CEWD is now receiving nominations for the 2025 Impact Awards that honor excellence by individuals, companies, and consortia affiliated with CEWD for their leadership of workforce development initiatives that will have a lasting impact on the development of a highly skilled talent pipeline for the energy sector. Recognition will be offered for community engagement, personal leadership, corporate leadership, veterans’ programming, and difference making work by an energy consortium. Learn more here. Submissions are due by September 30. The deadline will not be extended.

The preliminary schedule for the Summit is now available! Check it out here. Registration will open in June and the full program will be posted in July. Sponsorship opportunities are now available.

CEWD is expanding its team! We are looking for two consultants to support projects for the Center for the next year, one in pre-employment and training for energy careers and the other in developing a Get Into Energy Scholarship program. Learn more here.

• Accelerator, a vetted database of open-source energy curriculum educators may consider bringing in their classrooms.
• EnergyConnector, a matching service that will help educators and energy companies find one another for student-focused collaboration.
• Navigator, a strategic map designed to help key stakeholders navigate the ecosystem of active participants shaping the future of the energy workforce. Resources galore that will help energy companies scale adoption of energy curriculum and the ENR CC – how to guides, presentations, and more.
• The who, what, when, why, and how guides for national, state, and local influencers to help them encourage adoption of energy curriculum for American students.

Thank you to the CenterPoint Energy Foundation for being the latest organization to support our Meet the Moment Campaign, enabling essential work to build our energy talent pipeline.

Learn more about the Meet the Moment Campaign and how you can engage here.

CEWD’s modernized and revamped Community Groups have formed and most have had their first meetings of the year and are on their way to second convenings in June. These communities offer comfortable networking spaces for idea-generation, mentorship, partnership, best practice sharing, and the like. Groups encompass:

• AI in WFD
• Data Centers and Energy Workforce Development
• Inclusive Companies. Inclusive Communities.
• Energy Educators
• Reentry Community Hiring  – has not launched yet
• Training and Development  – has not launched yet
• Troops to Energy Jobs
• Skills USA Challenges  – has not launched yet
• Workforce Development Maturity Model
• Workforce Planning and Data Analytics
• Workforce Policy Education

Sign up here to join.

CEWD convened leaders from across the industry in mid-May to collaborate and re-align on how to continue cultivating workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. It was clear that programs to build the energy workforce are critical and meaningful partnerships to create awareness of industry jobs and prepare people for them must be a top priority throughout the industry. Conversations focused on the importance of being employers of choice and ensuring workplaces demand innovation, broad perspectives, and interdisciplinary solutioning to meet the historic opportunities for talent. Attendees left The CEWD Forum armed with data and actionable strategies that will help them anchor the body of work ahead.

Gen Z workers increasingly opt out of college and into the trades: ‘There are about 2 million fewer students,’ says expert

May 2025– As Gen Zers graduate high school, many are forgoing 4-year college opportunities and choosing to go into the trades to avoid high debt and begin earning.

TODAY SPECIAL: These are the top industries looking to hire recent graduates

May 8, 2025– From the fastest-growing job titles to the top industries looking to hire recent graduates, LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief Dan Roth joins TODAY to share tips for people who are looking to break into the workforce and find a new job.

Company to invest $140M, create 330 jobs

May 14, 2025– ProLec-GE Waukesha, a transformer manufacturer, will create more than 300 jobs and invest $140 million to add more medium power transformer units in Wayne County.

ComEd, partners announce the return of summer job training for teens

May 15, 2025– The CONSTRUCT Youth Academy is a three-week program where teens learn about the wide range of careers in energy, from entry-level craft positions to roles in STEM, such as engineering and more. Students study key equipment used to manage the power grid, learn about drones and EVs, and even meet with company leaders. Participants also learn how to safely use hand tools and put their newfound construction skills to the test by building dressers for underserved communities. In addition, past program graduates have the opportunity to return as Junior Mentors for the new incoming program cohorts.