New York state authority, union partner on energy efficiency worker training

14/12/2024

The effort will help train apprentice, pre-apprentice and journey worker glaziers in energy-efficient building envelope technologies, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority said.

Dive Brief:

- The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Finishing Trades Institute of New York are partnering on training glaziers, those who fit glass into windows and doors, on energy-efficient building envelope technologies.

- The training contract awarded over $550,000 to FTINY, the educational arm of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, to develop 10 training modules it will add to the existing glazier curriculum, according to a news release last Thursday. Nearly 1,000 pre-apprentices, apprentices and journey workers will be trained through the contract, NYSERDA said.

- “This award represents a pivotal step toward building a skilled unionized workforce to meet the growing demands of the clean energy sectors,” said Joseph Azzopardi, FTINY business manager and secretary treasurer of District Council 9.

Dive Insight:

Clean energy jobs grew 5% year over year in 2023, NYSERDA said. The building decarbonization and energy efficiency sectors remain the biggest sources of clean energy jobs, employing over half of all clean energy workers statewide, it said.

Nearly 4,000 jobs were added in the building decarbonization and energy efficiency sectors between 2022 and 2023, according to NYSERDA’s 2024 Clean Energy Industry Report. This reflects 3% growth in jobs that include lighting, Energy Star appliances, insulation, advanced building materials and renewable heating and cooling, according to a fact sheet from NYSERDA.

NYSERDA’s Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Clean Energy Training Initiative provides competitive funding to expand the capacity of labor organizations to offer training for clean energy careers. Funding is available for up to $750,000 per project, with $150,000 in additional funding available for projects that include K-12 career awareness programs, NYSERDA said.

FTINY will work with the Finishing Trades Institute of Western and Central New York to recruit and provide training for many direct entry pre-apprenticeship programs in the state, including Opportunities Long Island and Multi-Craft Apprenticeship Preparation Program Rochester, according to the release.

The two institutes will also develop a K-12 awareness and outreach program to inspire interest in clean energy careers, with a goal of reaching 2,000 students and 200 teachers and guidance counselors statewide, NYSERDA said.

And FTINY will partner with the Edward J. Mallow Initiative for Construction Skills, a pre-apprenticeship program affiliated with the New York City Building and Construction Trades Council, to host tours and conduct training modules at its training center in Long Island City, per the release.

NYSERDA has committed more than $180 million to workforce development and training initiatives aimed at accelerating the growth of clean energy businesses and the recruitment of skilled workers, NYSERDA said.

According to facilitiesdive.com