American Climate Corps

The American Climate Corps is a national service of the US government focused on climate change prevention. It was launched in September 2023 by the Biden administration, and is a government interagency project between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Departments of Labor, Interior, Agriculture, and Energy and AmeriCorps. The service plans to recruit 20,000 young people, and train them for public service or the private sector.

Forest Corps
The Climate Corps has a 5-year, $15 million partnership through the US Forest Service for establishing a Forest Corps with a highest priority of confronting the wildfire crisis. The Forest Corps plans to employ 80 people aged 18-26 beginning in the summer of 2024. These positions requiring no prior education or experience will pay a compensation package of lodging, transportation, clothing, a living allowance, and health benefits equivalent to $15 per hour.

Indian Youth Service Corps
The Public Land Corps was authorized by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 created the Indian Youth Service Corps within the Public Land Corps. The Indian Youth Service Corps recruits tribal nations individuals aged 16-30 for educational, non-Federal employment and training opportunities in conservation projects on federal and tribal lands.

Career skills training program
The United States Department of Energy will allocate $10 million in grants to support classroom instruction and on-the-job training for individuals seeking industry-related certifications in energy efficient building technologies. Grant applicants must submit a community benefits plan by 27 November 2023. The plan must explain how the proposal will contribute to local community and labor support, workforce development, diversity, equity, inclusion, and initiatives for economic and environmental justice.

Beginning of functioning and further expansion
The corps is expected to begin functioning in April 2024 with several hundred members. The tasks are not defined precisely, but will probably be "things like installing solar panels, restoring vulnerable habitats, and fire hazard prevention."

The needed skills will strongly differ between the different tasks: some tasks will need only "skills like communications, conflict resolution, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, reliability,” while others will require also higher education.

According to the plan of Biden, in the first year the number of participants is supposed to rise to 20,000 and then 50,000 more should be added each year by 2031. However, this plan is strongly opposed by Republicans.

On the Earth Day 2024, in Prince William Forest Park created by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Biden officially launched the corps' website, in which people can apply for the available jobs. 2,000 jobs already were available when the declaration was made. More than 42,000 people expressed interest in participating.

The first class of members was sworn in, in mid June 2024. By the end of this month, the number of members in place is expected to reach 9,000.