MassCEC Announces Workforce Capacity Building and Youth Pipeline Grants

 

“Having a highly skilled, educated workforce is a critical factor to the success of the Massachusetts clean energy sector,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs MassCEC’s board of directors. “By providing our workforce and education organizations with the means to train that talent pipeline, we are addressing industry needs and closing the skills gap.”   

 

MassCEC has up to $850,000 available to support workforce training program enhancement, expansion or new program development activities that build the instructional capacity of staff, faculty and instructors and expose students to clean energy concepts at higher education institutions, secondary and vocational technical high schools, and community-based or non-profit organizations.  The funding opportunity will also seek projects that will work directly with clean energy companies to provide work experience to low-income high school students and disconnected youth between the ages of 16 and 24. 

 

Applications are due February 17, 2012.  Interested applicants can learn more about the funding opportunity at an optional bidders’ webinar being held on Monday, December 19, 2011.

 

 

 “Access to work experience is an important element in teaching students about career options in the clean energy industry and it provides a meaningful opportunity to understand the knowledge and skills required to develop career pathways and obtain future employment.” said MassCEC Chief Executive Officer Patrick Cloney

 

The funds available through this opportunity build on an existing infrastructure of projects and training programs funded by MassCEC.  Curriculum and course development strategies are available now at www.masscec.com/curriculum and at www.cleanenergyeducation.org, which catalogues  more than 140 different clean energy-related education and training programs in Massachusetts at over 80 different institutions, including universities, community colleges, vocational/technical schools, labor unions, not-for-profit groups, professional associations, and for-profit institutions.  

 

 

Clean energy has made a significant impact on the Massachusetts economy in recent years and now employs more than 64,000 people, according to the 2011 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report. The report identified 4,909 clean energy companies across the state that saw a 6.7 percent increase in jobs between July 2010 to July 2011.

 

About the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

Created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is dedicated to accelerating the success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects in the Commonwealth—while creating high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. MassCEC is a partner, clearinghouse and connector for people in the clean energy sector, making direct investments in clean energy companies, building a strong clean energy workforce, and supporting responsibly sited renewable energy projects across the Commonwealth. MassCEC works with the entire clean energy community in Massachusetts to propel promising technologies from the drawing board to the global marketplace. Join the Innovation Revolution at http://www.masscec.com/ 

 

 

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