Workforce Capacity Building and Youth Pipeline Opportunities

Division: Workforce Development

Type: Solicitations

MassCEC is currently seeking innovative programs for its Workforce Capacity Program. The RFP seeks to develop and support projects that provide career pathways for the clean energy youth pipeline by combining higher education with education and training programs (Dual Enrollment) and programs that seek to equip organizations with clean energy awareness, learning and education (i.e. educators and instructors), and/or address the lack of exposure into the clean energy industry work experience for educators and students; and lack of exposure to clean energy career options requiring (STEM) skills.

Download the full solicitation

Webinar

Webinar Questions and Answers

The following provides answers to questions submitted to MassCEC during the March 8, 2013 Workforce Capacity Building webinar, as well as questions submitted by 5 p.m. on March 11, 2013 as part of the bidder process.

Question	Answer
If the lead applicant is a 501c3 (non-profit organization) that is itself a clean energy company, must it still sign Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with three (3) other clean energy companies or can it be two (2) other clean energy companies?	Yes, the application must include three (3) other clean energy companies.
Just to confirm, does "other partners" mean they can also be considered "required partners" or does the lead applicant/partner can substitute "other partners" for "required partners?"	Lead applicant cannot substitute for “other partners.” You must have a lead applicant and then the number of “other partners” that is listed in the application.
Could "education and training providers" be defined as faculty at a college who would work as consultants (i.e., through their own firms), as opposed to through their college?	Consultants are not considered training or educational providers. Educational providers must work directly for an educational system and provide a service or partnership on behalf of the institution. Partnerships with training providers must be an established training entity that has had previous success around workforce development.
Is a possible "other partner" a trade association (as opposed to a labor union)?	This question can be found on page 3, section C. Trade associations qualify as an “other partner”.
Does the definition of "match" include a percentage of the time spent by some of the partners that may not be fully covered under the grant?	Yes, match can include a percentage of the time spent by some of the partners that may not be fully covered under the grant.
Are "internships" and "workplace opportunities" interchangeable? That is, is the definition the same for both terms?	An internship for a student is a supervised practical training at a place of employment. A workplace opportunity is also a supervised practical training at a place of employment.
Can the MOA or MOU be between the applicant and the faculty member at the two- or four-year college, or does it have to be with the college itself?	The MOU must be between the applicant and the college. Senior staff should be the signature on the MOU.