White House Announces $24 Million to Expand America’s Clean Energy Workforce

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new $24 million funding opportunity for workforce training programs with a focus on training in clean energy jobs that do not require a four-degree. This funding, from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will further expand the existing Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) network to include more union training programs, community colleges, and trade schools.

The centers will build on the recent round of IAC network expansion to:

1. Train students and incumbent workers for high-quality careers in clean energy, energy efficiency, and advanced manufacturing that do not require a four-year degree, and
2. Help small and midsized manufacturers (SMMs) save money, reduce energy waste, and improve productivity.

Applicants will apply to one of three tracks:

1. One-year initial planning and capacity building awards of up to $200,000 each for institutions to plan how they will establish a future IAC (with the intent to apply for a Track 2 award in 2025),
2. Three-year execution and scale awards of $500,000-$2,000,000 for existing career training programs to become an IAC, and
3. Three-year consortia and cohort awards of $4,000,000-$7,000,000 for facilitated groups of colleges, state systems, multi-local union projects, apprenticeship intermediaries, and their IAC-eligible partners to establish several IACs at once.

Eligible entities for Tracks 1 and 2 include: Community colleges, community college systems, trade schools, union training programs (including labor-management training programs), and other apprenticeship and internship training programs (with applicant cost share. Eligible entities for Track 3 are the same as Track 1 and 2, as well as entities that represent a network or association of IAC-eligible training entities or entities that can otherwise demonstrate an ability to effectively distribute sub-awards to IAC-eligible entities (e.g., an association of community colleges, national unions, workforce and apprenticeship intermediaries, industry associations, etc.).

 APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 16, 2024