Many of the workforce practices that impact energy employers stem from the Department of Energy’s priorities. Join us for this session to learn about the short, mid, and long-tern workforce objectives they have charted, based on recommendations from the 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board, which is chaired by CEWD’s Executive Director, Missy Henriksen. This wholistic plan, written in response to a Congressional mandate, focuses on the importance of sector partnerships, equitable pathways to energy careers, creating more Registered Apprenticeship Programs, more support for employers and educators, quality jobs, and a host of other priorities that employers will begin to see and hear more about in the Department’s work and funding opportunities. The report was released in September, so this will be the first time the industry will have the opportunity to digest its recommendations together.

The 2024 Summit will proudly play host to the new Discovery Zone, a forum for experiential learning about energy careers, created for those who influence the people, policies, and practices associated with developing a skilled, diverse energy workforce. It’s for Members of Congress and their staffs, community-based organizations, educators, workforce systems, agencies, philanthropies, and others who need to better understand the historical hiring and training needs facing energy employers and are eager for the chance to learn about the industry’s careers through interactive experiences. The Discovery Zone will kick off with brief presentations providing sight to:

• The what, when, and where about energy careers as sector employers focus on a unified approach to supporting the development of a skilled, diverse energy workforce that enable employment in good quality jobs.
• The training and skills that will be in greatest demand and the collaboration that is required from community training partners.
• The most significant challenges employers are facing with workforce priorities.
• Those whose lives have been positively impacted by sector employment.
• Partnerships required to support historic people needs within the industry.

Come and go throughout the Discovery Zone’s 30+ interactive displays and experiences to learn about the jobs you have been hearing about but might not fully understand. The “show and tell” type stations will enable participants to understand why employers are so eager for students and career seekers to get into energy. The Discovery Zone will give participants the chance to try, do, climb, fly, experience, simulate – and otherwise touch and feel energy jobs and talk with those who can answer questions about the industry’s workforce development needs and opportunities.  Some of the experiences of the day will include (but are not limited to and are subject to change):

• Hands-on experiences with solar energy generation, inverters, battery storage systems, supervisory controls and data acquisition and additional renewable energy technologies
• Drone flying (yes, you can drive!)
• Simulators to experience nuclear energy jobs and working with heavy equipment
• Exploration of a 5 foot turbine blade model
• Cable splicing station
• Electric Vehicle and charging station exploration
• Activities with home energy efficiency pumps/electrical/plumbing/HVAC
• Lineworker training demonstration
• Live natural gas experiments
• Mechanical insulation education
• Try your hand opportunities with overhead tools of the trade/PPE Hotstick Demo
• “Powering the Future” 3D Printing and on-site manufacturing
• Safety demonstration and lessons
• 3D printing of a solar panel model
• Virtual reality glasses featuring various dozens of careers in the energy industry

Experiences will be offered both indoors and outdoors – in the air, on tables, in trucks, on poles, on machines, in labs, and in altered reality. Plan to spend some time taking it all in and trying as many activities as possible.