Preparing the workforce for green jobs

As the demand for renewable energy in California expands, the need for a skilled workforce of contractors, electricians and workers also increases. To meet this demand, Clean Power Alliance (CPA) has dedicated more than to workforce development programs and skills training with union pre-apprenticeship and labor training organizations that connect people in marginalized communities with job opportunities.  

Workforce Partners

Multi-Craft Core (MC3) Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

The Multi-Craft Core (MC3) pre-apprenticeship programs provide bootcamp training for students underserved communities to help place them into union construction trade apprenticeship programs under the North America Building Trades Unions and the LA/OC Building and Construction Trades Council, where many trades working on CPA renewable energy projects are represented.

CPA has invested $1.47 million in funding for student support services and training stipends over a three-year period for MC3 pre-apprenticeship programs with three partners: Flintridge Center in Pasadena ,  Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles (WINTER) in Los Angeles, and Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDBVC) with trainings planned to take place at Oxnard College.

Together, these partners provide pre-apprenticeship training to underrepresented individuals including those who may be previously incarcerated and gang-impacted, women, those who are of low-income, people of color, gang-impacted, veterans, or recently out of foster care. CPA’s funding will support up to 270 students at the Flintridge Center, up to 240 students at WINTER over a 3-year term, and up to 90 students at WDBVC over a 2-year term.

CPA’s investments primarily help students overcome barriers to accessing trainings by providing funding for access to childcare, housing and transitional living costs, transportation, union initiation fees, construction equipment and driver’s license fees.  CPA is also providing funding to expand WINTER’s training space to increase the number of students trained. CPA’s partnership with WDBVC includes the stipends and supportive services described above, as well as funding for all aspects of the MC3 course including instructor fees, rental fees for training space, and administration costs. These opportunities provide students with a clear path to higher-wage jobs.

 

U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA)

Wildfire Recovery & Resilience Resources and Training for Construction Professionals

In response to the 2025 Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire that devastated many communities in the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) service territory, CPA has invested $50,000 to the U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC CA) to provide local contractors and industry professionals with wildfire recovery training and resources.

This funding is part of a one-year agreement with USGBC CA and supports USGBC CA’s Wildfire Defense Certification Program and Wildfire Defense Rebuilding Support and Recovery Resources website.

The Wildfire Defense Certification Program has educated more than 1,300 construction and landscape professionals on the knowledge and skills needed to harden homes and landscapes against wildfires. CPA’s funding in the program will help expand Wildfire Defense Certification Program training for contractors to learn the best practices on home hardening in impacted areas. With CPA’s funding, eight training courses will be provided through the end of March 2026 to educate contractors on rebuilding after wildfires. These trainings are offered online and in-person with English and Spanish language instruction options.

Please click here to sign up for the trainings.

CPA funding will also support updates to the Wildfire Defense Rebuilding Support and Recovery Resources website that provides resources for contractors and properties affected by the 2025 wildfires in the Los Angeles area. This website includes a Wildfire Defense Toolkit that compiles essential wildfire resources from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other organizations for California Homeowners.

Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)

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 and storage) maintenance workforce training program. CPA has invested $50,000 in curriculum development, hands-on training for tools and equipment, certifications and 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.

These opportunities provide students with a clear path to higher-wage jobs.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

Smart Buildings and Smart Cities Program

California’s growing urbanization calls for more advanced clean technologies and infrastructure to develop smart 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 five-year WECAT program was developed through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and is 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 and 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.

CPA Voyager Scholarship Program

The Clean Power Alliance Voyager Scholarship is designed to nurture the local renewable energy workforce by developing the next generation of green energy leaders. to support students at seven community colleges throughout Los Angeles County and Ventura County. The scholarships provide financial aid to students enrolled in energy-focused careers, such as electric vehicles and advanced transportation technology, energy and environmental science, and alternative energy.

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.