On Feb. 29, 2020, seven men walked into the education building at Everglades Correctional Institution (ECI) as inmates. Three hours later, after passing a taxing Florida Department of Environmental Protection state exam, those same seven men walked out as certified Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators — with a promising career ahead of them.

The journey to that small classroom was not easy, but for hundreds of men and women in the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), it has been rewarding. The prerequisites to the state exam are challenging: Students must possess a high school diploma and pass tests in chemistry, microbiology and algebra through a California State University correspondence course on water treatment.

They’re able to do this because of a years-long effort led by incarcerated people at ECI to lead a wastewater class regularly attended by 60 people. It’s created an effective job pipeline into the green jobs industry with stability, high pay and benefits, all of which serve as important lifelines for people leaving prison.

"In the past, it was hard to get a good job with a criminal record," explained Sean Smart, a 45-year-old student serving a 10-year sentence at ECI. "Now that I’ve completed this course and attended the wastewater class, I feel confident about having a future career when I go home next year."

Current research shows that there’s no shortage of new "green-collar jobs." Federal data shows that wind turbine inspectors and solar panel installers are two of the top three fastest-growing jobs in the United States, with water treatment/conservation and sustainable agriculture close behind.

Water treatment is unique in the field as it offers state certification while still incarcerated. In addition to supporting the correspondence courses, ECI offers its own wastewater class that’s peer-facilitated by certified instructors and is regularly attended by over 60 students.

For those certified in this skilled trade, job opportunities are plentiful: treatment plants, environmental firms, public utilities, water and sewer maintenance, lift station mechanics, lab technicians and septic tank installers are all hiring men and women for the field.

An estimated 75 percent of certified treatment plant operators will find work with a city or county, and personal testimonies I’ve heard prove that many agencies are willing to give someone with a criminal background a chance at on-the-job training.

Read the full article about inmates and public works careers by Ryan Moser at GreenBiz.