Puerto Ricans and the Green Jobs Gap in New York City

In NYC there is a growing labor demand within the energy efficiency sector. Given the historical ethnic and racial disparities in employment affecting Puerto Ricans and other minorities, are there any governmental workforce intermediaries and training programs in place that address these disparities within the green jobs sector? This article attempts to answer this question, arguing that the involvement of community-based workforce intermediaries is necessary for New York City's Puerto Rican communities to benefit from this increased labor demand. Given the fact that Puerto Rican CBOs have been at the forefront of the environmental justice movement in NYC, these CBOs position Puerto Rican communities particularly well to overcome the green jobs gap. Two local initiatives that point to possible career ladders for Puerto Rican low-wage workers in the energy efficiency and retrofits industry are briefly explored.