Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Over $16 Million in Grants to Advance Clean Energy Workforce Development

Investment to Support Training and Job Opportunities
in the Clean Energy and Climatetech Sector

BROCKTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced over $16 million in grant awards to invest in planning, capacity, training, and equipment for climate-critical jobs in the clean energy and climatetech sector. Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Undersecretary Katherine Antos and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Dr. Emily Reichert announced the awards alongside other state and local officials at Brockton High School, which is the state’s largest high school and also a grant recipient.

The awards will help more than 200 Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBEs) in climate-critical sectors by providing support for business creation and expansion. Additionally, over 1,850 participants will benefit from training programs, with a focus on increasing access to Environmental Justice (EJ) communities. The programs will also raise awareness of clean energy careers for over 600 learners, and provide improved training and access to modern equipment for over 1,700 students and job seekers.

“Our clean energy revolution is powered by workers– crane operators, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and more – who are ready to lead,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It is essential that this growing workforce mirrors the diversity of our communities, embodies our commitment to labor, and is equipped with the tools we need to tackle the climate change and reshape our future.”

“Investing in workforce development in communities impacted by climate change and pollution is critical for advancing both economic and environmental justice,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “The clean energy sector can revitalize our cities and towns, creating jobs and opportunities for all. These grants will empower the schools, unions, nonprofits, and businesses, ensuring that everyone wanting to work in this sector has a shot at success.”

Brockton High School is receiving $653,347 to renovate classroom space in the existing automotive shop and to acquire automotive training equipment. This will allow the school to offer EV technician training to students. In addition to this, the school will benefit from two other grants. One grant will support the Clean Automotive Technology Center of Excellence, while the other grant, led by MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Board, will focus on creating a clean energy career awareness and exploration program for youth and young adults aged 16 to 24. "Students are driving innovation. Engaging them early is important to building a skilled workforce and advancing Massachusetts’ clean energy goals,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “By providing hands-on training, we are equipping the next generation to build the infrastructure and implement the technologies that will protect our communities, safeguard our environment and lower our energy costs.”

In addition to the workforce development grants, MassCEC also announced several awards to support the MassCEC Clean Energy Internship Program and the Technical Trades Work and Learning Program. For over a decade, MassCEC’s internship programs have introduced youth and young adults to the clean energy sector, connecting over 6,400 interns with more than 600 companies focused on addressing climate change. The awards, totaling almost $123,000 to two organizations, will help attracts more employers to the program, strengthen partnerships with Career and Technical Education schools and community colleges, and establish a symposium for current and former interns.

“Clean energy jobs grew at more than twice the rate of overall employment in the United States in 2023, proving that the clean energy sector has the power to be a major driver for the Massachusetts economy,” said MassCEC CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “Today’s $16 million investment in Massachusetts’ clean energy and climatetech workforce will help us continue that momentum. These grants from MassCEC will fund opportunities for people across the state, whether they’re a high school student from an Environmental Justice community or a union electrician looking to gain new skills.”

All the workforce development programs announced today include clear plans for increasing inclusivity. Sixty-six of the awards, totaling nearly $13.3 million of the funding, were supported by MassCEC’s Workforce Equity programming. This program provides annual funding to expand workforce development and support services to individuals and businesses from environmental justice, low-income and other historically underrepresented communities.

"It is incredibly exciting to see these programs receive funding that not only help us prepare to slow climate change but also center diversity and inclusion with investments in the workforce of tomorrow,” said Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-2nd Middlesex), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.

The awardees are:

Equity Workforce Training, Equipment, and Infrastructure Implementation Grants (Total: $8,125,130)

• Bioechem LLC – $100,000 – Biochem will develop additional curriculum and add capacity to align its existing cleantech education and training program with exploration of career pathways leading to climate-critical careers.
• Brockton High School – $653,347 – Brockton High School, in partnership with Project Green Schools, will renovate classroom space adjacent to the existing automotive shop and obtain automotive training equipment needed to provide students with EV technician training.
• Cape Cod Regional Technical High School – $355,000 – Cape Cod Tech will develop the land and obtain training equipment needed to expand its environmental science program to include vocational training opportunities focused on environmental engineering and other climate-critical occupations.
• Cape Cod Regional Technical High School – $200,000 – Cape Cod Tech will expand its environmental science program to include vocational training opportunities for environmental engineering career paths that serve secondary students and provide resources for adult learners.
• Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD) – $50,000 – CICD will develop a plan to introduce the Energy Shifters Program (ESP), a comprehensive training initiative for aspiring energy auditors.
• Eastie Farm – $150,000 – Eastie Farm will add the capacity and develop the curriculum necessary to pivot its existing Climate Corps program to feature climate-critical occupations. This earn-to-learn training program connects youth (ages 15-24) in Environmental Justice communities to job training and opportunities in the green economy.
• Ethos Admissions – $50,000 – Ethos Admissions will develop a plan to launch the Berkshire Clean Energy Career Exploration and Workforce Development Pilot Program for Environmental Justice youth in partnership with Berkshire community organizations.
• Grounded Services, LLC – $150,000 – Grounded Services, in partnership with the Entrepreneurial and Business Collaborative, will focus on program design and adding the capacity needed to launch comprehensive training focused on renewable energy systems and modern electrical infrastructures with the goal of addressing the critical shortage of skilled electricians in Massachusetts.
• Interplay Learning – $100,000 – Interplay Learning will develop partnerships with Massachusetts regional workforce development boards to identify training partners and to explore the approaches to supplementing existing hands-on programs and supporting training organizations with clean energy career awareness, navigation, and preparation to learners using an online skilled-trades training platform, Interplay Academy.
• Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) – $1,200,000 – JVS will partner with Franklin Cummings Tech to provide a 16-week HVAC&R and Heat Pump training and wrap-around services to clients who are underrepresented in the field.
• La Colaborativa – $400,000 – La Colaborativa will implement an equitable, multifaceted workforce development program catering to marginalized young adults. The program will include intensive training for climate-critical HVAC, weatherization, and construction occupations. The program will be complemented by multilingual, culturally competent wraparound services for young adults ages 18 to 24.
• La Colaborativa – $216,783 – La Colaborativa will provide youth ages 16 to 18 with paid employment with multilingual career awareness and job readiness supports to expose youth to career pathways in climate-critical sectors.
• LISC Massachusetts – $800,000 – LISC Massachusetts will support and expand its Bridges to Green Jobs program by formalizing pathways into related clean energy jobs; integrating career navigation into the current training curriculum; and supporting a replication in New Bedford as a third training site in addition to Boston and Lawrence.
• Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (MRVTS) – $1,200,000 – MRVTS will establish the Montachusett Vocational Partnership Academy, which will provide training to students and adult learners interested in climate-critical trades.
• Museum of Science – $200,000 – The Museum of Science will organize a Youth Climate Summit to learn about, discuss, consider, and recommend solutions for environmental justice dimensions of the climate issue, with a particular focus on how the green economy can serve the needs and priorities of those who are most impacted by climate change.
• My Brother’s Keeper 617 – $275,000 – My Brother’s Keeper 617 will support carpentry and renewable energy systems installation training returning citizens and other underrepresented participants through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and industry certifications.
• National Grid – $250,000 – National Grid and its partners will scale entry point opportunities and expand the National Grid Energy Infrastructure Academy (NG EIA) to implement a cohort for returning citizens. The NG EIA is an immersive upskilling program that trains Greater Worcester and Greater Boston residents from historically underrepresented and marginalized populations.
• Plymouth Public Schools – $653,347 – Plymouth Public Schools will install a pre-engineered metal building and procure instructional equipment to establish the Clean Energy Lab for Trades training space needed to provide students with hands on and collaborative training on clean energy projects.
• Plymouth Public Schools – $25,000 – Plymouth Public Schools will establish a Clean Energy Lab for Trades that will provide integrated workforce skill development for high-performance building, net zero grid, and clean transportation occupations.
• Project Green Schools – $250,000 – Project Green Schools will support Brockton High School’s Clean Automotive Technology Center of Excellence, a collaborative program between Brockton High School, Project Green Schools, ACDC, DeVivo Companies, and others.
• Studio HPDC – $450,000 – Studio HPDC will undertake major high-performance renovations to its hands-on learning space, “The Barn,” and document on video the renovations to serve as future learning resources.
• Studio HPDC – $300,000 – Studio HPDC will launch the High-Performance Living Lab program that uses the real world as a laboratory for the creation of hands-on trainings, exposure to emergent technologies, and development of resources and articulated pathways to clean energy careers and higher education.
• The Possible Zone – $150,000 – The Possible Zone will establish the Clean Energy Innovation Pathway Program to build awareness, exposure, engagement, skills, networks, and agency for underrepresented BIPOC high school students in Boston to pursue post-secondary opportunities in the Massachusetts clean energy economy.

Climate-Critical Workforce Training, Equipment, and Infrastructure Grants (Total: $1,706,515)

• Asbestos Workers Local 6 Apprenticeship Fund – $439,835 – Asbestos Workers Local 6 Apprenticeship Fund will expand its existing curriculum to include instruction regarding the installation and maintenance of removable insulation blankets, an effective way to achieve optimal energy efficiency in retrofitting existing structures without complicating ease of access to equipment.
• Asbestos Workers Local 6 Apprenticeship Fund – $220,000 – Asbestos Workers Local 6 Apprenticeship Fund will purchase the equipment and materials needed to expand existing curriculum to include instruction on the installation and maintenance of removable insulation blankets.
• Gloucester High School – $670,684 – Gloucester Public Schools will update the building envelope, install EV training equipment, and update computers and compressors to modernize the existing Automotive Technology and Advanced Manufacturing training programs.
• Gloucester High School – $275,996 – Gloucester Public Schools CTVE workforce development program will modernize and expand existing Chapter 74 programs in Automotive Technology and Advanced Manufacturing through technical curriculum development and addition of work readiness curriculum.
• HVAC Pro Blog LLC – $100,000 – HVAC Pro Blog LLC will build the staff capacity and partnerships needed to launch a workforce development program to facilitate the transition of existing fossil fuel workers in Residential HVAC Contractors across Massachusetts to clean energy practices with cold climate heat pumps.

Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Support Grants (Total: $4,517,446)

• American Offshore Wind Academy – $50,000 – American Offshore Wind Academy will develop a plan to establish a training program to MWBEs seeking entry to the offshore wind sector with a focus on both entry-level and experienced women-owned businesses.
• Arka HR – $500,000 – Arka HR will deliver a comprehensive workforce development program for MWBEs in the high-performance building sector focused on women-led businesses and other MWBEs in and around the Lowell-Lawrence region.
• Arka HR – $200,000 – Arka HR and Valley Home Insulation will take a comprehensive approach to research, stakeholder engagement, resource development, and creation of a final recommendation to improve access to capital for MWBEs.
• Beacon Climate Innovations – $300,000 – Beacon Climate Innovations ALIGN Workforce Program will connect diverse local workforce and MWBEs with opportunities created by the development of planned Clean Energy Resilience Hubs in Taunton, Wakefield, and Hingham.
• Boston Center for Community Ownership (BCCO) – $480,000 – BCCO will create new MWBEs and strengthen existing MWBEs in the climate-critical industries of building construction and subspecialities (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, insulation), focusing on women- and BIPOC-owned worker cooperatives.
• Boston Impact Initiative – $750,000 – Boston Impact Initiative will implement its GreenEdge Accelerator program to provide a continuum of services for MWBEs in or seeking to enter building and electrification, transportation, net-zero grid, offshore wind, and ancillary sectors supporting the clean energy economy across Massachusetts.
• Building Pathways – $577,500 – Building Pathways will establish a comprehensive program to empower MWBE contractors to lead in the clean energy sector and to successfully bid on and complete clean energy projects that include solar installations, energy storage systems, microgrids, and deep building decarbonization retrofits.
• Coalition for an Equitable Economy – $249,946 – Coalition for an Equitable Economy will conduct a comprehensive statewide mapping exercise to identify and quantify capital providers that offer capital solutions to climate-critical businesses, especially those that serve MWBEs.
• Cornerstone Global – $50,000 – Cornerstone Global will create a plan to support MWBEs in Lowell through training and access to expertise in building and organizational capacity needed to succeed in clean energy.
• Entrepreneurial & Business Collaborative (ENBC) – $100,000 – ENBC will create a comprehensive program report to serve as a critical roadmap, delineating clear pathways for MWBEs to access capital within the clean energy sector.
• Entrepreneurial & Business Collaborative (ENBC) – $35,000 – ENBC will draft a plan to launch the Clean Start for Equal Energy Program, which guides MWBEs from concept to tangible reality of product development.
• Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) – $350,000 – EforAll will provide core services to underrepresented MWBE entrepreneurs and guide the MWBEs to compete for ancillary procurement opportunities created by the emerging and growing offshore wind and blue economy sectors on the South Coast and Cape Cod.
• MassMEP – $375,000 – MassMEP will implement its MWBE Clean Energy Power Pivot Program to strategically enhance the capabilities of MWBE manufacturers pivoting into the clean energy industry.
• Roads Consulting Group – $500,000 – Roads Consulting Group will establish business incubator and technical assistance programs in four regions with the goal of training MWBEs to enter and/or expand their work in the clean energy sector.

Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity Grants (Total: $2,037,538)

• Adult & Community Education Martha’s Vineyard (ACE MV) – $149,466 – ACE MV will build the capacity to develop an equitable, climate-resilient local workforce for Vineyard residents from EJ communities and federally recognized and state-acknowledged tribes.
• All In Energy – $100,000 – All In Energy will pilot an upskilling training program to provide bilingual customer service representatives with the skills needed to obtain roles as energy auditors, increasing the availability of bilingual energy auditors proficient in Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, or Chinese.
• American Apprentices Work – $50,000 – AAW will plan a 12-month apprenticeship training program for underrepresented communities around Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. The program will provide workforce training in project management and office support within the energy construction and electric vehicle sectors.
• Apprentice Learning – $150,000 – Apprentice Learning will increase awareness of clean energy careers by expanding learning opportunities to seventh and eighth graders, including workplace-based apprenticeships, establishing new partnerships in the clean energy sector, and creating a clean energy industry focus within its curriculum.
• Associated General Contractors of MA (AGC MA) – $125,000 – AGC MA will expand its existing career awareness and exploration curriculum to include net-zero building practices and green building. This expansion will engage non-traditional career pathways for underrepresented communities across the Commonwealth.
• Berkshire Community College – $32,725 – Berkshire Community College will establish educational pathways for electrician training within the renewable energy sector to meet the growing demand for trained electricians in Berkshire County.
• Boston Green Academy – $29,122.50 – Boston Green Academy will create a two-year career technical education (CTE) preview program for seventh and eighth graders.
• Boston Plan for Excellence – $45,000 – Boston Plan for Excellence will work with the Dearborn STEM Academy to expand its current curriculum to include a clean energy pathway to better prepare students for wealth-building careers in STEM.
• Boston Private Industry Council (Boston PIC) – $85,000 – Boston PIC will establish a working group of renewable energy and building decarbonization employers to help develop and implement internship programs for Boston high school students, as well as develop other career exploration activities.
• Boys and Girls Club of Stoneham – $36,000 – The Boys and Girls Clubs of Stoneham and Wakefield will launch a pipeline program at the Career and Teen Center to connect young people, especially those from low-income communities, with partners at HVAC, construction, and power companies.
• Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science and Learning at Framingham State University – $30,003.62 – The Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University will integrate a new work-based learning and a credential process for its Perspectives of Earth Team Mentorship (PETM) summer internship.
• Digital Ready – $75,000 – Digital Ready will launch a clean energy pathway this fall to increase access to clean energy careers, receive no-cost college credits, and gain work experience for Black and Latinx youth ages 16-25.
• Emerald Cities Collaborative – $29,780.35 – Emerald Cities Collaborative will establish a specialized contractors training initiative with Boston Housing Authority.
• Greenfield Community College – $46,765 – Greenfield Community College will plan a new training program for weatherization techs in Western and Central Massachusetts.
• Greenfield Community College – $49,558 – Greenfield Community College will develop a multidisciplinary training program offering a foundational course in industrial arts, including electrical, welding, construction trades, and robotics. The course will aim to recruit historically underrepresented EJ communities while increasing the number of people trained in high-need energy occupations.
• HEET – $50,000 – HEET will plan a driller pre-apprenticeship training program and refine recruitment and retention strategies, supporting the growth of MWBEs in the geothermal industry and strengthening partnerships with educational institutions.
• Helfrich Brothers – $120,000 – Helfrich Brothers will launch a welding academy that provides students in the Merrimack Valley with the skills necessary to attain placement in climate-critical occupations.
• IBEW Local 103 – $96,521 – IBEW Local 103 and the National Electrical Contractors Association will develop a program to support MWBE contractors, allowing them to grow in the rapidly expanding clean energy market profitably.
• Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) – $30,000 – JVS and Franklin Cummings Tech will plan an electric vehicle technician training program offering wraparound services to underrepresented clients.
• MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Board – $144,745 – MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Board will lead a clean energy career awareness and exploration program targeting youth and young adults, aged 16 to 24, by creating a comprehensive database of opportunities and coordinating with Connecting Activities liaisons from thirteen local school districts to use the database to develop curriculum and organize career days.
• MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board – $83,204.87 – MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board will lead a partnership of seven vocational/comprehensive and traditional schools in planning and expanding capacity in selected trades and career pathway selections impacted by clean energy.
• MassHire Lowell Career Center – $30,000 – MassHire Lowell Career Center will bolster its clean energy career offerings and experiences for young people aged 14-24 experiencing barriers to success.
• MassMEP – $30,000 – MassMEP will develop its Clean Energy Power Pivot Program, targeted toward MWBEs to fulfill demand in the offshore wind industry and clean energy supply chain sectors.
• Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) – $49,999.25 – MAPC will develop a comprehensive implementation plan for a pilot training program for municipal energy and sustainability managers who will serve in Environmental Justice (EJ) communities across the Commonwealth.
• Quincy Asian Resources Inc. – $40,000 – Quincy Asian Resources Inc. will develop a multilingual curriculum targeted at LMI community members with limited English proficiency (mainly Chinese, Vietnamese, and Spanish-speaking communities) from EJ neighborhoods in and around Quincy. The program will connect participants to climate-critical job pathways.
• Rare – $69,690 – Rare will subsidize the wages of 10 trainees during its 450-hour training program to enable participants from EJ communities to complete training and obtain stable employment in the solar energy sector.
• Specialized Career Guidance (SCG) – $50,000 – SCG will develop a plan for a train-the-trainer clean energy career exploration program that will connect high school graduates from two EJ communities on the South Shore to employers in the construction industry.
• Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) – $30,000 – STCC, in partnership with the Entrepreneurial and Business Collaborative LLC, will explore a workforce training curriculum for EV technician training.
• University of Massachusetts Boston – $50,000 – UMass Boston will create a micro-credential formatted Offshore Wind workforce training program.
• Upper Cape Cod Technical School (UCT) – $49,957.60 – UCT will explore the feasibility of creating a new program to provide skills for green energy jobs, such as EV technicians.
• Urban League of Eastern MA – $50,000 – Urban League of Eastern MA will plan a workforce development program that supports communities of color/EJ communities who are victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, returning citizens/formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as the families (mostly women of color) of currently incarcerated individuals.
• Volunteers of America of Massachusetts – $30,000 – Volunteers of America of Massachusetts will plan a comprehensive Tier 1 Plumbing training program for returning citizens. The program will begin in Essex County Sheriff’s Department minimum security correctional facility and will prepare participants for apprentice-level plumbing in clean energy.

Clean Energy Internship Program Awards (Total: $122,923)

• The Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT) – $113,630 – The Alliance for Climate Transition will engage with employers to increase their participation in the Clean Energy Internship Program and the Technical Trades Work and Learning Program. ACT will also work to increase participation from Career and Technical Education schools and community colleges.
• College to Climate – $9,203 – College to Climate will plan a Clean Energy Symposium for current and former internship participants.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy and climatetech sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits, and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts.

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