How to apply for a job in the American Climate Corps

The Biden administration announced its plans to expand its New Deal-style American Climate Corps (ACC) green jobs training program last week. 

Nearly 2,000 corps positions opened up across 36 states, including jobs in partnership with the North American Building Trades Unions.

In September, the administration announced an executive action to create the  American Climate Corps program. According to the White House, the program is a federal effort “to ensure more young people have access to the skills-based training necessary for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy.”

Those who enroll in the program will learn how to install solar panels, restore coastal wetlands, retrofit homes to be more energy-efficient, fight wildfires, and more. The program also intends to create a pipeline for these young people to get hired into the clean energy sector, which is expected to add millions jobs by 2030, due in large part to the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Interested in joining? Here’s a how-to. 

How to apply

As of April 22, Americans can now apply to join the American Climate Corps through the venture’s new website: ClimateCorps.gov. 

At the top of the homepage, there’s a button that’s labeled “Join.” You’ll be guided to a page with the available job listings. After the site’s launch, applications came in swiftly and there are currently only 270 open positions across the country. 

Compensation for these positions vary, but many of them start at $15 per hour and provide education benefits, as well as mental and behavioral health benefits. Some of them even provide child care.

In North Carolina, applicants can apply to conduct and participate in researching, surveying, mapping, and reporting on forests and other plant communities along the Outer Banks. Or, applicants can apply to become a Fall 2024 Conservation Corps member, where they’ll learn about outdoor career opportunities and learn practical field skills. 

To apply for both positions, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30. Veterans may be 35 if they provide a DD-214, which is a document the US Dept. of Defense issues upon a military service member’s retirement, separation, or discharge from active duty. Both positions also require that the applicant have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds, and if hired, they must agree not to use illegal substances. The Outer Banks position requires that you have a valid driver’s license, as well. 

The deadline to apply for the Outer Banks position is May 8, and the deadline to apply for the Fall 2024 Conservation Corps is May 15. 

Looking forward

Michael D. Smith, the CEO of AmeriCorps, told The American Prospect that the American Climate Corps is “an opportunity to turn anxiety into action.” 

“We’ve heard a lot from young Americans about climate anxiety,” Smith said. “It’s been heartbreaking to hear young people say, ‘This is overwhelming. I don’t know what to do, I don’t know if I want to bring children into this world.’”

Smith said that the ACC gives young people “a way to not wait for somebody else to do something.” He said the program lets them “jump in the arena right now to make a difference on an issue that is bigger than all of us.”

Smith added that the ACC intends to go beyond “one-and-done” projects, as well. The goal of these “term” positions, which all range from 300 hours to a full year, is to develop “real marketable skills that [lead] into a career path right away.” 

Ultimately, the ACC aims to train 20,000 young people for jobs focused on fighting climate change.

The first set of jobs will start in June.