As part of the Get Into Energy initiative, the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) last week was awarded a $1.37 million grant from the Gates Foundation to prepare low-income young adults (ages 16-26) for skilled energy technician jobs.
EMSI is one of the partner organizations on the initiative. Earlier this year, EMSI worked with CEWD to perform supply and demand reports and county-level GIS mapping of energy-related occupations for nine states. The project, funded by the Gates Foundation, was part of the initial stages of the Get Into Energy Career Pathway model.
A full press release on details for the next step for the project can be found here:
The 2009 CEWD Gaps in the Energy Workforce Pipeline Survey predicts that by 2015, 46 percent of the existing skilled technician workforce may need to be replaced due to potential retirement or attrition as well as 51 percent of the engineering workforce. The electric and natural gas utility industry has been working together through CEWD to identify the skills this next generation of workers will need and the best ways to train for the positions. The Get Into Energy Career Pathways Model provides a framework for creating a flexible workforce with skills that can be transferred to multiple positions.
“We believe postsecondary education institutions and employers can work together in innovative ways to meet the needs of today’s students and the growing demands for skilled labor,” said Hilary Pennington, Director of Education, Postsecondary Success, and Special Initiatives at the Gates Foundation. “This project will give students a clear and well-marked path through college and into a growing field of good-paying jobs.”
