By: Jerome W.
Introduction
Individuals, communities, and corporations rely on the energy industry every day to operate. An increasing subset of the energy industry is the clean energy sector with over 22,000 jobs added in 2022 alone. These “green jobs”- or jobs that contribute to preserving or enhancing environmental quality– are projected to grow significantly over time as the United States continues to transition into a clean energy economy. Green jobs tend to have higher wages compared to national hourly wage averages and are often more accessible due to the entry-level opportunities available through on-the job training. However, this novel sector of the industry is lacking in racial and gender equity.
Challenge
While green jobs are becoming more accessible and equitable, these jobs often require higher than average scientific knowledge and technical skills than a typical job in America. This creates an unintentional barrier for historically underprivileged communities from entering the green energy economy. In 2021 a collective of energy groups reported that around 61% of clean energy workers in the US were white non-Hispanics. It also cited the need for increased support for education and job training for members of historically underserved communities.
Women also account for less than a fifth of the energy workforce. In 2017 the Equality of Energy Transitions Initiative was created to identify the barriers women face in the energy industry. Research from this initiative reported that careers in the energy industry are not often pitched to women due to assumptions from employers, as well as women themselves, that these jobs are not suited for them.
Women are often not engaged simply because they do not have access to opportunities to learn and develop their skills for this career pathway. Youth are also often excluded due to lack of relevant training. Employers in the energy sector have expressed challenges hiring new workers due to an inadequate talent pool. Intentional outreach should be made to women, communities of color, as well as prioritizing youth especially those from historically underrepresented communities so that the industry can advance.
One of the most effective recruitment strategies to address increasing the talent pool is through Registered Apprenticeship (RA). RA Programs (and at times complemented by a corresponding RA Pre-Apprenticeship program) offers a pipeline of workers in this career path. The RA Program also effectively prepares the On-the-Job Learning and Related Technical Instruction managed by the employer increasing the likelihood of success in meeting the workforce skill needs.
Benefits and Opportunities
While challenges do exist, there are ways to move forward to mitigate barriers. Clean energy registered apprenticeships serve as a vehicle of opportunity for individuals to enter this new and emerging career pathway. As this relates to youth, apprenticeship programs can be created to cultivate a talent pipeline where people are taught at an early age the both the work-based learning and technical skills necessary to work in the green economy. Apprenticeships provide the opportunity of earning money while learning skills with on-the-job training. This allows for individuals to smoothly transition in clean energy careers without the need of extensive formalized education such as a college degree. Diversity also includes multigenerational workforce and without including youth, the transition into the clean energy economy will not be sustainable. Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the energy sector are continuing to grow across the US, as reported in 2021 that the number of apprentices has doubled since the previous 8 years.
Another beneficial byproduct of green jobs is that they tend to stay local or regional and often not outsourced. This allows for people within the community to thrive economically while also engaging in careers that reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. This is especially important in environmental justice communities where people have historically suffered from systematic inequities in infrastructure development. For example, Black and communities of color often live in areas that experience higher rates of air pollution than majority white communities. Equipping individuals from these groups will advance progress to building and environmentally sustainable future. Their Unique insights, backgrounds, and experiences can contribute to developing innovative ideas when implementing solutions for energy efficiency and environmental preservation.
Effective Practices
Effective practices must be put in place that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has developed a strategy for diversity equity and inclusion for all stakeholders in the green energy economy called “The Three I’s of Diversity” (Inspire, Initiate, and Integrate). The strategy is intended to increase the energy sector’s inclusivity of all people including women and youth.
Intentional engagement is key to recruiting people from diverse backgrounds to be involved in the clean energy transition. Accurate information should be given to women to expose them to the diverse selection of career opportunities. Involvement of women can also bring in new ways of thinking and problem solving to the decision-making table that will benefit the clean energy industry. Apprenticeship programs should work with institutions to create initiatives at recruiting women for these job opportunities. Policies and initiatives for recruiting and training youth are also equally important in creating a sustainable workforce for this industry.
Outreach should also be conducted to minority businesses and organizations to create partnerships to engage diverse communities to study the STEM field and expand career opportunities. People from the targeted community should be front and center when developing economic opportunity. It is critical that communities of color and low-income communities are included within the process of advancing the green economy because of the historical inequities that have existed in the country. Their insight, voice, talent, and experience will mitigate negative byproducts of transitioning to clean energy. Through a contract with the United States Department of Labor, the net.America Corporation has established a Registered Apprenticeship initiative that features energy related Registered Apprenticeships. This initiative is committed to recruiting people from minority and underserved populations to train them in energy careers. Employers across the nation should create programs that follow the guiding principles of this initiative so the energy industry’s complex challenges are effectively met by future generations.
Conclusion
As the world transitions into increased use of sustainable, clean energy sources, a diverse workforce is essential to meet the goal of preserving the environment. Diversity, equity, and inclusion should be fostered into the programs to ensure that everyone benefits economically and environmentally from the opportunities the clean energy transition will create.