengthen community revitalization.
Join the Brownfields Job Training Network
Stay Updated and Connected!
By joining our network of grant recipients, you can exchange tips, success stories, and resources that support program growth and community impact.
- To be included on the mailing list, submit an inquiry form and state in the "Inquiry" field a request to "Add me to the Brownfields Job Training Grant mailing list," or email us directly at brownfieldsjobtraining@adaapta.com.
- Connect with your regional brownfields job training program contact.
- Apply for technical assistance with the Brownfields Job Training Program Technical Assistance Inquiry Form.