UTICA, N.Y. — The Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Oneida, and Madison Counties, Inc., recently announced its new Building Pathways to the Infrastructure Careers grant project to help train workers in the renewable-energy sector.
The initiative is designed to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in the field by creating a pipeline of talent with the skills needed for careers in solar energy, electric-vehicle maintenance, HVAC systems, weatherization, and more.
“As we recover from economic setbacks, the Building Pathways to Infrastructure Careers grant aims to ignite innovation in our region,” Sarah Barcomb, project director, said in a news release. “By linking advanced manufacturing to clean energy, we are answering the pressing demand for skilled labor and opening the doors of opportunity for marginalized communities.”
The Workforce Development Board can fund up to $4,000 per qualified trainee with a streamlined application process. Trainees must be age 17 or older; not enrolled in secondary school; and must reside in Chenango, Delaware, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, or Schoharie County. Additionally, they must be unemployed, underemployed, an incumbent worker, or part of an underrepresented population.
The initiative includes registered apprenticeships; on-the-job training; and classroom, competency-based, and technology-based training strategies. The program is funded by a nearly $2 million U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration grant.
More information about the program is available online at www.working-solutions.org/training-grant-programs/building-pathways-to-infrastructure-careers.