The U.S. Department of Energy will allocate millions under an infrastructure spending bill to expand a network of workforce training programs for the nation’s energy sector.
Agency officials announced another $24 million that will help add more community colleges, trade schools, union training programs, and other initiatives to the Industrial Assessment Centers program.
The IAC offers energy assessments, facility upgrades, and workforce development services to small and medium-sized manufacturers. The newly announced funding, in particular, would focus on training workers for clean energy jobs that would not require a four-year degree.
Schools and programs that apply for the new funding would pursue three possible tracks. The first would provide up to $200,000 for a year of planning and capacity building for a future IAC hub. Recipients would be expected to apply for the second track, which would offer $500,000 to $2 million to help existing training programs transition to an IAC.
The final track, worth between $4 million and $7 million, would be reserved for groups of institutions to establish several IACs simultaneously.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm noted in the announcement that more than half of the jobs under the White House’s broader domestic manufacturing initiatives would not require a college degree.
