How To Build an Equitable Clean Energy Workforce

Clean energy doesn’t just generate power — it generates jobs.

A recent analysis by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, commissioned by the BlueGreen Alliance, found that the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act’s climate, energy, and environmental investments will create over nine million jobs in the next decade.

And college-educated workers are not the main beneficiaries of this eco-friendly economic boom. Two-thirds of the direct job creation is projected to provide homegrown opportunities to rural, blue-collar workers, with a myriad of employment opportunities for skilled trade workers such as technicians, construction laborers, manufacturing assemblers, fabricators, carpenters, and more.

However, while the IRA legislation offers unprecedented employment possibilities in the U.S., especially among the skilled working class, it also introduces challenges that must be addressed. As we strategize for the future, labor shortages, an aging workforce, and a lack of diversity must be at the forefront of our minds. We must ensure that all Americans benefit from this shift to clean energy, regardless of their background, experience, or location.

How do we create a clean energy workforce that looks like America? By implementing strategies supported by both public sector and private sector dollars.

Bring More Workers Into the Fold

Many areas transitioning from a dependence on fossil fuels to clean energy are under-resourced communities. These residents are dealing firsthand with the burdens of climate change. However, many of these potential workers must be made aware of the opportunities in the clean energy industry and the new skills needed to secure a stable, fulfilling, well-paid position.

To address this, the Biden administration is offering $40 million to train and certify clean energy workers. In addition, some mission-driven companies, such as Reactivate, are investing in solar energy projects and training in underserved neighborhoods.

There is still much work to be done, but investments like these can help workers transition from declining industries, such as coal mines, to build clean energy technologies of the future, such as solar panels and wind turbines.

Repurpose and Transfer Skills to a New Sector

Only some skills needed for the clean energy workforce must be learned from scratch. A lot of the expertise used by those in the fossil fuel industry can be transferred to clean energy. For example, the same electrical work used at fossil fuel plants can be used for a wind or solar project. Some of the best skill profiles for geothermal jobs are coal miners.

Those invested in seeing clean energy succeed must reach out to electricians, crane operators, and others with transferable skills to explain and educate how these workers’ skills can contribute to the climate solutions we’re all trying to solve.

Create Direct Pipelines to Jobs

Once the workforce is properly trained in clean energy, we need to ensure a job is waiting for them on the other side. Too often, the training programs are too long and do not guarantee employment afterward. However, many clean energy companies are looking to hire the right people.

The solution is to shorten the training requirements and ensure job security on the backend. The training programs need to be direct feeders into active projects.

Start Training Earlier

We have overemphasized the importance of a four-year college education and stigmatized shorter vocational education in this country. That needs to change. We need to start training those interested in vocational jobs as early as middle and high school and get them apprenticeships and mentorships with skilled workers much earlier in their education. We must elevate the status of some of the most essential workers we depend on, from technicians to electricians. Let’s begin training a whole new generation of workers to take us into the clean energy era.

I’ve personally seen the positive impact these types of federal programs can have. My great-grandfather was an engineer, and my grandfather was an electrician, working on the Panama Canal. That enormous government project didn’t get done overnight but changed the world in many ways. It changed my world because it enabled my family to experience the American Dream. I likely wouldn’t be writing these words if this country hadn’t come together to complete a future-forward and unprecedented project.

Let’s come together today to support the efforts of creating clean energy jobs that will offer the same life-changing opportunities for a new generation of hardworking people.