Contributed by Missy Henriksen, Executive Director of the Center for Energy Workforce Development
Attracting a great number of people from underrepresented and systemically marginalized communities to renewable energy jobs is essential to unlocking efforts to combat climate change. Without them, an already tight labor market will become the pinch point that slows or even halts hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in solar, wind, and other clean energy projects.
Opening the doors to registered apprenticeships for these underrepresented populations is an important part of that solution. Apprenticeships are where the next generation of electricians, solar installers, wind turbine technicians, plant operators, and other skilled workers will be trained. But many potential apprenticeship candidates traditionally have faced hurdles in terms of acceptance, access, awareness, and work readiness.
This is where a new Urban Energy Apprenticeship Readiness Program comes in. It is a pre-apprenticeship program launched last fall as a joint initiative of the National Urban League (NUL) and the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD). The program aims to prepare as many as 1,000 new workers from underrepresented populations to begin careers in clean energy. The Urban League is beginning the program at five affiliates in Louisiana, Chicago, Houston, Louisville, and St. Louis with the hope more locations can be added in the future. It is funded under a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Along with easing the labor shortage, the program will promote the advantages of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and help unlock the full financial benefits of the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IJA). The $370 billion provided in the legislation for solar, wind, and electric vehicle subsidies carries labor-standard requirements that include employing apprentices.
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Attracting more candidates from underrepresented populations – especially persons of color and women – has been a long-term challenge. The renewable energy industry lags national averages in representation of these populations and is far from having participation rates on par with the labor pool, according to an analysis conducted by BW Research Partnership for an alliance of five organizations. For example, women make up about 48% of the U.S. workforce and only 27% of the clean energy workforce. Black Americans account for 13% of all workers vs. only 8% of clean energy workers.
Among the recommendations of the alliance was increased support for education and job training for members of historically underserved communities, including investments in apprenticeships.
The pre-apprenticeship program is designed to remove some of the barriers that are keeping many diverse candidates from entering registered apprenticeship programs.
In the words of Marc H. Morial, National Urban League President, “The intersecting demands for climate and racial justice have created a unique opportunity for diversity and inclusion in the fast-growing clean energy industry. The urgency is particularly pronounced in urban communities, which not only have been historically underrepresented in this type of economic opportunity, but also disproportionally suffer the impacts of climate change.”
A major barrier is lack of awareness. Many apprentices are referred by family and friends who are employed in the trades. But with diversity already underrepresented, the family and friends “feeder system” is not as well developed for them. Women traditionally also were not encouraged to apply or did not consider applying for some of the trades.
Individuals in the pre-apprenticeship programs may need refreshers or training in math, time management, and computer and financial literacy to be ready for registered apprenticeships. They may benefit from help with “soft skills” such as interviewing, resume preparation, interpersonal communications, and conflict resolution. And they made need other support, such as childcare or transportation.
Finally, diverse candidates were among the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, either directly or because of the effect on family members in their care.
Last year, CEWD released its DEI Roadmap for Industry Change. This roadmap reinforces the energy sector’s commitment to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive energy workplaces that reflect the communities and customers served. It offers recommendations for action for companies, labor organizations, and the industry as a whole.
Under the Urban Energy Apprenticeship Readiness Program, the NUL local affiliates are responsible for recruitment, intake assessments, eligibility screening services, enrollment, training, and support services. The affiliates also act as a liaison between candidates and registered apprenticeship program partners in the energy industry. Each pre-apprenticeship can be tailored to meet the needs of the candidates. For example, some candidates may need help obtaining a commercial driver’s license that is required to enter an apprenticeship.
Along with solar, wind and energy conservation, the partnership targets key occupations in nuclear, electric, natural gas, and other clean energy sectors. Along with installers, technicians, and plant operators, it aims to help train future line workers as well as engineers in cybersecurity, mechanical, electrical, civil, and other disciplines.
There is no question the need to expand the labor pool is there. A study commissioned by The Nature Conservancy by BW Research estimates that investments related to the Inflation Reduction Act alone will support creation of 537,000 jobs annually over 10 years. But with the U.S. unemployment rate at historic lows and an aging population, filling those jobs will take a concerted effort.
Increasing the number of workers in apprenticeships also has direct financial benefits to clean energy project developers. The Inflation Reduction Act has incentives to meet prevailing wage, workforce development, and apprenticeship standards. Projects of 1 megawatt or larger are eligible for the full 30% tax credit only if they satisfy the standards. Initially, projects must have at least 10% of total labor hours on a supported construction site be completed by qualified apprentices. The requirement increases to 15% by 2024. Otherwise, the tax credit is capped at 6%.
Finally, the pre-apprenticeship program is expected to deliver the “business case” benefits of DE&I. This includes access to broader experiences and insights to solve problems and identify opportunities. And younger workers are increasingly using DE&I as a measuring stick to determine where they are employed.
About the author
Missy Henriksen, Executive Director of the Center for Energy Workforce Development
