Massachusetts Clean Energy Center funds Dorchester organization's clean energy workforce
By Hannah Green - Inno Reporter (Boston Bizjournals)
October 26, 2023, 10:58am EDT
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is providing capital for a Dorchester organization to lead clean energy workforce training.
This week, Action for Equity announced the launch of the Green Equity Partnership, an incumbent worker training and advancement project. The goal of the program is to develop the clean energy workforce, starting with training individuals from environmental justice neighborhoods.
MassCEC provided a $1.2 million investment in Action for Equity and its Green Equity Partnership.
“Funding incumbent worker training to upskill individuals from environmental justice neighborhoods interested in the important work of building decarbonization is one of our central workforce strategies and benefits everyone in the Commonwealth,” said Jennifer Applebaum, CEO of MassCEC.
A workforce needs assessment released earlier this year by the MassCEC showed that the state's clean energy workforce will need to grow by nearly 30,000 full-time equivalent workers in order for Massachusetts to meet its target of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Action for Equity is a coalition of community-based and social justice organizations that focuses on three areas, according to jobs director Tarshia Green-Williams: housing, transit and jobs equity.
Green-Williams said the program will focus on training people already in the clean energy workforce in its first year, and then expand to bring more people into the industry. The investment from MassCEC is meant to fund the Green Equity Partnership for three years.
The Green Equity Partnership program will expand access for BIPOC residents of Boston to train in HERS rater, heat pump installation, green project lead and electricians’ skills. Green-Williams said green project leads are jobs they coined to coordinate work in the clean energy field. These initial roles are focused on decarbonization positions in the workforce, rather than areas like geothermal or wind energy.
Action for Equity will hire people to lead training in technical foundation skills like blueprint reading, algebra and online test taking for certifications. Green-Williams said the training will also cover best practices for workforce development for BIPOC workers in predominantly white spaces.
Green-Williams said the Green Equity Partnership still has spaces for employers in the program and is looking for Massachusetts Minority Business Enterprises (MBE).
“As a BIPOC person in a BIPOC community, I feel like this is an opportunity for some of our folks to advance, to do some career changing and to actually get into industries where they can actually create some wealth and we can lessen the wealth gap in the state,” Green-Williams said.
Read More at BizJournals.com
October 26, 2023, 10:58am EDT
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is providing capital for a Dorchester organization to lead clean energy workforce training.
This week, Action for Equity announced the launch of the Green Equity Partnership, an incumbent worker training and advancement project. The goal of the program is to develop the clean energy workforce, starting with training individuals from environmental justice neighborhoods.
MassCEC provided a $1.2 million investment in Action for Equity and its Green Equity Partnership.
“Funding incumbent worker training to upskill individuals from environmental justice neighborhoods interested in the important work of building decarbonization is one of our central workforce strategies and benefits everyone in the Commonwealth,” said Jennifer Applebaum, CEO of MassCEC.
A workforce needs assessment released earlier this year by the MassCEC showed that the state's clean energy workforce will need to grow by nearly 30,000 full-time equivalent workers in order for Massachusetts to meet its target of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Action for Equity is a coalition of community-based and social justice organizations that focuses on three areas, according to jobs director Tarshia Green-Williams: housing, transit and jobs equity.
Green-Williams said the program will focus on training people already in the clean energy workforce in its first year, and then expand to bring more people into the industry. The investment from MassCEC is meant to fund the Green Equity Partnership for three years.
The Green Equity Partnership program will expand access for BIPOC residents of Boston to train in HERS rater, heat pump installation, green project lead and electricians’ skills. Green-Williams said green project leads are jobs they coined to coordinate work in the clean energy field. These initial roles are focused on decarbonization positions in the workforce, rather than areas like geothermal or wind energy.
Action for Equity will hire people to lead training in technical foundation skills like blueprint reading, algebra and online test taking for certifications. Green-Williams said the training will also cover best practices for workforce development for BIPOC workers in predominantly white spaces.
Green-Williams said the Green Equity Partnership still has spaces for employers in the program and is looking for Massachusetts Minority Business Enterprises (MBE).
“As a BIPOC person in a BIPOC community, I feel like this is an opportunity for some of our folks to advance, to do some career changing and to actually get into industries where they can actually create some wealth and we can lessen the wealth gap in the state,” Green-Williams said.
Read More at BizJournals.com
Green Equity Partnership celebrates launch
The Green Equity Partnership (GEP) held its kick-off celebration in Four Corners on Monday with an eye on training existing construction workers and those interested in jobs in sustainable construction trades. State and local officials were on hand, as were local construction contractors, who said they will need qualified employees to retrofit and build structures that comply with the state’s new zero emissions regulations.
The GEP started with several organizations getting a planning grant from the state’s Clean Energy Center, then just this August year receiving $1.2 million in implementation funding.
The contractor Stafford Lewis, a Four Corners resident, said he is optimistic this effort will be much different from anything previously done. He added that he is looking forward to hiring newly trained people from the community.
“Other programs have made people skeptical,” he noted, “because it never happens or if it does happen it’s so minuscule that it’s a drop in the ocean…I believe in this community and that is why I’ll stick around to employ people from this program.”
The GEP will be located at 367 Washington St. READ MORE AT dotnews.com
The GEP started with several organizations getting a planning grant from the state’s Clean Energy Center, then just this August year receiving $1.2 million in implementation funding.
The contractor Stafford Lewis, a Four Corners resident, said he is optimistic this effort will be much different from anything previously done. He added that he is looking forward to hiring newly trained people from the community.
“Other programs have made people skeptical,” he noted, “because it never happens or if it does happen it’s so minuscule that it’s a drop in the ocean…I believe in this community and that is why I’ll stick around to employ people from this program.”
The GEP will be located at 367 Washington St. READ MORE AT dotnews.com
Action for Equity aims to provide 'green work' skills to BIPOC workers
By Maureen Forry (Dorchester Reporter)
October 19, 2023
Dorchester’s Action for Equity will be joined by city and state officials next Monday (Oct. 23) at an event in Four Corners to launch a program aimed at bringing more people of color into the ‘Green Economy” workforce.
Organizers say the Green Equity Partnership (GEP) will bring employers and community jobseekers together and offer technical training for building decarbonization for both retrofit and new construction.
The program is funded by a $1.2 million grant from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
“As a Black contractor in Boston, the Green Equity Partnership will provide the skills my employees will need to do tomorrow’s green work, so I can compete in the new green economy,” said Stafford Lewis, who owns Alpha Building.
“Employers like me sit on the GEP advisory committee so that we get to shape the program the way we need. This is for the people now working for and with us—not just about new hires. There are still spaces open for more employers to join the GEP.”
There are nearly 6,000 buildings in Boston that are required to achieve net-zero emissions under new city requirements. Under other regulations, GEP expects all new buildings will have new technology requirements, and new refrigerants to be used in all new heat pumps.
“I am excited that this program will expand access for BIPOC residents of Boston to train in HERS [Home Energy Rating System] and heat pump installation, that will support the city in achieving our carbon neutrality goals,” said Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, the city’s chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space, who added: “We must prioritize workforce development opportunities for environmental justice communities in the fields of decarbonization and energy efficiency.”
Read More HERE
October 19, 2023
Dorchester’s Action for Equity will be joined by city and state officials next Monday (Oct. 23) at an event in Four Corners to launch a program aimed at bringing more people of color into the ‘Green Economy” workforce.
Organizers say the Green Equity Partnership (GEP) will bring employers and community jobseekers together and offer technical training for building decarbonization for both retrofit and new construction.
The program is funded by a $1.2 million grant from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
“As a Black contractor in Boston, the Green Equity Partnership will provide the skills my employees will need to do tomorrow’s green work, so I can compete in the new green economy,” said Stafford Lewis, who owns Alpha Building.
“Employers like me sit on the GEP advisory committee so that we get to shape the program the way we need. This is for the people now working for and with us—not just about new hires. There are still spaces open for more employers to join the GEP.”
There are nearly 6,000 buildings in Boston that are required to achieve net-zero emissions under new city requirements. Under other regulations, GEP expects all new buildings will have new technology requirements, and new refrigerants to be used in all new heat pumps.
“I am excited that this program will expand access for BIPOC residents of Boston to train in HERS [Home Energy Rating System] and heat pump installation, that will support the city in achieving our carbon neutrality goals,” said Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, the city’s chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space, who added: “We must prioritize workforce development opportunities for environmental justice communities in the fields of decarbonization and energy efficiency.”
Read More HERE
Action for Equity provides comment on changes to City of Boston linkage requirements
Action for Equity provides comment on changes to City of Boston linkage requirements. More funding must be used for the services needed to connect BIPOC residents to quality jobs, including residents who already have credentials, experience, and transferable skills, but who have been excluded. Read our statement here.
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