Rochester Public Library
News Release
Rochester Public Library News Release - Rochester Public
Library to Host “Get Weeding with the RPL,” 5-Week Cannabis-Worker
Certification Course Sept. 30 through Oct. 28
(Monday, Sept. 25, 2023) – The Rochester Public Library Business Insight Center will host “Get Weeding with the RPL,” a five-week workforce development course to prepare residents for careers in New York State’s legal cannabis industry from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays Sept. 30 through Oct. 28 in the Bausch and Lomb Public Library Building’s Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Ave.
“As we prepare for legal cannabis dispensaries to operate in our region, it is important to make sure we have a pool of qualified employees ready to start working in these businesses as soon as they open,” said Mayor Malik D. Evans. “The City of Rochester puts a lot of consideration into our processes to make sure cannabis businesses are set up to succeed in our city, especially for Black and Brown people who were most negatively affected by the war on drugs. I want to thank the Rochester Public Library’s Business Insight Center and our partners at the Cannabis Workforce Initiative and the Cannabis Employment and Education Development Unit for holding these valuable training sessions to give our residents a jump start into careers in this new industry.”
Those who successfully complete the initial coursework will be awarded a certificate in Cannabis Career Exploration and Worker Rights, which would make them an ideal candidate to work as “Bud Tenders,” in a legal cannabis dispensary. Those who complete the in-person, five-week are then eligible to participate in an 8.5-hour virtual Responsible Vendor Training course at their convenience.
“Get Weeding with the RPL,” is hosted in partnership with the NYS Cannabis Workforce Initiative (CWI) and the New York State Department of Labor’s Cannabis Employment and Education Development Unit (CEED). T
The in-person component of the training will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on five consecutive Saturdays: Sept. 30; and Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Attendance is mandatory at all sessions to receive the certificate.
“The cannabis industry is bringing exciting new career opportunities to communities across New York State,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “The Department’s Cannabis Employment and Education Development (CEED) Unit is here to help New Yorkers gain the skills they need to have successful careers in the wide array of careers growing in this new economic engine.”
“We are excited to be partnering with the Rochester Public Library to offer the Cannabis Career Exploration and Worker Rights Certificate program,” says Esta Bigler, Co-Chair of CWI. “It is critical to be out in the community, raising awareness of the range of cannabis jobs that will be available. We want to emphasize how important it is for communities negatively impacted by the prohibition of cannabis to have access to the opportunities opening up and to know they have rights on the job. These are real opportunities, and we believe this kind of training is key to helping folks find their path to good jobs in this new industry.”
The program will consist of the following curriculum:
Cannabis Career Exploration and Worker Rights Certificate Program (In-person, 15 hours)
- Program Introduction and Industry
- The Cannabis Plant
- What the Legalization of Cannabis Means for You
- Working in a Dispensary
- Jobs in Extraction and Manufacturing
- Health & Safety in the Cannabis Industry
- Your Rights at Work
- Seed-to-sale compliance
- How are you Protected from Discrimination and Harassment
- Other Opportunities in the Cannabis Industry
Job Readiness (Virtual 8.5 hours)
- Responsible Vendor Training
- Soft Skills
- Resume Development
- Interviewing Skills
For more information, contact Jennifer Byrnes, Division Head, Rochester Public Library Business Insight Center at: jennifer.byrnes@libraryweb.org or call 585-428-8102.