WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
The first ever Social Equity Program for cannabis
The Workforce Development Program was funded by the State of California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control and specifically, the Cannabis Workforce Development Grant Program, which allocated a $1M grant to the City of Oakland to disperse to equity operators who could recruit, train and maintain a workforce.
The program’s goal is to place people of color into non-entry level positions in the cannabis industry by offering paid training along two career tracks: Manufacturing and METRC/Compliance. Participants go through an online curriculum followed by hands-on training at EquityWorks! Incubator training center, a shared social equity manufacturing facility.
Manufacturing Track: There are several products manufactured in cannabis ranging from edibles to infused prerolls to various concentrates. Our program will train participants on the most common procedures and machinery used in the cannabis industry.
METRC/Compliance Track: METRC is the software associated with California's seed-to-sale track and trace program. In the legal cannabis supply chain the plant must be tracked from seed to sale, so knowledge of compliance and METRC is essential to every cannabis business.
IMPACT:
Completing the WFD program opens doors to a more equitable cannabis economy for us all. We train our participants to look ahead to what being a successful licensed operator in the industry entails.
Interested in joining our next WFD Cohort this Spring?