2026 Summit Program

Hill Day

CEWD Board of Directors Meeting (Invitation Only)

WORKSHOP: Pro Tips: How to Apply for Workforce Funding from Philanthropy, States, and Through Federal Contracts

WORKSHOP: Powering Pathways: Building Energy Careers with UnidosUS

State Energy Workforce Consortia Meeting

WORKSHOP: Workforce Development Boot Camp

WORKSHOP: Starting and Strengthening Your Veteran Recruiting Strategy

First Timers and New Member Welcome Reception

Energy Careers Reception on the Hill (Invitation Only)

Breakfast and Networking

The CHRO Forum at CHRO Day

GENERAL SESSION: Opening General Session: How AI is Shaping Frontline Trade Work and Skills

POWER SURGE: Community College Conversations: How Educators and Industry Can Be Better Partners

SKILL READY: Energy is Losing the Apprenticeship Game – Our 18 Month Playbook

STRENGTHENING THE BASE: ROI And Metrics Masterclass:  Quantifying Investments in Long Term Workforce Development Strategies

WIRED TO WORK: Defining the Role of Bots in Your Organization and Their Impact on Workforce Planning

POWER SURGE: Career Wise: Preparing Students for Energy Careers Through Work Based Learning<

SKILL READY: PGE’s Lessons Learned from Power Pathways Pre Apprenticeship Programs

STRENGTHENING THE BASE: Don’t Mess with Texas: The Energy Capital’s Workforce Playbook

WIRED TO WORK: What Humans Do That AI Can’t Do: What Labor Organizations are Exploring from the Impact of AI on Jobs

Lunch

GENERAL SESSION: CEO Conversation: Walking the Talk on Workforce Development

GENERAL SESSION: Data Center Dialogue: Large-Load Growth and the Workforce Implications

GENERAL SESSION: Fireside Chat with the Department of Labor 

GENERAL SESSION: Plugged In: A Conversation with DOE on Workforce and a Talent-Ready Future

GENERAL SESSION: CEWD 2006-2026: 20 Years of Impact 

20th Anniversary Reception

Dine Around Dinners

Breakfast and Networking

WORKSHOP: Military Recruiter Roundtable

POWER SURGE: Cracking the Gen Z and Gen Alpha Codes: What Students Think About Working in Energy

SKILL READY: Recruit. Retain. Rise. A Systems Level Approach to Supporting Women in the Skilled Trades

STRENGTHENING THE BASE: Strategies Your Talent Brand Team Can Use to Tell Your Best Story to Potential Hires

WIRED TO WORK: Collaborative Tech Partnerships with DOE National Labs to Build Your Workforce

GENERAL SESSION: State of Power: Which States are Investing in the Energy Workforce and What to Learn From Them

POWER SURGE: Creating an Effective Scholarship Program to Support Your Talent Pipeline

SKILL READY: Starting a Registered Apprenticeship Was Hard.  Here’s Why It Was Worth It

STRENGTHENING THE BASE: Changing Models: Where WFD Functions Sit in Organizations These Days

WIRED TO WORK: Smart Hiring, Smarter Succession: AI and the Future of Talent Strategy

Impact Awards Luncheon

GENERAL SESSION: The Ultimate Sharing Session: Workforce Development Strategies from Big Players Doing Big Things Outside Our Industry

Workforce Development Executive Council Meeting

POWER SURGE: ENR Cluster Adoption and Implementation: Who is Doing it Best and What Can You Recommend to Your State

SKILL READY: Session Coming Soon!

STRENGTHENING THE BASE: Session Coming Soon!

WIRED TO WORK: Outsmarting the Algos: LinkedIn Changes that Increased Candidates by 50%

POWER SURGE: THIS WORKS: Peer Innovation That’s Making a Difference in Career Awareness and Preparation

SKILL READY: Take Two: Dual Enrollment Programs Leading to Fast Track Employment 

STRENGTHENING THE BASE: Localized Strategies: Solving Workforce Challenges in Rural Communities

WIRED TO WORK: How Industry Companies are Using AI to Create Low-Cost (and Cool!) Recruitment Videos

Breakfast and Networking

SITE VISITS: DC Infrastructure Academy

Participants will visit the DC Infrastructure Academy, a District-led workforce training hub led by PEPCO and others, that prepares residents for careers in construction, energy, telecommunications, road work, water, and information technology through industry-aligned instruction, certifications, and direct employer connections. Visitors will see how the program translates workforce strategy into practice through hands-on training spaces, classrooms, and employer-informed programming designed to help residents build skills for high-demand careers. Tour Time: 2 hours; Travel Time: 1-hour Round Trip

SITE VISITS: Sabey Data Center

The tour will offer “a ha” moments for all, but especially those who hear and talk a lot about data centers but haven’t yet been in one. The tour will visit key areas including the operations center, data halls, and utility yard and address the strategy behind the development. We will spend time talking with stakeholders about workforce considerations, collaboration among developers, utilities, and site owners for the human capital part of the work. A government-issued ID is required for entry, and no photos are permitted inside the data center facility. Tour Time 1.5 hours; Travel Time: 2 hours Round Trip

SITE VISITS: Energy and Construction Career Training Program

Washington Gas has collaborated with Goodwill of Greater Washington to bring together this multi-week, tuition-free workforce development program to train individuals for high-growth careers in the energy, utility, and construction careers. The curriculum includes hands-on experience and industry-recognized credentials, such as NCCER Core, OSHA, and First Aid/CPR certifications. Take a peek at what students are learning and step behind the scenes to understand how the program works and the impact it offers. 

WORKING SESSION WORKSHOPS: Industry Dialogue on Shared Language: Can We Build a Common Jobs and Skills Taxonomy?

This facilitated working session brings energy industry professionals together to do the hard, practical work of building greater alignment across the field. Participants will collaborate to identify common job titles, define shared role descriptions, and surface inconsistencies that make hiring, training, and advancement harder than they need to be. This is not a panel or presentation—it is an active workshop designed for practitioners to work side by side, compare approaches, and make real progress toward a more consistent and usable workforce taxonomy for the energy sector.

WORKING SESSION WORKSHOPS: Career Wise: Work Based Learning Design Workshop