Columbus invests $1.5m in building clean energy workforce for the future
The Empowered! programme, aimed at residents of 18-24 years, will provide training and on-the-job experience to provide skills and knowledge needed to be a competitive candidate within the clean energy sector.
The City of Columbus is implementing a $1.5m clean energy jobs programme through the Impact Community Action agency.
The Empowered! programme, aimed at residents of 18-24 years, will provide training and on-the-job experience for careers in the sector and focus on recruiting participants from communities of colour and women in Opportunity Neighbourhoods.
Skills and knowledge
Funding will support three cohorts of programme participants over the next year, providing training to establish the skills and knowledge needed to be a competitive candidate for full-time employment within the clean energy sector. Training will also highlight career exploration; digital literacy; diversity, equity and inclusion; and wraparound services.
“Addressing climate change is about more than reducing carbon emissions. It is also about expanding opportunity, promoting upward mobility and elevating quality of life,” said mayor Andrew Ginther. “A sustainable future must also be a prosperous future, and I look forward to seeing Empowered!’s impact in our city’s Opportunity Neighbourhoods as well as across the entire community.”
“Addressing climate change is about more than reducing carbon emissions. It is also about expanding opportunity, promoting upward mobility and elevating quality of life”
Additionally, Empowered! participants will receive on-the-job experience as Energy Advocates, helping residents navigate and better understand energy efficiency and the range of energy programmes available to them.
They will also perform low-level energy audits and simple energy upgrades such as LED-bulb replacement. Participants will be paid $17 per hour as Energy Advocates and receive compensation for their training.
She added: “This programme will be an innovative addition to our current workforce programmes aligning with emerging green jobs that are creating opportunities for workers to enter careers that offer good wages and pathways to long term job growth and prosperity.”
Upon completion of the programme, Empowered! graduates will be placed in pre-apprenticeships or apprenticeships, or directly employed in fields such as weatherisation, construction, utilities, solar installation and manufacturing.
“Getting young people interested in the energy industry now is vital for our future. These are important jobs that take hard work and time learning from experienced mentor to master”
Of the $1.5m being allocated for Empowered!, $300,000 is from the city’s Clean Energy Columbus programme and its Clean Energy Workforce Development Fund, which is funded annually by the city and AEP Energy as part of the energy aggregation’s supply agreement.
“Getting young people interested in the energy industry now is vital for our future. These are important jobs that take hard work and time learning from experienced mentor to master,” said Marketta Franklin, director of learning and development for AEP. “Through this effort, we are helping secure workers for the future and ensuring that our workforce is built with members of the communities we serve.”
Empowered! advances both the Columbus Climate Action Plan and environmental justice by supporting those communities most impacted by climate change.
Impact Community Action, which serves Columbus and Franklin County, is one of 48 Community Action Agencies in Ohio. Its mission is to fight poverty by providing “hope-inspiring help and real opportunities for self-sufficiency”.
Leave A Comment