The Green Equity Partnership (GEP) held its kick-off celebration in Four Corners on Monday with an eye on training existing construction workers and those interested in jobs in sustainable construction trades. State and local officials were on hand, as were local construction contractors, who said they will need qualified employees to retrofit and build structures that comply with the state’s new zero emissions regulations.

The GEP started with several organizations getting a planning grant from the state’s Clean Energy Center, then just this August year receiving $1.2 million in implementation funding.

The contractor Stafford Lewis, a Four Corners resident, said he is optimistic this effort will be much different from anything previously done. He added that he is looking forward to hiring newly trained people from the community.

“Other programs have made people skeptical,” he noted, “because it never happens or if it does happen it’s so minuscule that it’s a drop in the ocean…I believe in this community and that is why I’ll stick around to employ people from this program.”

The GEP will be located at 367 Washington St.