As California’s transition to renewable energy accelerates, the demand for a highly trained workforce is growing rapidly.
Clean Power Alliance (CPA) has invested over $2 million to date in workforce development initiatives across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. A skilled workforce of professionals is essential for the installation, operation, and maintenance of clean energy technologies and infrastructure across the state.
Recently, the Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles (WINTER) program, which provides hands-on training and work experience to a broad range of women, including low-income women and women of color, held a graduation ceremony for 12 students.
The WINTER program received $558,000 in funding for support services for 240 students, and training stipends for 60 to 240 students over the three-year term. Clean Power Alliance CEO Ted Bardacke attended the celebratory event and gave remarks that highlighted how critical this cohort of students is to meeting California’s green workforce needs.
“CPA has always emphasized investing in new and innovative renewable energy projects that help make local communities more resilient,” he said. “Our investments have created over four thousand jobs and a lot of opportunities for students with your skillset in the green energy labor force. So, while it is great to see you all here today, what I really look forward to is seeing you five years from now at the ribbon cutting for a new, sustainable project.”
CPA has allocated $3.5 million through 2026 to support training programs that prepare local workers for in-demand careers in energy efficiency, clean transportation, and grid modernization. These initiatives are funded through voluntary workforce development contributions from the developers of CPA’s clean energy projects.
Training programs like WINTER are designed to advance these efforts by providing hands-on skills training in partnership with both union-affiliated and non-union labor training organizations. A central focus of these efforts is to create pathways to employment for individuals from historically marginalized and underserved communities, ensuring that the clean energy economy is inclusive and accessible to all.
For recent graduate Nailah Akbar, the WINTER program enables her to support clean energy initiatives in her local community, while embarking on a meaningful career.
“I believe through renewable energy and sustainability we can ensure that we meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. Through environmentalism I recognize that our well-being is deeply interconnected with the health of the Earth.” Akbar concluded, “My journey in the W.I.N.T.E.R training program allowed me to exercise my commitment to growth and reinforced my confidence, strength and dignity to making a change in an industry that supports a healthier environment for us all.”
Funding for the WINTER program provides support services that help students overcome numerous barriers, including access to childcare, housing, transportation assistance, union initiation fees, construction equipment, licensing fees, housing-related assistance, and more. The funding will enhance the program’s training capacity by supporting a 1,500-square-foot expansion of classroom space, enabling it to train 24 more students annually.
CPA has expanded funding to support skills training over the past four years including funding for microgrid maintenance and smart building cyber security training at the Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator (LACI), Los Angeles Electrical Training Institute, and the VCEJATC program in Ventura County.
To learn more about CPA’s workforce development efforts, visit cleanpoweralliance.org/workforce.
