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BUILDING THE ENERGY WORKFORCE: 

National Sector Strategy to Develop a Skilled, Diverse Clean Energy Workforce

Prepared by the Center for Energy Workforce Development

 

NATIONAL ENERGY WORKFORCE BLUEPRINT

The Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) is a national, non-profit intermediary that has united employers, labor, educators, non-profits and associations, community-based organizations (CBO), philanthropy, and government to prioritize solutions to ensure the industry is people-ready for the clean energy transition. We are committed to developing a skilled, diverse workforce for a clean energy future.

Drawing upon hundreds of workforce development focused strategy conversations; engagement with and service on a variety of councils, committees, and boards; and significant stakeholder voices, CEWD is proud to share this national sector strategy for attracting, training, and retaining individuals to lead the industry forward. These recommendations follow guidance from CEWD’s Workforce Development Primer (November 2023) and were shaped by an important convening held by CEWD and its partners Jobs for the Future and What Works Plus in January 2024 that united 120 forward-looking leaders to prioritize actions associated with the industry’s workforce development needs.

CEWD will provide leadership in building the strategies into action. Those interested in learning more about the strategies or acting upon them should contact Missy Henriksen at missy@cewd.org.

TO INCREASE VISIBILITY OF ENERGY CAREERS AND PROVIDE CAREER ONRAMPS TO STRENGTHEN CULTIVATION OF A SKILLED, DIVERSE WORKFORCE

Launch a career awareness campaign to make immediate connections with active career-seekers and cultivate connections between students (and their influencers) and energy careers.

KEY COMPONENTS:

  • Build excitement about and interest in energy careers through influencer campaigns, media relations, social media, advertising, and other significant public relations actions.
  • Direct those interested to GetIntoEnergy.org for 1) essential, accurate information on energy careers; 2) immediate action entry points such as apprenticeship readiness programs; energy education available in technical schools and collegiate programs; scholarships and no-interest loans; and a centralized industry job board; and 3) access to an industry-focused virtual career coach. Expand existing site to be a central repository for all-access information on clean energy careers.
  • Create universal and evergreen print and digital career awareness collateral about energy careers tailored to specific audiences (e.g. educators, CBOs, workforce systems, etc.). Include materials in Spanish and Tribal Language.
  • Produce high quality commercials about energy careers for pro-bono ad spots.
  • Create compelling, informative, and sharable videos for digital and social content.
  • Launch Hire PowHER initiative to recruit more women into the energy workforce, particularly in skilled trade positions.
  • Create industry equivalent of the Khan Academy to remove systemic employment barriers by providing education, tips, guidance, and information to help individuals pass industry preemployment tests and remove mystery from “blind” field tests.
  • Develop Veterans Skill Bridge program.
  • Create summer camp template on energy and its careers (including experiential offerings) for MS and HS students. Consider Place Based Pilot.
  • Develop Place Based Pilot: build up mobile education labs to bring compelling, hands-on energy connections to students, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
  • Make energy education resources available at no charge to elementary educators.

TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL TRAINING FOR THE ENERGY WORKFORCE, INCLUDING THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND EDUCATORS WHO ARE AND WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL PARTNERS

Bring Energy Industry Fundamentals (EIF) into high school CTE programs and technical colleges to deepen students’ understanding of energy and the careers it offers.

  • Translate EIF curriculum into Spanish and Tribal Language and place on LMS for expanded accessibility and sector career exposure.
  • Finalize work with Department of Corrections to have EIF curriculum available in federal prison system.
  • Provide lab kits to educators in Title 1 schools to help enrich student learning experiences.
  • Add elective modules to the EIF curriculum to take students on deeper learning journeys in select areas including cyber- security, hydrogen, advanced nuclear, etc.

Create industry-guided and coordinated externships for educators (HS and post-secondary) to provide exposure to new and emerging energy technology and comfort in instructing on complex topics. Make scholarships, including travel stipends, available.

Develop an industry-created Energy Technician associate degree that can be made available to interested schools across the country, accelerating immersion of programming in schools with little to no development cost.

Structure an Educator Equipment Fund/Exchange to provide educators access to modern, high quality instructional resources to support student learning.

Create industry-developed Registered Apprenticeship Programs, especially for new and emerging areas of energy technology to standardize competencies, making it easier for educators to prepare students for career-readiness.

Support industry in modernizing critical VR and AR training experiences on some of the most sensitive jobs related to critical infrastructure needs.

Explore creation of national training facilities that support essential technical training for some of the most in-demand and critical energy careers.

TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL WORKFORCE INTERMEDIARIES

Support capacity building for a national, neutral, nonprofit workforce intermediary, such as CEWD, to serve as a clearinghouse for partnership creation, information and data sharing, resource dissemination, orchestration of convenings, etc.

Place Based Pilot: retain State Energy Workforce Coordinator in select states/regions to coordinate sector strategies by working with employers, educators, CBOs, non-profits, etc. to match supply and demand and centralize information and action.

TO BETTER SUPPORT NON-PROFIT AND EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Place Based Pilot: expand the Urban Energy Jobs Program, which is a collaboration between the National Urban League and CEWD, from its first seven cities, supporting at least 12 other communities that would like to engage.

Place Based Pilot: launch and scale the new partnership between Unidos and CEWD to increase the numbers of Latinos in the energy workforce.

Place Based Pilot: create a pilot program to support companies that have traditionally not hired from the re-entry population in doing so and share lessons and experiences.

Place Based Pilot: create a pilot program that would enable individuals in skilled trade roles in energy, particularly those working non-traditional hours, to receive support with quality childcare.