Sedona AZ (August 23, 2012) – Friends of the Verde River Greenway and the Vetraplex have partnered to provide temporary employment opportunities to local Veterans who live in the Verde Valley. These Veterans will have the opportunity to work in the Verde Watershed.
The Vetraplex will hire one crew leader and five Veterans for six months of field work this fall and winter. Through the WEX (Work Experience) program with NACOG (Northern Arizona Council of Governments), subsidized funds will be available to assist with wage costs.
To help remove invasive plants along the Verde River, Oak Creek, Beaver Creek, and West Clear Creek, the crew will receive hands on training including, U.S. Forest Service chainsaw training and certification, invasive plant management and plant identification, commercial pesticide applicators certification, CPR and first aid training, National Certification in customer service, and Friends of the Verde River Greenway Orientation. This in-depth process will be a part of their paid time and will prepare them for the six months of work ahead of them.
Gary Rideout, President of Vetraplex states, “this project has taken a lot of work and preparation and we are so excited to know that it has paid off. We will now have the opportunity to find Veterans in the Verde Valley who are looking for work and empower them with a chance to earn an income over the next six months. We hope through this partnership with NACOG and the VWRC, it will be a new continuous plan to provide work opportunities to Veterans in the Verde Valley. We look forward to a long working relationship with them and thank them for the opportunity to partner together and help Veterans who have done so much for us.”
This workforce project is scheduled to begin in October 2012 and recruitment is currently taking place. Interested Veterans looking for a temporary work opportunity are encouraged to contact Gary Rideout directly at gary@vetraplex.org.
