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As the demand for renewable energy in California expands, the need for a skilled workforce of contractors, electricians, and workers to install and maintain clean energy technology and infrastructure also increases. To meet this demand, CPA has dedicated more than $1 million in workforce development programs and skills training with union labor training organizations that connect job opportunities to people in marginalized communities.
Microgrid Maintenance Training Program
Battery storage capacity is expected to dramatically increase to meet California’s clean energy goals in 2045. To prepare the battery storage workforce, CPA has partnered with the Advanced Prototyping Center at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) on their microgrid (solar + storage) maintenance workforce training program. CPA has invested to date $50,000 in curriculum development, hands-on training for tools and equipment, certifications, and extended internship stipends.
This program engages underserved communities to provide training, certifications and internship opportunities to a diverse group of Los Angeles County residents. The first training kicked off in April 2022, with 35 students enrolled in the first cohort, 26 of whom successfully graduated from the program. Fifteen graduates were placed in internships to jumpstart their renewable energy careers.
Project Management Training Course
LACI’s Project Management Training Course prepares students from disadvantaged communities to successfully manage projects regarding electrical vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) maintenance infrastructure deployment. CPA provided $100,000 to support program development and internship funding.
The six-week course launched in November 2023 with 34 students. All students graduated upon completion of the course; 82% of whom received an OSHA-10 certification for workforce safety.
Forty four percent of the first cohort were placed in internships focused on business development, strategic planning, engineering, project management, and technician and installation work.
Smart Buildings and Smart Cities Program
California’s growing urbanization calls for more advanced clean technologies and infrastructure to develop smart buildings—buildings that achieve maximum safety, resource, and system efficiency. Developing smart buildings can ultimately lead to designing a smart city, where its residents enjoy an improved quality of living.
To contribute to this effort, CPA has partnered with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) on the Smart Buildings and Smart Cities Program, a cybersecurity apprenticeship training that is part of the Western Electrical Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Training (WECAT) curriculum. The 5-year WECAT program was developed through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and is being currently taught by the Los Angeles Electrical Training Institute (LAETI) and the Ventura County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (VCEJATC).
This program develops a highly trained, high-earning, workforce in the solar, storage and wind sectors, some of whom have worked directly on CPA’s clean power projects. CPA’s funding ($123,000 for VCEJATC and $225,500 for LAETI) will supplement the existing program by providing classroom materials and training boards used during testing. The 17 CPA-funded training boards (11 for LAETI and 6 for VCEJATC) are expected to serve 200 students from 2023 to 2026.
Energy Storage and Microgrid Training and Certification (ESAMTAC)
The Energy Storage & Microgrid Certification (EASMATC) is developed by UC Davis Proto Gen Inc. and taught by the Ventura County Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (VCJATC) to provide apprentices in the last year of their five-year program with a comprehensive understanding of electrical construction, safety codes, and standards.
CPA provided more than $11,000 to VCEJATC for class materials such as energy storage trainers for apprentices to practice wiring battery systems, which is a crucial component of modern energy storage and microgrid technologies. These energy storage trainers were put into service in March 2024.
The partnering community colleges in this program include Antelope Valley College, Compton College, Moorpark College, Rio Hondo College, Oxnard College, East Los Angeles College, and Ventura College.
For more information on the program and to meet some of our recipients, please visit our Voyager Scholarship page.