Leaders of the Pack 2024: Workforce

This award category recognizes programs that successfully train workers and prepare them for long-term careers in the clean energy sector. The winning programs are commendable for recruiting participants from disadvantaged backgrounds and offering extensive wraparound services.

Leader of the Pack: Clean Energy Jobs Program, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G); New Jersey

The Clean Energy Jobs Program teaches candidates the skills and competencies most needed by New Jersey energy efficiency service employers. Through the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program, participants are given preliminary training and placed with a PSE&G trade ally. Trainees are paid a standard wage for the duration of their four-month training, after which the trade ally is encouraged to hire the participant full-time in roles like weatherization specialist, HVAC technician, energy auditor, and sales representative. 

The program leverages community organizations and non-governmental organizations to share job opportunities in underserved communities and diversify the clean energy workforce. This complements the program’s Clean Energy Jobs Program Platform, a listing service that promotes job opportunities for New Jersey residents. To further diminish barriers for job seekers, the program also offers over 55 wraparound services through its partnerships with community organizations. Some of these wraparound services include childcare, transportation, and workforce-readiness preparation like time management, resume building, and interview preparation. For offering multiple workforce training components, demonstrating a strong commitment to equity, and exceeding its original program goals, PSE&G's Clean Energy Jobs Program is a Leader of the Pack. 

Key accomplishments and program features:

• The program has trained more than 2,400 clean energy workers, exceeding the original target of 2,000.
• Program administrators have participated in over 135 community organizations’ job fairs in which job seekers learned about employment opportunities with PSE&G’s job suppliers.
• The program bolsters opportunities for diverse small businesses by helping them become Minority, Women, or Veteran Business Enterprise (MWVBE) certified.

Exemplary Program: Workforce Development and Education Program, Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) and Xcel Energy; Minnesota

The Workforce Development and Education Program offers paid training and internships for careers in two primary paths: green construction and home energy efficiency. The program partners with many community-based organizations and local governments. It prioritizes training Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latino, people of color, and women from communities across the Twin Cities that have been underrepresented in this industry. 

Key accomplishments and program features:

• Between 2022 and 2024, 92% of program participants identified as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), 30% identified as women, and nearly 70% secured employment in the residential energy efficiency sector after completing the program.
• The program targets recruitment in frontline communities, among residents of Minneapolis Green Zones (neighborhoods with high levels of pollution and a history of marginalization), and in areas of concentrated poverty in St. Paul. Women and BIPOC are also prioritized in recruitment.
• Participants receive four weeks of paid training and can earn a credential in building science principles upon completion. After completing the program, participants can enroll in a paid internship sponsored by CEE. 
• The program offers multiple wraparound services, notably transportation assistance. To overcome barriers to reliable transportation, the program gives weekly transportation stipends during training and offers subsidized Uber rides to participants who lack a vehicle or driver's license.