Creating an effective model for a workforce, education, and training program is not an easy task. The stages of inception can be the most difficult to work through. Who will be your collaborative partners? Which population groups are you aiming to target? Have you secured certain funding to execute your program? The list continues and can grow exponentially. This is not a bad thing; it just means that the beginning steps are imperative for the success the program can create in the long run. Whether that is looking to expand green careers to disadvantaged communities or partnering with local probation departments to employ previously incarcerated individuals, establishing a purpose before getting into the weeds can make or break a program. Learning from organizations that have enacted/are enacting a WE&T program in their specific region can be the best starting place. This is exactly what MCE has done with investing in sustainability careers through multiple project ventures.
While there are many components addressed in MCE’s Sustainable Workforce Policy, one of the key factors is MCE’s support for “quality apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training programs.” Apprenticeship programs that lead to a climate adaptive career hold a high level of importance based on the need for technical skills and knowledge in many cases. MCE elaborates that these apprenticeship/trainings “foster long-term, fairly compensated employment opportunities for program graduates and believes (these) programs are an efficient vehicle for delivering quality training.” Training can end up being one of the most important pieces of creating a clean energy future. If we do not have meaningful training or apprenticeship opportunities, then how are we going to expand careers in our fields? First impressions matter, which is why before diving into a career, quality training can preface the positive outcomes that will follow.
Creating an equitable workforce requires long term goals that will improve the future of our industry. While short term goals are also needed, planning long term is particularly important for our industry because of the growth projection in the next decade. “MCE is focused on developing a longer-term pipeline of green job opportunities for our community members, strengthening the local economy, and contributing to a just transition to a clean energy economy.” With a vision or goal like the one above, MCE is localizing their effort by contributing to a clean energy economy and giving career opportunities to the communities that they serve.
As MCE moves toward establishing their workforce, education, and training program, one of their goals is to “match qualified job-seeker trainees with the trained contractors and pay for a local internship in a “learn and earn model.” Learning and understanding someone’s personal experience can be one of the most important factors when choosing a career. Pairing a trainee with a contractor as part of an internship program not only amplifies team comradery, but it also provides a perspective that some training programs overlook. “Local economic and workforce benefits” are interweaved into MCE’s current work and future endeavors. Whether that is enacting their sustainable workforce policy or collaborating with local companies to educate students on solar construction, understanding the needs of their community and the opportunity they can create will support their goals and objectives moving forward.
Sources:
https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/Policy-011-MCE-Sustainable-Workforce-Policy-v3.pdf
https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/news/training-job-creation-through-local-partnerships/