Natasha Townsend is a walking advertisement for Willdan Clean Energy Academy, a training program operating in partnership with Con Edison that’s designed to prepare prospective employees for work in the full range of the cleaner energy building sector.
As the academy’s 500th graduate—with background as an engineer, in banking and in construction—Townsend now works as a consultant on energy efficiency in the multi-family sector and teaches at the academy.
As a Black woman who knows firsthand the barriers people of color experience at all levels, she is enthusiastic about the cleaner energy jobs the academy trains for. She sees them as an entry point for people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds to get involved in energy projects, helping create links to homeowners in underserved communities while overturning stereotypes.
And with respect to emerging jobs in the cleaner energy field, she says, “I’m excited to see where the gas industry is going next.”
Through the Clean Energy Academy, Con Edison is one of many utilities across the nation partnering with community organizations for a tripartite goal: to meet their workforce needs, to engage diverse populations and to pursue carbon-reduction goals. Additional benefits include strengthening the social fabric of their local communities, assuring that workforces reflect their customer base and preparing skilled employees to meet today’s and tomorrow’s energy needs.
As the natural gas industry continues to embrace hydrogen and renewable natural gas, utilities say these invaluable partnerships are opening up a pipeline to a trained workforce eager to support new technologies.
A local utility enters any problem-solving strategy with an advantage: established ties to the community. So, when Michigan’s DTE Energy wanted to strengthen its workforce and make progress on its carbon-reduction commitment, it turned to its longstanding relationships.
According to Jose N. Goncalves, DTE Energy’s energy efficiency manager, there’s a problem common to virtually every American community: aging housing stock that wastes energy, creating high utility bills and leaving residents uncomfortable for most of the year. The first step to an energy efficiency remedy is a comprehensive energy assessment, but “there’s been a gap in the availability of individuals trained to conduct these assessments,” he said.
DTE Energy’s solution was the partner-based Energy Efficiency Academy: an eight-week course combining classroom and field training that prepares prospective employees to perform energy assessments.
The utility teamed with Walker-Miller Energy Services, a major provider of energy efficiency services and one of the industry’s largest Black- and woman-owned businesses. Walker-Miller provides the actual training, DTE Energy’s community-based partners help recruit and identify participants, and a network of for-profit and nonprofit contractors hires graduates to assess homes in DTE Energy’s service area.
The first class of 10 academy students began in the fall of 2022—and all have landed jobs. By the end of 2023, DTE Energy expects another 40 people to have completed the program.
Through classroom and field training, academy participants learn how to complete assessments, determining what changes should be made to reduce heat loss and improve the efficiency of heating, cooling and lighting systems. Graduates leave the program prepared to meet qualifications set by the Building Performance Institute.
Then, an established network of energy efficiency contractors is eager to hire program graduates. These organizations work with homeowners and renters deemed eligible for energy assistance. Once assessments are complete, contractors can make improvements—from changing out light bulbs to reducing heat loss through improvements to a home’s envelope. A combination of federal and state funds, plus DTE Energy’s energy efficiency incentives, pay for the improvements.
Trainees also learn the nontechnical aspects of the job. “Energy assessment has a lot of customer-facing components—you’re going into someone’s home,” Goncalves said. “So, there’s an element of communication and engagement. How do you address challenging circumstances, or even something as simple as changing an appointment?”
Walker-Miller provides critical wraparound services, like transportation assistance and day care, to support the participants. Some of these services continue past graduation.
The academy assures that energy technicians take a holistic approach to reducing the demands on both natural gas and electric equipment. “It’s about improving the comfort in the home. It’s about making sure the equipment doesn’t have to run as long. It’s about easier appliance maintenance,” Goncalves said.
“The overall goal is to help customers save energy, which ultimately translates into carbon reduction”—benefiting everyone.
Headquarted in Houston, CenterPoint Energy recently connected with the Houston Area Urban League as a resource for potential new employees. For Kimberly Blasingame, director of talent acquisition and DE&I at CenterPoint Energy, the league’s new training program focusing on clean energy jobs was the next logical step in expanding their partnership.
The cleaner energy jobs program was developed with the Center for Energy Workforce Development and is part of the National Urban League’s Urban Apprenticeship Readiness Program. Nationally, as of August, 17 energy companies—both utilities and contractors—are involved with the program, with another 12 ready to join as the program scales up.
The free two-week training course—in the words of Missy Henriksen, CEWD’s executive director—addresses the desire “to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, so that our companies can better represent the communities and the customers we serve.”
CenterPoint Energy will look to the National Urban League to recruit and train prospective employees, both in Houston and in the other states the utility serves.
Blasingame said new hires from the training program would join CenterPoint Energy as full employees, starting in entry-level operations jobs on either the natural gas distribution or the electric operations sides of the business. As they gain experience and skills on the job, they can pursue advancement into supporting one of CenterPoint Energy’s innovative cleaner energy initiatives.
CenterPoint Energy has sent its own employees, including its safety and technical training team members, to review and advise on the development of the program, ensuring trainees are fully prepared to meet the utility’s quality expectations.
Blasingame said she has been impressed by the diversity of the backgrounds of participants in the clean energy program, with some looking for their first jobs, while others have extensive work experience.
Many people, however, aren’t familiar with CenterPoint Energy’s business and are not aware of the career potential in the utility industry. So, through the coursework, participants learn there’s more to utility jobs than assembling a pipeline or working on the wires outside their homes and that an entry-level position can lead in many professional directions.
“At CenterPoint Energy, we have a strong focus on innovation,” Blasingame said. “We’re always wanting to hear those new, challenging ideas as we strive to be the employer of choice and in supporting our communities.” This concept is all new to most trainees, who for the first time see energy work as presenting a world of opportunity.
Through its participation in the training program, CenterPoint Energy is contributing to the National Urban League’s goals in establishing the program: supporting job opportunities for diverse populations while addressing environmental justice.
In 2019, Con Edison wanted to shift its energy efficiency programs into high gear and move to a comprehensive energy reduction strategy.
Shaun Hoyte, Con Edison’s energy efficiency section manager, reached out to stakeholders—HVAC and refrigeration contractors, energy auditors, community-based organizations, government agencies and others—to hear their ideas about effectively reaching and assisting all customers.
During that process, he learned about the challenges of serving the small-business community in low-income neighborhoods, in particular. A major concern, he said, was the need to “fill in the gaps in neighborhoods where customers weren’t familiar with the types of technologies we could help them pay for—and to make sure our representatives look like them. A lot of doors remained closed, because customers are skeptical of utilities providing them financial incentives that could lead to a reduction in their utility bills.”
Hoyte also heard that contractors were having difficulty finding qualified employees trained in the full range of energy efficiency tasks.
Hoyte and his team’s findings led to the creation of Willdan Clean Energy Academy, which trains future employees for work in the clean energy building sector—everything from single-family homes to little bodegas to large businesses.
The program, which began in 2021, offers a wide array of courses designed to propel major savings in both natural gas and electric consumption. And it set an impressive target: to fill at least 50% of available training spots with veterans, people from disadvantaged communities, people with disabilities and those who had been incarcerated. “We are happy to report that 70% of our participants meet those criteria,” said Hoyte.
Program funding comes from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, while the program itself is implemented by Willdan Energy Solutions, an engineering and contracting firm specializing in clean energy. As implementing partner, Willdan coordinates the coursework and, with other community partners, helps recruit and place the individuals completing the coursework.
The results have been impressive: 80% of graduates who pursue national certifications pass the tests—with the academy providing scholarships to cover testing fees. The placement rate for job-seeking graduates is equally impressive at up to 70%.
Overall, the program is accomplishing what its founders hoped it would. Hoyte said the quality of work has improved, jobs are being completed more quickly and energy efficiency efforts are entering new markets. Plus, he said the program is finding and supporting “engaged young leaders looking to transition” into jobs that will contribute to new, cleaner energy systems that are better for the environment.
Speaking both as a graduate and as an instructor, Townsend said that working with homeowners and building managers to reduce energy use is “absolutely amazing.”
“You are helping the planet by helping and educating people,” she said. “I’m very excited about this industry and all the opportunities for people out there—and the fact that we’re doing something so great for the planet and for future generations.”
Have Pipe, Will Hire
While the energy world transitions to new forms of energy, many job descriptions will endure, from pipefitter to dispatcher to draftsperson to mechanic. Utilities across the nation are continuing to engage young people—and those looking for a second career—to fill the jobs that keep natural gas flowing to customers today.
We Energies: Six years ago, Wisconsin-based We Energies began an innovative collaboration with Milwaukee Public Schools, the largest school district in the state. Each year, 10 to 15 high school juniors and seniors are invited to participate in internships and apprenticeships for in-demand jobs: line mechanic, gas technician and distribution system designer.
All of the students spend the summer gaining hands-on experience at We Energies. Gas technicians and distribution system designers then spend part of each school day working for the utility. Students have the opportunity to earn up to $21 an hour.
Participating students appreciate the opportunity—and how they learn more than just the technical skills. In the words of one intern, “The biggest thing is showing you want to do this … this could be the starting point to a career that lasts a lifetime.”
Xcel Energy: Minnesota utilities were concerned about a pending labor shortage at the same time that a statewide report showed only about 10% of utility employees came from ethnically diverse backgrounds. These facts prompted development of the Energy Careers Academy, a partnership between Xcel Energy, Minnesota State Community and Technical College, and the Minnesota State Energy Center of Excellence.
The academy offers training in electrical linework and is recruiting its first cohort in the gas utility program. While most energyrelated training programs are offered in rural communities, this academy focuses on reaching urban residents. Students visit Xcel Energy’s metro-area training facilities to get hands-on experience.
“The Energy Careers Academy will help train and support the next generation of clean energy workers and leaders at Xcel Energy and across Minnesota,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy-Minnesota. “Developing and retaining a diverse workforce is important to us, and we’re pleased that this program will remove barriers and provide access for more individuals interested in electrical linework and gas utility work.”
PECO: For many job seekers, the workings of the utility world are largely unknown. Philadelphia-based PECO’s three-day Infrastructure Academy is designed to educate prospective employees about the range of utility jobs and the skills they require. The academy focuses on line mechanic, distribution mechanic and technician mechanic careers.
In addition to hearing from company leaders about PECO’s general operations, participants—any job-ready adult at least 18 years old—experience mock interviews and observe safety demonstrations. They also work with a PECO partner to prepare for professional exams and other training.
The Infrastructure Academy is part of PECO’s workforce development initiative, which aims to create and support an inclusive workforce mirroring the communities the utility serves. Several academy attendees have found utility work because of the initiative PECO launched in 2020.