We’ve trained New Yorkers in horticulture for decades, but our workforce development program, HORTNYC, took its current form after the pandemic. During the city’s COVID cleanup hiring, we brought on around 100 staff for the New York City Cleanup Corps. We combined several older efforts, including a horticulture internship, reentry work connected to our program on Rikers Island, and therapeutic horticulture, to create our paid workforce development program.
Trainees come to our program through referral partner organizations that provide full wraparound services to combat barriers to employment, including housing or mental health support, job readiness, and alternatives to incarceration. Experienced team members guide trainees as they maintain our Open Streets and tend to planters and tree pits across our outdoor sites. At the same time, we deliver training in time management, communication, and conflict resolution that builds skills that carry over to any job. HORTNYC looks to train 30 participants per year.
Nathan Vicente started as a trainee during what he calls “a difficult time in my life” and is now one of 21 HORTNYC graduates working full-time at The Hort. He says “it became a way to clear my mind, stay focused, and build something positive.” Rahmel Bronson, a current trainee in the program, calls it “much more than job training” and hopes to stay on with The Hort after he finishes.
Our graduates finish ready to work after eight months. Graduates can apply for available roles at The Hort. However, hiring capacity is limited. We’ve built a network of employer partners that offer entry-level positions well suited to our graduates, a trusted place for them to land. Additionally, we are developing an alumni network that keeps graduates connected to job opportunities in horticulture and public space maintenance, and to each other.
If your organization hires gardeners or public space workers, or you know one that does, we’d like to hear from you at workforce@thehort.org.