Detroit Stormwater Specialist Training (SWST)

Application Now Open for 2024 Course!

Are you looking for an opportunity to earn $15 to $20 an hour? If so, this class is for you!

Upon completion, students will be prepared to apply for roles such as Park or Ground Maintenance Workers or, start their own business. Additional resources will be available to help you obtain the skills necessary to secure employment or become a business owner.

Applications accepted on a rolling basis through May 7, 2024!

May 14 to June 20

6 Weeks, 12 Classes
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Class Location:
St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center,
19321 W. Chicago, Detroit, 48228
(link to Google Map)

NOTE: Classes meet in-person and will include outdoor hands-on instruction, with occasional indoor instruction. Participants will be digging in the dirt, taking soil samples, assessing drainage, using measuring tools, sketching sites and installing a rain garden as part of the course. Participants are expected to dress appropriately for outdoor work – closed toe shoes, hats and clothes that can get dirty are recommended. Bring a refillable water bottle if you have one. Water will be available at the Center.

Workforce Development Training Course

The StormWater Specialist Training is a workforce development program designed to provide you with pathways toward living wage employment working outdoors maintaining important landscaping features designed to protect the Rouge River, Detroit River and Lake Erie.

There is a growing need for people with specialized training to do this work – NO prior experience needed! Completion of this course will help you obtain the skills to get a job as Parks Maintenance or Grounds Maintenance Workers.

The 6 week, 12 class course will teach you how to weed native gardens, how to identify plants vs. weeds, photo monitoring, soil identification, observing and correcting erosion and sediment issues, transplanting and thinning plants, and more. Salary potential increases as you gain experience in this work.

Photos show past SWST cohorts learning about stormwater, native plants and weeds, and digging and planting rain gardens at St. Suzanne in Detroit.