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ILLINOIS CLEAN ENERGY JOBS
AND TRAINING PROGRAM
INVENTORY
Revised:
March 9, 2023
Page 2
Contents
Summary .........................................................................3
Clean energy jobs analysis ..............................................9
Regional jobs analysis................................................... 16
Workforce system review ............................................ 20
Training, skill and knowledge requirements ................ 24
Clean energy training program inventory .................... 28
References .................................................................... 39
Contributors
Linda Larsen, Todd Rusk, Stacy Gloss, James Kim,
Aakanksha Kulkarni, Pranjali Shah, Bo Pang, and Jarin
Subah, University of Illinois Smart Energy Design
Assistance Center
Christopher Merrett, Western Illinois University Illinois
Institute for Rural Affairs
Reggie Greenwood, Governors State University
Brian Richard, Northern Illinois University Center for
Governmental Studies
John Furr, Northern Illinois University Education
Systems Center
Jennifer Foster and Whitney Thompson, Illinois
Community College Board
Courtney Breckenridge, Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville.
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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SUMMARY
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Illinois Public Act 102-0662, also known as “CEJA”) establishes the Illinois
policy to equitably transition the state to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. As part of this, the Illinois
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is responsible for implementing CEJA workforce
programs that prepare the Illinois workforce for this clean energy transition. DCEO is also responsible for
identifying the career pathways and training curriculum needed, based on comprehensive stakeholder input, so
that workers are ready and able to enter clean energy jobs.
This report informs the design of the Clean Energy Jobs Curriculum, used in two workforce programs: the Clean
Jobs Workforce Network Program and the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program. It assesses existing
clean energy training and skills development programs in Illinois. It evaluates industry employment trends to
identify in-demand career opportunities for clean energy workforce training participants. Finally, it identifies
best practices and programmatic gaps that must be addressed to support the industry requirements of in-
demand clean energy occupations.
It is important to note that the two workforce programs noted above are intended to prepare people for entry-
level clean energy jobs. This report brings to light those opportunities.
Public input on this report and its findings were requested through a Request for Information process. This
report has been revised based on this feedback. We thank those who provided feedback.
Illinois in-demand clean energy jobs
This report identifies in-demand, entry-level clean
energy jobs in Illinois that would be an appropriate
focus for the Clean Energy Jobs Curriculum. We
evaluated job data from existing reports from the
Department of Labor (DOL), the Illinois Department
of Employment Security (IDES), and other sources.
We assessed job titles and industry types based on
the following criteria: a) the number of annual job
openings and total jobs; b) education and training
requirements; c) expected growth; d) salary; and d)
the need for specific clean energy training.
We reviewed Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA) Regional Plans and found
very few mentions of clean energy jobs and
industries in their assessments of key regional
industry sectors. Furthermore, the currently
available data for jobs in the solar and wind
industries are lacking or inadequate. When
developing clean energy training programs, it will be
important to coordinate with employers and
regional workforce partners to ensure strong
network connections and coherent workforce
pathways for the clean energy sector.
Among job titles related to clean energy, the jobs in
Illinois with the largest number of workers in 2018
were maintenance and repair workers, construction
laborers, machinists, automotive service technicians
and mechanics, and carpenters. Plumbers, industrial
machinery mechanics, electricians, and
maintenance & repair workers are expected to see
strong job growth. We recommend that the CEJA
workforce programs focus on entry-level jobs within
the following six career clusters in the table below.
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Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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Table 1: Preliminary list of clean energy career clusters, with examples of job titles
Cluster
Examples of Entry-Level Jobs
Cluster 1: Solar & Wind
Solar photovoltaic (PV) installers
Solar sales representatives and assessors
Wind turbine service technicians
Iron workers (installing wind turbines and solar)
Cluster 2: Automotive (EV
focus)
Electric vehicle service technicians, mechanics
Bus and truck mechanics
Cluster 3: Electrical
Electrician
Electrician Helper
Electrical & electronic engineering technicians
Cluster 4: Green building
construction
Construction laborers (including
weatherization installers)
Carpenters
Roofers
Construction & building inspectors (including energy
auditors)
Cluster 5: Building
maintenance
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and
refrigeration (HVAC/R) mechanics & installers
Maintenance & repair workers, general
Plumbers, pipefitters, & steamfitters
Industrial maintenance mechanics
Cluster 6: Manufacturing
clean energy technologies
Sheet metal worker
Machinist
Electrical & Electronics Repairers, Commercial
and Industrial Equipment
Machine tool setters, operators, tenders
Welder, cutter, solderer, brazer
Training, skill, and knowledge requirements
Next, we identified the general training and education requirements for each career cluster. Most typically
require a training period of 1-2 years, while others require 3-12 months. We summarized skills required across
different jobs based on information from the Department of Labor’s O*Net Online (Table 2). We recommend
that the clean jobs curriculum focus on these core skills and knowledge requirements so that students are
prepared for multiple jobs in the clean energy industry.
Table 2: Top employability, technical skills, and knowledge requirements
Top employability skills
Top technical skills
Top knowledge requirements
Critical thinking
Judgment and decision-making
Speaking
Active listening
Coordination
Time management
Active learning
Reading comprehension
Monitoring
Quality control
Troubleshooting
Operations & Control
Repairing
Complex problem solving
Equipment maintenance
Computer skills
Mechanical
English language
Math
Building/construction
Customer service
Design
Administration and management
Engineering technology
Electrical basics
We also identified common certifications and credentials in these industries, along with technical training gaps.
Some of these gaps are described in the table below.
Table 3: Technical skill gaps in clean energy training.
Career cluster
Solar/wind
already have construction training. Working with AC-DC systems in solar & wind technologies. Basic National
Automotive
for stackable certificates to teach people to service electric vehicles that include high voltage electrical safety,
Electrical
storage devices, energy-saving infrastructure, building automation system installation and maintenance,
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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Green building &
construction
EV-ready, and meeting energy code and net zero requirements. In addition, the focus of construction training
programs tends to be new construction, rather than retrofits of older buildings, which require special analysis
Building
maintenance
Workforce system best practices and gaps
Based on previous research on clean energy workforce systems in Illinois, we identified challenges and best
practices, as shown in the table below.
Table 4: Clean energy workforce system challenges and solutions
Challenge
Solutions
Lack of communication & coordination
among various parts of the workforce
system
Improve coordination between employers and training providers.
Improve coordination between community support providers, training providers, and
workforce agencies.
Coordinate and streamline communication channels to reduce confusion.
Support more “learn and earn,” work coop, and on-the-job training models.
Lack of awareness and/or negative
perceptions of clean energy jobs
Promote clean energy literacy in the schools.
Help students and incumbent workers explore career options through hands-on
opportunities.
Engage in outreach to K-12 schools and community organizations.
Develop engaging career and job resources.
Workforce trainees with inadequate skills
for emerging clean energy jobs
Support trade programming at high schools.
Integrate newer clean energy technologies into existing curricula and continuing
education.
Provide work-based learning in clean energy.
Teach stackable, broad, transferrable skills.
Provide more job readiness and soft skill training.
Involve the industry in developing training curriculum to provide authentic, embedded
learning contexts.
Take advantage of existing WIOA programs for basic skills and English language
acquisition instruction, whether in the workplace or community colleges.
Failure to reach and support diverse,
underserved populations
Form diverse stakeholder and advisory groups, including community-based
organizations.
Promote diversity through inclusive training program policies and by collecting and
evaluating outcomes.
Target underserved populations for training programs and increase outreach to these
populations.
Make training more accessible and feasible by providing comprehensive support services
Make sure training leads to good jobs with livable wages.
Next, we reviewed each of the 10 Illinois WIOA Regional Plans to summarize potential strengths and weaknesses
related to growing the clean energy workforce in these regions. The plans mention the need for more
communication, coordination, and information sharing between workforce partners. Regions noted that too
many jobseekers go through training but do not find jobs suggesting a lack of coordination between employers,
training providers, and support providers. They noted a need for a more cohesive approach to basic skills and
soft skills training. Finally, most regions noted challenges with the availability of wrap-around services, especially
transportation and childcare.
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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Clean energy training program inventory
We collected data on existing clean energy training programs in Illinois that prepare people for the entry-level
jobs on our list. The purpose of this inventory was to assess what programs already exist, explore gaps, and
identify ways to enhance training programs to meet emerging clean energy needs. The main sources of our
inventory included Illinois Community College Board reports, DCEO WIOA program reports, US Department of
Labor lists of registered apprenticeships, Illinois Works pre-apprenticeship programs
and FEJA solar training
programs. We supplemented this research with web research to build as comprehensive a list of training
programs as possible. We identified 1157 training programs for these clean energy-related jobs, and 856 are
community college programs. The table below breaks down the number of programs identified per cluster.
Table 5: Number of Illinois training programs in each clean energy cluster
Solar and
wind
Automotive
Electrical
Green building &
construction
Building
maintenance
Manufacturing
Total
69
273
196
110
169
340
1157
We note that some clean energy jobs on our list typically require a formal, registered apprenticeship (often a
union apprenticeship). In contrast, others require training (such as a certificate program) and/or on-the-job
experience. Other jobs have various training options, with some apprenticeship and non-apprenticeship options.
See Table 6 below.
Table 6: Job training tracks for clean energy jobs
Jobs that typically do not require a
registered apprenticeship
Jobs that typically require a registered
apprenticeship (union or non-union)
Available apprenticeship and non-
apprenticeship options
Solar installer
Wind turbine technician
Weatherization technician
Energy auditor
Ironworker
Roofer
Carpenter
Electrician (classroom training portion may
not be associated with apprenticeship)
Plumber/Pipefitter
Industrial maintenance mechanic
HVAC installer/service technician
Welder
Sheet metal worker
Automotive mechanic/service technician
Machinist
Electrical Technician
The Clean Energy Workforce Network Program is intended to provide training to prepare people for entry-
level clean energy jobs—the Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program moves people to registered
apprenticeship programs. Thus, the Clean Energy Workforce Network Program should offer training for the jobs
in column 1 above. In contrast, the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program should offer training leading
people to jobs in column 2. Either program may be appropriate for jobs in column 3. The focus of this inventory
report is primarily the jobs that are an appropriate focus for the Clean Energy Workforce Network Program.
For each program, we sought to collect information about training provider type, training outcome, description,
location, cost, program length, program format, program prerequisites, and more for most of the programs on
our list. In many cases, the information was not available. The greatest amount of data was available for
community college programs. It was harder to collect detailed information about apprenticeship and non-
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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college programs related to clean energy jobs. Therefore, we suspect that our inventory under-reports private
and community-based programs.
Program delivery recommendations
• Training provider collaboration. Community-based organizations, community colleges, and organized
labor programs should coordinate efforts for clean jobs workforce program delivery that focuses on
equity and meets the needs of participating job seekers. These organizations should align their strengths
and capacities for short-term certification training, longer-term technical programs, community and
employer engagement, and wrap-around services.
• Address data shortage. DCEO should work with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, community
colleges, and community-based workforce providers to address the shortage of workforce program data
for the assessment of outcomes and a more comprehensive inventory of training programs in the
future.
• Need better clarity on solar and wind job data. Traditional sources of employment data do not capture
true job numbers in the rapidly changing solar and wind industries, and regional data is outdated. DCEO
and clean energy workforce training providers should closely coordinate with solar and wind companies
to understand hiring needs. Otherwise, we face two opposing risks: 1) training too many people who will
not find jobs, or 2) failure to deliver an adequate pipeline of qualified workers.
• Continue to grow partnerships with employers to provide apprenticeship, internship, and work-based
learning opportunities for students and to ensure that students can connect to job opportunities when
their training is complete.
• Online and social media presence is important to provide more information and increase the number of
prospective students.
• More continuing education programs are needed to help existing professionals develop the skills they
need to meet the growing demand for clean energy products and services. Building inspector and
energy auditor training programs are especially well suited for existing professionals looking for career
change or additional training.
Curriculum framework recommendations
• Focus curriculum on jobs that do not
typically require apprenticeships. The jobs
listed in our inventory that typically require
apprenticeships are a more suitable focus
for the Illinois Climate Works Pre-
Apprenticeship Program. The Clean Jobs
Curriculum Framework, which will be used
in the Clean Energy Workforce Network
Program and the Returning Resident Clean
Energy Program, will lead to entry-level
clean energy jobs, not apprenticeships. The
Clean Jobs Curriculum should therefore
focus on providing training for jobs that do
not typically require apprenticeships, or
jobs where there are apprenticeship and
non-apprenticeship training options.
• Solar job training should be prioritized.
Solar installer training is well suited for
stackable certifications that could be added
to existing construction or electrical training
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Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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programs. Solar training should include
basic construction training when students
do not already have this training. Given the
urgent demand for equity-eligible
contractors, this training should be
prioritized early on.
• More electric vehicle (EV) training is
needed. There is no shortage of automotive
training programs, but very few of these
prepare students to repair and maintain
electric vehicles. We recommend stackable
electric vehicle certificates to address this
need or integrating electric vehicle training
into existing automotive certificate
programs. One challenge that needs to be
addressed is the proprietary technologies
used in several industries, making it difficult
to create standardized training.
• More electric vehicle charging
infrastructure training is needed. We
recommend that electrician and electrical
technician programs offer training to
prepare people to install and maintain
electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This
will be a tremendous need soon and should
be aligned with the Illinois Department of
Transportation’s
Electric Vehicle
Infrastructure Deployment Plan. This could
be a short certificate program added to an
existing program or included in a larger
curriculum.
• More clean-energy focused multi-craft
construction training is needed. This
training should cover a wide range of fields
(carpentry, solar, electrical, HVAC,
plumbing). There is a strong need to
prepare workers for the growing demand
for energy efficiency, electrification, and
renewable energy services. Students who
receive this training will be well-positioned
to enter any number of clean energy jobs.
Especially in geographic areas where the
demand for single clean energy technology
may be limited, educating students broadly
can help them transfer their skills from job
to job to meet demand.
• Focus on quick wins and industry-
recognized certifications. There are several
entry-level jobs in the clean energy industry
that have relatively short training
requirements and can effectively be
delivered by community-based
organizations. These training programs
should focus on quick wins, cross-cutting
skills, and industry-recognized certifications,
when possible.
• Focus on energy efficiency and
electrification in construction, carpentry,
or building maintenance training
programs. Training programs could, for
instance, utilize BPI’s Building Science
Fundamentals course to teach these skills.
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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CLEAN ENERGY JOBS ANALYSIS
To identify a list of clean energy jobs for analysis,
we first turned to the definition of clean energy jobs
in the CEJA legislation. The Climate and Equitable
Jobs Act section 5-25 on Clean Energy Jobs
Curriculum defines clean energy jobs as jobs “in the
solar energy, wind energy, energy efficiency, energy
storage, solar thermal, green hydrogen, geothermal,
electric vehicle industries, other renewable energy
industries, industries achieving emission reductions,
and other related sectors.” Other related sectors
include “related industries involved in the
manufacture, development, build, maintenance, or
provision of ancillary services to renewable energy
resources or energy efficiency products or services.
These can also include the manufacture and
installation of healthier building materials that
contain fewer hazardous chemicals.” Further, clean
energy jobs include “administrative, sales, other
support functions within these industries and other
related sector industries.”
We began by identifying a wide range of entry-level
clean energy jobs that fit this definition. We
reviewed several key clean energy jobs reports,
including NREL’s
State-Level Employment
Projections, the Department of Energy’s U.S. Energy
& Employment Jobs Report (USEER) 2022, the
Brookings Institute’s Clean Energy Jobs Report, the
Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Clean Energy
Career Maps, and the New York Clean Energy
Industry Report 2021. Job titles and classifications
are different across these sources. Therefore, we
decided to use the job titles associated with the
Department of Labor Standard Occupational
Classification (SOC) system to collect Department of
Labor jobs data and training program information
about these jobs.
We included jobs that were solely clean energy jobs
(such as solar PV installer and wind energy service
technician), as well as "green enabled jobs," jobs
that are primarily separate to the green economy,
but increasingly require green skills (e.g. an
automobile mechanic with EV expertise), as defined
in Working Nation’s Green Jobs Now
. We also
considered “Green Enabling Jobs” that are not
associated with green tech, but that support the
green economy (such as a truck driver who
distributes clean energy products). Finally, we only
included entry-level jobs to address the
requirements of the training programs in the
legislation.
Jobs were grouped into the following career
clusters, based on our review of clean energy fields.
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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Table 7: Initial Clean Energy Jobs for Analysis
Cluster
Jobs
Solar and wind
Solar photovoltaic installers
Solar sales representative and assessors
Solar thermal installers & technicians
Solar energy installation managers
Iron workers (installing wind and solar)
Wind energy operations managers
Wind turbine service technicians
Automotive
Automotive service technicians & mechanics
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Electrical
Electricians
Helpers—Electricians
Electrical & electronic engineering technologists and technicians
Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Green building &
construction
Construction laborers
Carpenters
Roofers
Weatherization installers & technicians
Construction & building inspectors
Energy auditors
Building maintenance
HVAC/R mechanics and installers
Stationary engineers and boiler operators
Maintenance and repair workers (general)
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Industrial maintenance mechanics
Manufacturing
Sheet metal worker
Machinist
Machine tool setters, operators, tenders, metal & plastic
Welder, cutter, solderer, and brazer
Electromechanical equipment assemblers
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
Distribution
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
Transportation worker, all other
Stockers & order fillers
Professional services,
other
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
Water & wastewater
Water & wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Fuel cell technology
Chemical technicians, mechanical engineering technologists & technicians
Electrical & electronic engineering technologists and technicians
To create a shorter list of jobs for deeper analysis, we established criteria for narrowing. To qualify, jobs needed
to meet all or most of these criteria:
• Typical education and training levels, based on surveys of workers, are less than 2 years and DO NOT
require a bachelor's degree (data from Department of Labor O*NET OnLine
)
• At least 300 job openings annually in Illinois, or 3,000 total jobs. To identify annual job openings and
total jobs (within the last 3 years), we reviewed data from O*NET OnLine,
Lightcast Green Jobs Now:
Illinois, Department of Energy US Energy Employment Report 2022, and IDES Long-Term Occupational
Projections 2020-2030. We noted significant disparities between the IDES projections and ONET data
from the same year (2020). In general, we prioritized the IDES data for our analysis, though IDES did not
have data for solar and wind jobs. Because data from IDES, Lightcast, and ONET was either unavailable
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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or inconclusive about the solar and wind jobs on our list, we turned to the USEER report, which included
numbers for solar and wind “construction” and “professional services” jobs in Illinois in 2021. We
assume that the entry-level jobs on our list make up about half of these jobs. We assume that the
annual openings make up 10% of total jobs, based on results from the other jobs.
• Expected growth over the next 10 years above 2% (data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lightcast, and
IDES projections). We noted significant disparities between the IDES projections and ONET data. In
general, we used IDES data, though IDES did not have data available for solar and wind jobs.
• Salary at or above near living wage for one adult + one child in Illinois: $29.50/hour or $50,000/yr after
taxes
1
. (Data from O*NET OnLine)
• Need for specific clean energy training. Training that is focused on basic principles of clean energy
and/or specific skills needed for renewable energy production, energy efficient construction or
maintenance, or reduced emissions. For instance, commercial drivers are needed to transport and
distribute clean energy products, but no specific clean energy training is required for this position.
• Non-apprenticeship tracks available. Some clean energy jobs typically require a registered
apprenticeship, while others require training or experience that can lead directly to an entry-level job.
Some jobs offer both apprenticeship and non-apprenticeship training options. This determination can
help DCEO decide the appropriate job focus for the Clean Energy Workforce Network Program (goal:
placement in an entry-level clean energy job) and the Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program (goal:
admittance into a registered apprenticeship program).
It is important to note that the employment projections used for this analysis do not consider the mandates and
incentives included in the Illinois CEJA legislation, the Illinois Power Agency Act, or the National Inflation
Reduction Act. These mandates and incentives will increase the demand for clean energy production, energy
efficiency upgrades and retrofits, and electric vehicles. Meeting this increased demand will require additional
workers, especially equity-eligible workers. Thus, the job openings and employment growth figures used in this
document likely underestimate the actual future workforce needs, especially in the solar and wind industries.
Results
We narrowed our list to 20 jobs in six job clusters that met all or most of these criteria, as shown below. Blue
highlights indicate areas where focused jobs do not fully meet criteria.
1
See MIT’s Living Wage Calculator
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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Table 8: Narrowed List of Clean Energy Clusters and Jobs
Job title
Training
required
(ONET)
Total jobs in
2020 (IDES,
unless
otherwise
indicated)
Annual
Openings IL
in 2020
(IDES, unless
otherwise
indicated)
% Growth
2020-30
(IDES,
unless
otherwise
indicated)
Average
Salary 2021
(ONET)
Clean energy
training focus
Apprenticeship
track?
Solar and Wind
Wind turbine service
technicians
1-2 years 1,643 (USEER)
164
(USEER)
45.7%
(Lightcast)
$66,823 Yes No
Solar photovoltaic
installer
3-12
months
1,582 (USEER)
158
(USEER)
22.9%
(Lightcast)
$52,344 Yes No
Solar sales reps &
assessors
1-2 years
487
(USEER)
49
(USEER)
22.9%
(Lightcast)
$107,005 Yes No
Structural Iron &
Steel Workers (focus
on wind/solar
install)
3-12
months
2,583 306 10.84% $85,760
Yes,
wind/solar
install
Yes
Automotive
Automotive service
techs and mechanics
1-2 years 28,408 2,909 3.25% $48,313
Yes—EV
Both options
available
Bus and truck
mechanics
1-2 years 11,528 1,204 9.49% $58,150
Yes—EV,
hybrid,
biodiesel
Both options
available
Electrical
Electrician 1-2 years 24,704 3,006 12.73% $80,718
Yes—
renewables,
EV
Yes
Electrical &
electronic
engineering tech
1-2 years 2,985 280 1.71% $68,498
Yes--
renewables,
EV
No
Green building and construction
Construction
laborers (including
weatherization)
3-12
months
39,508 4,444 10.37% $41,510
Yes—energy
efficient
construction
Both options
available
Carpenters
3-12
months
31,602 3,091 4.28% $60,340
Yes—energy
efficient
construction
Yes
Roofers
3-12
months
3,908 421 9.06% $60,850
Yes—energy
efficiency,
solar
Yes
Construction &
building inspectors
(including energy
auditors)
1-2 years
2,105 227 -4.42% $66,280
Yes--green
buildings &
energy code,
energy
efficiency
No
Building Maintenance
HVAC/R Mechanics
& Installers
1-2 years 8,968 967 9.52% $56,643
Yes—energy
efficiency
Both options
available
Maintenance &
repair workers,
general
1-2 years 64,626 6,994 9.98% $49,204
Yes—energy
efficiency,
electrification
Both options
available
Plumbers, pipefitters
& steamfitters
1-2 years 17,649 2,038 9.56% $95,090
Yes—energy
efficiency
Yes
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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Job title
Training
required
(ONET)
Total jobs in
2020 (IDES,
unless
otherwise
indicated)
Annual
Openings IL
in 2020
(IDES, unless
otherwise
indicated)
% Growth
2020-30
(IDES,
unless
otherwise
indicated)
Average
Salary 2021
(ONET)
Clean energy
training focus
Apprenticeship
track?
Industrial
maintenance
mechanics
1-2 years 13,611 1,680 27.21% $63,575
Yes—energy
efficiency
Both options
available
Manufacturing
Sheet metal worker
3-12
months
5,388 559 8.22% $64,860 Maybe
Both options
available
Machinist 1-2 years 28,493 3,280 9.06% $49,083 Maybe
Both options
available
Machine tool
setters, operators,
tenders
3-12
months
11,539 1,325 9.74%
$42.369
Maybe
Both options
available
Welder, cutter,
solderer, brazer
3-12
months
14,597 1,765 10.31% $45,994
Maybe
Both options
available
Electrical and
Electronics
Repairers,
Commercial &
Industrial Equipment
1-2 years 1,600 140 8% $66,950 Yes No
Solar and wind: It is difficult to get conclusive
numbers on the jobs available in the solar and wind
industry. Using estimates from the USEER Illinois
report, the number of jobs available in the solar and
wind cluster is still not high enough to meet our
criteria (at least 300 annual openings). We
recommend the state collect better solar and wind
jobs data to better understand the scope of the
industry in Illinois and the need for more jobs.
However, all job projections in this industry expect
high growth, due to funding available at the federal
and state level for solar and wind energy. Rapid
expansion of the solar and wind workforce will be
needed.
Furthermore, solar installer and wind installer/
technician training needs to be a major focus of the
curriculum due to upcoming equity requirements.
The Illinois Power Agency Act requires that certain
portions of work on renewable projects be done by
equity-eligible persons and contractors. There are
currently few equity-eligible contractors in Illinois.
Hiring people from the CEJA training programs will
help employers meet these equity requirements.
Iron and steel workers, with a focus on wind turbine
and solar installation, should be prioritized for the
Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship program,
because they typically require an apprenticeship.
Automotive: While the salary for automobile
mechanics and service technicians is lower than the
living wage, we still recommend including these
jobs in the Clean Energy Workforce Network
training because of the need for technicians with EV
training. This additional training is likely to increase
salary potential.
Electrical: There is a large demand for electricians
and technologists with expertise in renewable
interconnection, electric vehicle charging station
infrastructure, and more. Though the number of
jobs for electrical and electronic engineering
technicians is slightly low, we still recommend
Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Training Program Inventory
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
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including these jobs because of the need for
technicians with experience in interconnection or
EV charging station installation.
Because apprenticeships are typically required to
get an electrician license in Illinois
2
, the Climate
Works Pre-apprenticeship program should offer
training to prepare people for electrician
apprenticeships. However, many community
colleges and vocational schools offer the classroom
instruction required for an electrician license
(typically 500-800 hours). Thus, the Clean Energy
Workforce Network Program could provide this
classroom instruction, but additional work
experience (usually through an apprenticeship) will
be needed.
There is also a need for electrical workers with
cybersecurity training to upgrade and expand the
electric grid in a way that protects it from cyber-
attacks.
Green building and construction: The salary for
construction laborers is low, but there is a great
need for construction laborers with expertise in
energy efficiency and renewable installation. These
added skills are likely to increase their salary
potential. There are relatively smaller numbers of
weatherization professionals, energy auditors, and
building inspectors, but these jobs are in high
demand and are currently difficult to fill. We
suggest including them in the Clean Energy
Workforce Network training program inventory as
2
Electrician licenses in Illinois are issued at the local,
rather than the state level, and requirements vary. In
most cases, people need 8,000 hours of electrical trade
add-on specialty training for those already in the
construction industry.
Other green building and construction jobs, such as
carpenter and roofer, may be good options for the
Climate Works Preapprenticeship program, since
they typically require apprenticeships.
Building maintenance: HVAC/R mechanics are
expected to see high growth, and there is a need for
mechanics who can install and maintain heat pump
technologies to aid with the electrification of our
heating systems. Likewise, there is a huge need for
more industrial maintenance mechanics, especially
those with a specialty in energy efficiency. This field
is expected to grow 27.21% in the next 10 years.
Maintenance workers have a lower-than-living-
wage salary. However, learning energy efficiency
and electrification skills will also increase these
workers’ salary potential.
The jobs that often require an apprenticeship, such
as Plumber and Pipefitter and Industrial
Maintenance Mechanic, may be an appropriate
focus for the Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship
program.
Manufacturing: Most jobs in the manufacturing
sector have a lower-than-living-wage salary. In
addition, it is unclear how much this training would
require a clean-energy focused curriculum.
However, because of the need for more energy
efficiency and renewable energy technologies and
work experience (usually through a union or non-union
apprenticeship program) and 500-800 hours of classroom
instruction.
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products, we recommend further analysis of this
cluster.
The Inflation Reduction Act has manufacturing
incentives for solar equipment. Due to supply chain
issues and the incentives from the IRA and domestic
content requirements, we are likely to see an
increase in new solar equipment manufacturers in
the next 5 years.
These jobs may also be an appropriate focus for the
Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship program, as
there are many Illinois manufacturing
apprenticeships.
As noted in the table above, some clean energy jobs in Illinois typically require a formal, registered
apprenticeship (often a union apprenticeship), while others require training (such as a certificate program)
and/or some on-the-job experience. Other jobs have various training options, with some apprenticeship and
non-apprenticeship options. See the Table below.
Table 9: Job training tracks for clean energy jobs
Jobs that typically do not require
registered apprenticeship
Jobs that typically require a registered
apprenticeship (union or non-union)
Apprenticeship and non-apprenticeship
options available
Solar installer
Wind turbine technician
Weatherization technician
Energy auditor
Iron worker
Roofer
Carpenter
Electrician (classroom training portion may
not be associated with apprenticeship)
Plumber/Pipefitter
Industrial maintenance mechanic
HVAC installer/service technician
Welder
Sheet metal worker
Automotive mechanic/service technician
Machinist
Electrical technician
The Clean Energy Workforce Network Program is intended to provide training that prepares people for entry-
level clean energy jobs, while the Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program’s goal is to direct people to
registered apprenticeship programs. Thus, the Clean Energy Workforce Network Program may be appropriate
for jobs in column 1 of the table above, while the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program may be more
appropriate for jobs in column 2. Either program may be an appropriate focus for jobs in column 3.
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REGIONAL JOBS ANALYSIS
To identify clean energy jobs and focus areas, we reviewed WIOA Regional Plans, as well as long-term
Occupational and Industry projections (2020-2030). We note that these economic development plans were
developed before the passing of CEJA. When WIOA Regional Plans are updated, DCEO should update this
regional job analysis to better reflect the clean energy workforce priorities that stem from recent state and
federal legislation. Below we summarize the targeted industries mentioned in the most recent WIOA regional,
noting any mentions of the clean energy industry.
Regionally targeted industries with in-demand occupations
Table 10: Regionally targeted industries with in-demand occupations.
Illinois Economic
Development Region
Targeted Industries
Mention of Energy or Clean
Energy?
Central Economic
Development Region 1
Healthcare & Social Assistance
Manufacturing
Professional & Business Services
Construction
Financial Activities
Leisure & Hospitality
Transportation/Warehousing
Information Technology
No
East Central Economic
Development Region 2
Manufacturing
Transportation & Warehousing
Healthcare
Business Services
Information Technology
Agribusiness
Construction
Mentions the Green / Energy
sector, energy efficiency
workforce collaboration
North Central Economic
Development Region 3
Healthcare & Social Assistance
Manufacturing
Transportation & Warehousing
Construction
Professional & Business Services
Mentions a solar training
program
Northeast Economic
Development Region 4
Healthcare & Social Assistance
Manufacturing
Transportation & Warehousing
Information Technology
No
Northern Stateline
Economic Development
Region 5
Transportation & Warehousing
Health Care & Social Assistance
Agricultural Production
Utilities
Leisure & Hospitality
Natural Resources & Mining
Retail Trade
Government
Educational Services
Information Technology
No
Northwest Economic
Development Region 6
Manufacturing
Transportation/Logistics
Agriculture
Health
Professional & Business Services
Construction
Information Technology
Leisure/Hospitality
Mentions solar, wind, and
nuclear jobs; energy industry
connection to information
technology
Southeast Economic
Development Region 7
Manufacturing
Logistics
Healthcare (including childcare)
Construction
Education
No
Southern Economic
Development Region 8
Healthcare
Advanced Manufacturing
Transportation
Mentions energy (fossil and
renewable)
Southwestern Economic
Development Region 9
Transportation & Warehousing
Health Care & Social Assistance
Utilities
Manufacturing
Mentions oil and ethanol
refining; power industry
West Central Economic
Development Region 10
Transportation/Distribution
Health Care & Social Assistance
Manufacturing
Utilities
Agricultural Production
Wholesale Trade
Construction
Mentions renewable energy
courses; power industry
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“Clean energy” is a new industry category for most regional workforce systems. As shown in the table above,
“clean energy” is not mentioned as a specifically targeted industry in any of the regional development plans,
though renewable energy or energy efficiency are mentioned in three of the plans. However, construction and
manufacturing are targeted industries in most plans, leaving room for energy efficient new construction and
retrofits, as well as the manufacturing and installation of energy efficiency and renewable technologies.
When selecting clean energy training areas for these regions, it will be important to coordinate with employers
and regional workforce partners to ensure strong network connections and coherent workforce pathways for
the clean energy sector. Most regions report apprenticeships and work-based learning programs, primarily
associated with targeted industries. There is a gap in organized apprenticeships and work-based learning
programs for clean energy sectors.
It is also important to consider regional deployment of clean energy technologies. For instance,
NREL wind
resource maps and data indicate that wind farms are likely to be built in Central Illinois. There will be a need for
wind energy technicians and installers in these regions.
We also used the IDES Economic Development Region Occupation Projections 2018-2028 to identify the clean
energy jobs projected to see rapid growth or have many jobs available, as shown in the tables below. Again, we
note that these economic development plans were developed before the passing of CEJA. When WIOA Regional
Plans are updated, DCEO should update this regional jobs analysis to better reflect the clean energy workforce
priorities that stem from recent state and federal legislation. Note that no regional jobs data were available for
the solar and wind jobs on our list.
Table 11: Economic Development Regions 1-5 Long-term Occupation Projections 2018-2028 for Clean Energy Jobs
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Across all regions, the jobs with the largest number of workers in 2018 were maintenance and repair workers,
construction laborers, machinists, automotive service technicians and mechanics, and carpenters.
The jobs that anticipated the highest percentage growth by 2028 varied by region, as shown in the table below.
In general, the plumbing industry and industrial machinery mechanics are expected to grow across the region.
HVAC mechanics and installers were high-growth jobs for most regions.
Table 12: Top 5 jobs by percentage growth from 2018-2028 by Economic Development Region
Region
Top 5 jobs by percentage growth by 2028
Region 1
Plumbers, Electrical power-line installers & repairers, Construction & building inspectors, Industrial machinery
mechanics, and roofers
Region 2
Industrial machinery mechanics, Plumbers, Roofers, HVAC mechanics & installers, Machinists
Region 3
Industrial machinery mechanics, Plumbers, Bus and truck mechanics, HVAC mechanics & installers, Roofers
Region 4
Plumbers, HVAC mechanics & installers, Electrical power-line installers & repairers, Industrial machinery mechanics,
Bus, and truck mechanics
Region 5
Industrial machinery mechanics, HVAC mechanics & installers, Plumbers, Electrical power-line installers & repairers,
Construction & building inspectors
Region 6
Electrical power-line installers & repairers, Plumbers, HVAC mechanics & installers, Industrial machinery mechanics,
Machinists
Region 7
Plumbers, Electrical power line installers, Industrial maintenance mechanics, Roofers, Multiple machine tool setters
Region 8
Industrial maintenance mechanics, Electrical power-line installers & repairers, Construction & building inspectors
Region 9
HVAC Mechanics & Installers, Electrical power-line installers & repairers, Roofers, Construction & building inspectors,
Multiple machine tool setters
Region 10
Industrial machinery mechanics, Multiple machine tool setters, Bus & truck mechanics & diesel engine specialists,
Machinists, Sheet metal workers
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The jobs that anticipated the highest number of new jobs also varied by region, as shown in the table below.
Table 13: Top 5 jobs by number of anticipated new jobs by 2028 from 2018-2028
Region
Top 5 jobs by number of anticipated new jobs by 2028
Region 1
Construction laborers, plumbers, electricians, machinists, and maintenance workers.
Region 2
Machinists, construction laborers, industrial machinery mechanics, and plumbers.
Region 3
Machinists, Industrial maintenance mechanics, Construction laborers, Plumbers, Maintenance & repair workers
Region 4
Maintenance and repair workers, Plumbers, Construction workers, Electricians, Machinists
Region 5
Machinists, Maintenance & repair workers, Industrial maintenance mechanics, Electricians, Plumbers
Region 6
Construction laborers, Machinists, Industrial maintenance mechanics, Electricians, Plumbers
Region 7
Maintenance & repair workers, Construction laborers, Multiple machine tool setters, Machinists, Carpenters
Region 8
Industrial maintenance mechanics, Maintenance & repair worker, Machinists, Electrical power-line installers
Region 9
Construction laborers, Maintenance & repair workers, Plumbers, Electricians, Industrial machinery mechanics
Region 10
Machinist, Multiple machine tool setters, Maintenance & repair worker, Bus & truck mechanics
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WORKFORCE SYSTEM REVIEW
This section summarizes clean energy workforce
system challenges and best practices, based on the
WIOA regional plans and prior research on
workforce systems in general and occupations
specifically related to clean energy jobs. Clean
energy jobs have been growing in Illinois, but
current training programs are not delivering enough
qualified employees. Employers indicate they find it
difficult to hire people for clean energy jobs. In
addition, the clean energy workforce lacks racial
and gender diversity.
From our preliminary research, we find four main
challenges to clean energy workforce development.
We describe best practices to address those
challenges, summarized below.
Challenge: Lack of connections between various
parts of the workforce system. In the clean energy
workforce system, there is not enough coordination
between employers and training providers to
ensure that the training programs meet the
emerging needs of the clean energy workforce.
There is also a need for greater coordination
between community support providers, training
providers (community colleges, community-based
organizations, K-12 schools), and workforce
agencies to support the needs of a diverse
workforce. Multiple communication channels can
lead to confusion and duplication of efforts. Best
practices to address the lack of connections include
the following:
• Streamline communications among
workforce groups to reduce confusion and
avoid duplication of efforts.
• The Clean Jobs Network Hubs should bring
together training providers, support
providers, workforce agencies, community-
based organizations to offer different
options and support training program
participants, rather than compete for
resources.
• In the workforce hubs, foster strong
internal communication channels,
assessments, and hand-off procedures to
better serve participants.
• Strengthen advisory committees and
stakeholder gatherings to provide feedback
on training programs and how to help
students succeed.
• Promote more “learn and earn” training
models and on-the-job training
opportunities to support new hire training
or incumbent worker upskilling.
Challenge: Lack of awareness/negative perceptions
of clean energy jobs. The sector has a growing
demand for workers, and not enough students are
pursuing training or careers in these industries. In
construction and trade programs, there is limited
awareness of clean energy jobs, training programs,
and skill sets. Many parents or school counselors
have the misperception that trade programs are
only suitable for low-performing students, so they
tend to steer students away from this path. There is
also a lack of awareness about the benefits of
apprenticeship and vocational programs, which
train a substantial portion of the clean energy
workforce, so many students and trainees do not
pursue these programs.
Best practices to raise awareness of clean energy
opportunities include:
• Promote clean energy literacy.
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• Help students & incumbent workers explore
career options.
• Engage in outreach to K-12 schools and
community organizations.
• Develop coherent and clear descriptions
and definitions of clean energy jobs
• Develop coherent career paths, with
certifications and training needed for
various positions.
• Develop engaging promotional resources to
attract a diverse workforce to the industry.
• Marketing and communications should
emphasize long-term demand for positions
and livable wages to counter negative
perceptions of clean energy jobs.
Challenge: Lack of qualified workers for clean
energy jobs. There is a high demand for skilled
workers with the technical, academic, workplace
and personal effectiveness skills needed. Some
focused programs (such as solar or weatherization)
do not cover the construction basics that people
need. In addition, many programs do not address
newer clean energy technologies (such as heat
pumps, demand-responsive technologies, and EV
technologies) and the most up-to-date energy
efficiency practices. There is also a need for whole-
building approaches that address the building as a
system, rather than considering its individual parts.
In some areas, there are not enough qualified
trainers who can teach these newer clean energy
technologies and strategies.
Many employers note that the skills most often
missing are not technical, but skills such as basic
math, time management, communication, reading
comprehension, and more.
Best practices to help increase the number of
qualified workers to meet the needs of an evolving
clean energy industry include:
• Support trade programming at high schools.
• Form employer curriculum advisory
committees to ensure that new clean
energy technologies and services are
integrated into existing and new training
programs.
• Provide work-based learning and continuing
education in clean energy.
• Teach stackable, broad, transferrable skills
applicable to many clean energy jobs.
• Leverage opportunities through the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
for basic skills training and English language
acquisition instruction.
• Better integrate industry and training
curriculum developers to provide authentic,
embedded learning contexts.
Challenge: Failure to reach and support diverse,
underserved populations. Another major issue and
source of untapped potential for the clean energy
sector is a lack of participation from diverse,
underserved populations. Many clean energy jobs
are predominantly older, males and need more
racial diversity. Rural populations and underserved
communities also struggle to train, attract, and
retain clean energy workers. Reasons for the lack of
diversity are complex and include non-inclusive
policies, a lack of support services, less access to
opportunities, and few diverse voices in decision-
making bodies. Below are a few best practices to
reach and support diverse, underserved
populations.
• Promote diverse hires through inclusive
policies and mandates.
• Offer diversity training to employers and
training programs.
• Target underserved populations for training
programs through more inclusive
advertising and recruitment.
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• Form diverse stakeholder groups; partner
with CBOs and CAAs. Involve these groups
in decision-making processes.
• Make training feasible and accessible by
providing comprehensive support
(transportation, childcare, stipends,
scholarships, access to technology, mental
health services, etc.).
• Connect training to good jobs with livable
wages and benefits.
The above challenges are described in the WIOA regional plans, as shown below.
Table 14: Selected workforce system weaknesses, self-identified in the WIOA Illinois Regional Plans
IL Economic Development
Region
Weaknesses in regional workforce systems
Central Economic
Development Region 1
Need better communication/coordination/information sharing between workforce partners
Awareness
- need better communication of available services to jobseekers
Not enough qualified instructors available
East Central Economic
Development Region 2
Need better communication/coordination/information sharing between workforce partners
Limited transportation services for jobseekers especially in rural areas
North Central Economic
Development Region 3
Need better communication/coordination/information sharing between workforce partners
Technology challenges in rural areas
Northeast Economic
Development Region 4
Awareness - need better communication of available services to jobseekers
Limited transportation services for jobseekers especially in rural areas
Technology challenges in rural areas
Need better communication/coordination/information sharing between workforce partners
Northern Stateline
Economic Development
Region 5
Need better communication/coordination/information sharing between workforce partners
Employers over
-surveyed and confused by requests from multiple workforce partners
Too many jobseekers that go through training are not finding jobs
Need more cohesive approach for providing basic skills and soft skills training
Limited transportation services for jobseekers
Limited childcare services for
jobseekers
Negative perceptions of manufacturing jobs by jobseekers
Northwest Economic
Development Region 6
Need better communication/coordination/information sharing between workforce partners
Limited transportation services for jobseekers
Not enough qualified instructors available
Southeast Economic
Development Region 7
Limited transportation services for jobseekers
Awareness
- need better communication of available services to jobseekers
Limited childcare services for jobseekers
Limited availability of mental health assistance services
Southern Economic
Development Region 8
Need better communication/coordination/information sharing between workforce partners
Southwestern Economic
Development Region 9
Need to develop career pathways and strategies to address skills gaps
West Central Economic
Development Region 10
Need better communication/coordination between workforce partners
Limited success establishing apprenticeship programs
Technology challenges in rural areas
A few weaknesses stand out across multiple economic development regions. First, the plans mention a need to
for more communication, coordination, and information sharing between workforce partners. Illinois EDR
Region 5 provides examples of this. Employers indicated that they were over-surveyed and confused by requests
from multiple workforce partners. They also noted that there were too many jobseekers that go through
training who do not find jobs, suggesting a lack of coordination among employers, training providers, and
support providers. Finally, they noted a need for a more cohesive approach for providing basic skills and soft
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skills training. Many economic development regions noted a need to raise awareness of jobs, training, and
services to jobseekers. There was a need to better communicate opportunities to job seekers.
Finally, several economic development regions identified gaps in training opportunities. For instance, EDR
Region 9 reported a need to develop career pathways and strategies to address skills gaps. EDR Region 10
reported limited success establishing apprenticeship programs, while other regions did report active programs
for apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and youth apprenticeships. Some, but not all, regions had
apprenticeship navigators, US DOL Registered Apprenticeships, and other work-based learning programs. This
suggests that there are regional gaps in work-based learning opportunities.
Several regions noted barriers that make it difficult for people to access training and jobs, including limited
childcare and limited transportation support services for jobseekers lacking vehicles, especially in rural areas.
There were also technology challenges in rural areas. To address these barriers, economic development plans
indicated the availability of wrap-around services in their regions. Below we summarize this availability.
Regional availability of supportive wrap-around services
Table 15: Summary of available supportive services identified in the WIOA Illinois Regional Plans (2020-2024)
EDR
Region
Social services
referral
support
Childcare
Work
clothing,
tools
Develop-
mental
services
Healthcare
Housing
Mental
health
Substance
use
Transportation
Central EDR 1
East Central
EDR 2
Yes, some
gaps
North EDR 3
Northeast
EDR 4
Yes, some gaps
Northern
Stateline EDR 5
Yes, some
gaps
Yes, some gaps
Northwest
EDR 6
Yes, some gaps
Southeast
EDR 7
Yes, some
gaps
Yes, some gaps
Southern EDR 8
Southwestern
EDR 9
West Central
EDR 10
Yes, some
gaps
We note that all economic development regions report a similar availability of supportive services for
participants. Transportation assistance was noted as the most important challenge. While all provide
transportation assistance, participants that do not own a vehicle struggle with transit to education, training,
work, and social service appointments. This is especially true, although not exclusively, for rural areas. Limited
childcare availability in rural areas was also noted as a challenge for participants. The economic development
regions did not discuss supportive services for mental health and substance abuse as much as they reported on
other services. This might indicate a gap that needs to be addressed.
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TRAINING, SKILL, AND KNOWLEDGE
REQUIREMENTS
For the shorter list of jobs identified above, we used Department of Labor’s O*NET Online to get a sense for the
skills and knowledge required in these jobs. DOL’s job descriptions of knowledge, skill, and training requirements
are based on surveys of employers in the industry and represent the typical training, skills, and knowledge
required for these jobs. Twelve of the 20 jobs typically required medium-length training (1-2 years preparation),
as shown in table 7 above. For these programs, most required a career-focused training program with on-the-
job experience. An apprenticeship or associate degree may be required, and previous work-related skills,
knowledge, and experience are usually required.
Eight of the 20 clean energy-focused jobs typically require a shorter period of training (3-12 months
preparation). For these jobs, a high school diploma is usually required for entry, and some previous work skills or
experience is usually needed. On-the-job training or a registered apprenticeship is often required.
To identify skills and knowledge requirements for these jobs, we first consider the skills and knowledge
requirements that were applicable across all clean energy jobs. We identified the general knowledge and skill
requirements of all 20 jobs, based on O*NET Online
data from the US Department of Labor. To dive deeper into
skill and knowledge requirements, we reviewed the Department of Labor’s Competency Model Clearinghouse,
which identifies personal effectiveness competencies, academic competencies, workplace competencies,
industry-wide competencies, and industry-sector technical competencies for several of the clean energy job
clusters. We also reviewed the State of Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides for related clean energy jobs.
The top employability skills, technical skills, and knowledge requirements across all jobs in our inventory are
described in the table below.
Table 16: Top employability and technical skills and knowledge requirements.
Top employability skills
Top technical skills
Top knowledge requirements
Critical thinking (16/20 jobs)
Judgment and decision-making (15/20)
Speaking (15/20)
Active listening (15/20)
Coordination (14/20)
Time management (13/20)
Active learning (13/20)
Reading comprehension (11/20)
Monitoring (10/20)
Quality control (14/20)
Troubleshooting (12/20)
Operations & control (11/20)
Repairing (7/20)
Complex problem solving (8/20)
Equipment maintenance (6/20)
Mechanical (17/20)
English language (16/20)
Math (16/20)
Building/construction (13/20)
Customer service (12/20)
Design (12/20)
Administration and management (13/20)
Engineering technology (11/20)
Basic computer literacy (11/20)
DCEO’s
Recommended Technical and Essential Employability Competencies for College and Career Pathway
Endorsements presents another way to consider the core competencies required for the clean energy jobs on
our list.
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The report identifies the following top ten cross-
sector essential employability competencies:
• Teamwork & conflict resolution
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Critical thinking
• Adaptability & flexibility
• Initiative & self-drive
• Reliability & accountability
• Cultural competence
• Planning & organizing
The report also identifies the top 10 technical
competencies for advanced manufacturing,
engineering, technology, and trades:
• Equipment safety
• Manufacturing environment
• Personal health & safety
• Spatial reasoning
• Process, design, & development
• Installation
• Customer focus
• Quality assurance & continuous
improvement
• Digital manufacturing
• Supply chain logistics
In addition to considering skills and knowledge
areas, we identified core competencies for
clean energy jobs using competency models
from the Department of Labor’s
Competency
Model Clearinghouse, for industries related to
clean energy: renewable energy; energy
generation, transmission and distribution;
residential construction; commercial and
industrial construction; and advanced
manufacturing. The Generic Building Blocks
Competency Model, shown on the left. For Tier
1 (Personal Effectiveness Competencies), Tier 2
(Academic Competencies), and Tier 3
(Workplace Competencies), competencies are
nearly identical across these clean energy-
related industries and are reflected in the
Generic Building Blocks Competency Model,
shown on the left. The competencies taught in
these three tiers should be addressed in curriculum through job readiness training, remedial training (as
needed) and connection to adult education programs. Assessments, especially for academic competencies, will
help to identify needs for additional training.
Industry-wide technical competencies were similar across the different clean-energy industries. All industries
required competencies in quality assurance and continuous improvement, as well as personal health and safety.
Most also required knowledge of policies, laws, and regulations. Residential and commercial construction shared
Figure 1: Generic Building Blocks Competency Model
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the most overlap, with shared competencies in building and construction design; material resources; and
operations, installation, and repair. Training programs should make sure to cover these shared competencies to
train people for a variety of different jobs.
For each industry, the Department of Labor’s competency models provide detailed worksheets and
spreadsheets for assessing curriculum and credentialing and can be used to identify the broad range of skills
needed in each general cluster.
For industry-sector and occupation specific technical competencies, we recommend reviewing government or
industry-created job task analyses or competency and task lists. These documents can be used to guide a
curriculum framework for specific jobs. We identify a few task analyses for newer clean energy jobs in the table
below.
Table 17: Sample job task analyses for clean energy jobs
Job cluster
Job task analyses
Solar and wind cluster
NABCEP: PV Installation Professional Job Task Analysis
NABCEP: Objectives and Task Analysis for a Professional Small Wind Energy System Installer
NABCEP: PV Technical Sales Job Task Analysis
Automotive
ASE: Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Task List (p. 5-12).
Green building construction
NREL: Single-family Energy Auditor Job Task Analysis
NREL: Multifamily Energy Auditor Job/Task Analysis and Report
BPI: Energy Auditor Job Task Analysis
Green building maintenance
ESCO Group: HVAC Excellence Competency and Task List (with emphasis on newer clean energy
technologies)
NREL: Job/Task Analysis for a Facility Manager (with emphasis on newer energy efficiency
technologies)
Certifications
We also researched certifications that are common in the industry to standardize training across programs and
ensure that training is meeting industry requirements. We list a few of the most common in the table below.
Table 18: Common certifications
Career cluster
A Sample of common certifications or licenses
Solar/wind
NABCEP PV Associate (entry level) and professional certifications; ETA: PV Certifications
Automotive EV certificates
ETA International: Electrical Vehicle Technician; NIASE: Light duty hybrid/electric vehicle specialist
Electrical
Municipal electrician licenses; ETT Certified technician certifications; ETA International Industrial
electronics; EVITP: EV Infrastructure Certification
Green building & construction
NCCER: Carpentry, Weatherization, etc. BPI: Building Science Principles, Air Leakage Control
Installer, Quality Control Inspector, Envelope Professional, etc.; ICC: Electrical plans examiner,
Commercial building inspector, etc.; LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green
Associate.
Building maintenance
EPA 608 technician certificates; NATE: Ready to Work certificate, HVAC Support Technician, etc.;
BPI: Retrofit Installer Technician, Infiltration & duct leakage; ESCO: Geothermal Heat Pump
Certification; NABCEP: Solar Heating Associate. HVAC Excellence Certifications
Manufacturing
NIMS: Machining Level 1; AWS: Certified Welder
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Curriculum gaps
In preparation for creating a curriculum framework, we have begun reviewing existing curriculum and note a
few gaps that need to be filled, as shown in the table below.
Table 19: Curriculum gaps
Career cluster
Solar/wind
(such as the NCCER curriculum) if students do not already have construction training. Need training on
Automotive
for stackable certificates to teach people to service electric vehicles that includes high voltage electrical
Electrical
demand response integration technologies, installing and maintaining building automation systems and
energy saving infrastructure such as lighting infrastructure. Need for cybersecurity training to address security
Green building &
construction
Building
maintenance
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CLEAN ENERGY TRAINING PROGRAM
INVENTORY
Methods
To begin to collect data on clean energy training programs in Illinois, the Standard Occupational Classification
(SOC) job codes and names were matched with similar jobs in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)
codes used by the US Department of Education. For some jobs, the SOC codes (job name) and CIP Code (training
program name) aligned perfectly. For others, there were multiple CIP codes for a single job, or multiple SOC
codes for a single CIP code. Identifying CIP codes allowed us to collect data from DCEO and the Illinois
Community College Board about specific training programs.
We then began to inventory the training programs that were associated with these jobs. The main sources of
our inventory included:
• Illinois Community College Board: They identified all community college programs with the target CIP
codes. Each separate certificate or associate degree program was included, meaning that if a college had
stackable certificates or programs, multiple entries were listed. Information provided included credit
hours, program type (certificate or AAS), college name, and program title.
• WIOA Programs: Northern Illinois University provided us with a spreadsheet of all DCEO WIOA programs
for the target CIP and ONET codes. This was by far the most comprehensive dataset available, and
included training program URL, program format, entity type, program prerequisites, program length,
and even outcome data (though only about 10% of entries had outcome data, and even this data was
incomplete). Each separate certificate or associate degree program was included, meaning that if a
college had stackable certificates or programs, multiple entries were listed.
• Registered Apprenticeship Programs: DCEO also provided a list of registered apprenticeship and
Preapprenticeship programs. Information provided included location, employer name, program sponsor
name, program type, and occupation title.
• FEJA solar training programs: We manually researched and entered information on each of the solar
training programs through FEJA.
We collected the following data about each program, to the extent that data was available.
• CIP codes and SOC codes
• Training program provider type
• Training program length
• Program prerequisites and format
• Cost of the training program
• Location of the training program
• Type of outcome (industry-recognized certificate, associate degree, etc.)
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We sought to collect outcome data (number of participants served, number of participants who completed the
program, etc.) from these training programs but were only able to collect outcome data from a small number of
programs. We have therefore not included this in our analysis.
Below, we present summaries of each of the clean energy career cluster inventories.
Solar and wind
Cluster one includes the following jobs:
• Wind turbine service technicians
• Wind energy operations and development managers
• Solar photovoltaic installers
• Solar sales representatives and assessors
• Iron and steel worker
We identified related CIP training program names for these four jobs and then added up the number of Illinois
training programs in our inventory with these codes.
• Wind Energy Technology/Technician (2 programs)
• Energy Systems Technology/Technician (31 programs)
• Energy System Installation and Repair Technology (4 programs)
• Solar Energy Technology/Technician (5 programs)
• Solar Energy System Installation and Repair Technology/Technician (25 programs)
• Ironworking/Ironworker (8 programs)
In total, we identified 77 programs in this cluster. The table below describes some of the main findings in our
inventory regarding training provider type, training program outcome, program length, and location.
Table 20: Summary of Solar and Wind Training Program Inventory
Training provider type
Training program
outcome
Program length
Location
Solar training
Split between private
programs (non-profit or
for-profit), and
community college
programs
Mostly industry
recognized certifications,
some associate degree
or IHE certificate of
completion
Installer programs mostly
short (under 25 weeks).
Technologist programs 1-2
years.
Most in northeast IL, with
a few in other scattered
regions.
Wind training
Turbine technician jobs
were mostly provided
by community college
programs; iron worker
training mostly
provided through
apprenticeship
programs
Mostly associate
degrees and certificates
or apprenticeship
completion
Most programs 1-2 years;
3-year apprenticeship
typical for iron worker.
Most in northeast and
central IL, with a few in
other scattered regions.
In general, we found that the wind technician programs were located at community colleges and were largely
associated with energy systems technology programs. Many were associate degree programs, with some
stackable certifications. Wind energy and energy systems technology programs were clustered around the
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central part of the state, where wind turbines are most appropriate, though some programs were in the
Northeast region as well. Ironworker training was primarily offered through registered apprenticeship programs.
Solar installer training programs were split between private programs and community colleges, with private
programs providing the bulk of the solar installer training. These programs mostly prepared students for the
NABCEP PV Associate exam, though some programs did not provide industry-recognized certifications but
instead led to “measurable skill gain.” Some energy systems technology programs at community colleges offered
both wind and solar training (including training to prepare for the NABCEP PV Associate exam). We did not find
any programs that specifically trained people for solar sales representative and assessor jobs. Union
apprenticeship programs for iron workers were clustered in the greater Chicago area, with a few in Central and
Southern Illinois.
Recommendation
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act Training programs should focus on offering more training for all jobs in this
cluster. Solar Photovoltaic Installer training is particularly well suited for delivery by community-based
organizations because it is short in duration and can help prepare people to receive industry-recognized
credentials. There are many public and private providers who can provide this training. Solar training can also
easily be integrated into construction trades, as an add-on specialty curriculum in apprenticeship or pre-
apprenticeship programs. The Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship program should help to direct people to iron
worker apprenticeship programs and additional solar training.
We also see a need for more community college training programs in both wind and solar, especially outside of
Chicago. We recommend developing an add-on certificate to train people to be solar assessors and sales
representatives, as this training is not consistently offered in Illinois.
Automotive
Cluster two includes the following two jobs:
• Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
• Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Related CIP-coded training programs include the following:
• Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology; Automobile/Automotive Mechanics
Technology/Technician (229 programs in Illinois)
• Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician (32 programs in Illinois)
• Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician (12 programs in Illinois)
We identified 273 automobile technician and repair technology training programs in Illinois. The table below
describes some of the main findings from our inventory. We identified 13 programs that had a specific EV or
alternative fuel focus.
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Table 21: Automotive Training Program Inventory Summary
Training provider type
Training program
outcome
Program length
Location
Automotive
training
Almost all taught at
community colleges
Mostly stackable
certificates leading up to
associate degrees
Many short-term
certificate programs
(under 25 weeks), with a
range of offerings ranging
from a few months to 2
years
Decent geographic
distribution throughout
the state, with fewer
programs in the west
central region.
EV-focused
programs
All taught at
community colleges
EV training is usually
offered as a certificate
(or set of certificates) in
a larger automotive
program
Most programs 1-2 years
Very sparse distribution of
EV-focused training
Most of the automotive industry trainings (255) available in the state are classified as community college
programs. 18 additional programs were listed as “other.” Most (198) are classified as certificate programs that
are either industry recognized, or students receive a certificate of completion. 51 programs were associate
degree programs. Training duration for automotive technology jobs is varied. 117 programs provide under 25
weeks of training. 80 programs provide 25 weeks to 50 weeks of training. 60 programs provide 51-75 weeks of
training. 11 programs provide 76 – 100 weeks of training. Five programs provided more than 101 weeks of
training.
Recommendation
Illinois shows a growth trajectory in automotive and truck mechanic industries. Illinois is working to position
itself as a leader in electric vehicles. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act sets a goal for one million electric
vehicles on the road in Illinois by the end of 2029. The automotive technology training programs will need to
adapt to equip workers with electric vehicle maintenance and repair experience as EV vehicles and EV charging
stations expand across the U.S. As an early adopter, Heartland Community College has opened an electric
vehicle training with five separate program certificates in partnership with Rivian Automotive LLC
in Normal, IL.
While there is no shortage of vehicle maintenance and repair technology programs, only a few of these
programs offer EV-focused training. There is a tremendous opportunity for existing community colleges to step
up and offer this training.
One challenge of providing EV training is the proprietary equipment software used, making it difficult for all but
the largest trainers to provide training for employers. In the automotive repair industry, many automotive
manufacturers have their own EV testing and diagnostic software that is not compatible with other automotive
companies. It also makes it difficult for smaller automotive repair companies to have technicians able to service
various EV repair needs.
It should also be noted that there is a great need for more Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, Bus
and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists. These technicians will also need EV and alternative fuel
training. We note that Bus and Truck Mechanics are expected to see higher growth, and there are fewer training
programs compared to the number of workers.
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Electrical
Cluster three includes the following three jobs in the electrical and power distribution sector:
• Electricians
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
We identified 6 CIP training program codes related to these positions. Below we describe the number of training
programs in our inventory for each of these 6 CIP programs. In total, we identified 196 electrical training
programs in Illinois.
• Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician (69)
• Electrician (65)
• Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician (48)
• Electrical/Electronic Equipment Installation and Repair, General (7)
• Lineworker (2)
• Electrical and Power Transmission Installation/Installer (2)
In Illinois, electricians are licensed at the local level, and are typically required to have 8,000 of on-the-job
training (usually through a Registered Apprenticeship) and 500-800 hours of classroom instruction (often
through a vocational school, union training programs, or community college). Electrical & electronic engineering
technicians require a medium amount of preparation including vocational school training, on-the-job training
and experience, an associate degree, 1-2 years of experience, and/or an apprenticeship from union trades.
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers require a minimum of a high-school diploma or general
equivalency degree, along with on-the-job training and experience, and apprenticeships.
Table 22: Summary of Electrical Training Program Inventory Summary
Training provider type
Training program outcome
Program length
Location
Split between community
colleges (140),
Apprenticeships (104),
and private providers (16)
Industry or IHE certificates (110)
Apprenticeship completion (39),
License (7), Associate degree
(58), Measurable skill gain (62)
Range of programs and certificate
offerings. 42 programs 0-25 weeks; 46
programs 26-50 weeks; 54 programs
51-75 weeks; 16 programs over 100
weeks.
Decent geographic
distribution throughout
the state, with 108 in the
Northeast region.
Most of the electrical industry training listed in our inventory is available through IL community colleges or
through trade unions. There are 37 community college programs for electrician training, 81 community college
programs for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, and 3 community college
programs for electrical power-line installers and repairers. We identified 13 apprenticeships for electricians, 11
apprenticeships for electrical/electronic engineering techs, and 3 apprenticeships for power-line workers. Most
of the programs provide certificates; a few have licensed apprenticeships, and a few programs lead to an
associate degree. Of the programs listed, about half are 25-50 weeks, and half are 51-75 weeks. Apprentice
programs for electricians take about 4 years – 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience. Most programs are in-
person, a couple online and a few hybrid-training programs exist.
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Per the State of Illinois’ Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, electricians who are certified to install EV
infrastructure must have certification from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) OR
graduate from a Registered Apprenticeship Program for electricians that includes EVSE-specific training and is
developed as a part of a national guideline standard approved by the Department of Labor in consultation with
the Department of Transportation. We were unable to find any Registered Apprenticeship Programs for
electricians that include EVSE-specific training.
Recommendation
The electrical industry in Illinois shows signs of growth in some areas and signs of contraction in others. The
steadiest growth rate is for line workers and electricians with skills that cross several clean-energy technology
areas including commercial/industrial/residential solar and industrial wind turbine installation; electric charging
stations; energy saving infrastructure; building automation systems, and general grid expansion and
maintenance. The skills are transferable across sectors and across state-lines. Linemen travel across the state as
needed by the utility they work for and can be deployed to disaster areas after extreme weather events like
hurricanes, tornadoes, extremely high-winds, and ice-storms, to repair the electric grid. As the effects of storms
worsen due to climate change, the need for workers in this field grows.
Programs that provide base-level CEJA workforce development trainings should include some electrical systems
training. Specific electrician training programs and apprenticeships should include a certificate, track or other
training designed to train electricians specifically about solar installation and maintenance and provide hands on
experience. The expanding solar and wind industries in Illinois need electricians with high-voltage expertise to
install solar arrays, battery banks and handle maintenance of wind turbines and solar systems. General
electricians with no solar or wind experience take more time to learn on the job – which increases project costs.
Electricians are needed to wire, program, and maintain building automation systems to save energy. They are
needed to install energy-saving infrastructure, such as lighting infrastructure, smart panels, and smart plugs, and
to assist in the electrification of our heating systems.
Power-line workers and installers should be recognized by CEJA as a clean-energy job path; however, specialized
training for line-workers is not something that the CEJA Clean Jobs Curriculum should focus on.
To meet the demand for electricians specializing in electric vehicle infrastructure installation and maintenance,
the State of Illinois should encourage Registered Apprenticeship Programs for electricians to provide EVSE-
specific training developed through national guidelines approved by the Department of Labor. DCEO should
work with unions and EVSE manufacturers to identify the number of qualified electricians and technicians in the
state who are currently certified to work on EVSE installations and to identify opportunities for targeted
workforce development.
Certification for EVSE installation training can be integrated into the existing electrical training education as an
additional short certificate program. Skilled electricians should be able to obtain this certification without undue
hurdles.
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We also note that some routine EV charging station maintenance tasks may not require certified electricians or
complex electrical training. DCEO should work with EVSE manufacturers to identify the requirements needed for
multiple jobs related to EV charging station installation and maintenance.
Green building and construction
Cluster four includes jobs in the green building and construction sector which includes O*NET job titles for
construction laborers (including weatherization installers), carpenters, roofers, and construction and building
inspectors (including energy auditors). Related CIP coded jobs included five related positions:
• Construction Trades, General (46 programs)
• Carpentry/Carpenter (25 programs)
• Construction Site Management/Manager (22 programs)
• Roofer (8 programs)
• Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector (including energy auditor) (9 programs)
Some of the jobs in this cluster require more training than others do. Construction laborers, carpenters, and
roofers typically require some high school education and some experience (3 months to 1-year), according to
the Department of Labor’s O*Net Online. Weatherization technicians require a little more training, proof of a
high school diploma, some training, and job experience. Construction and Building Inspectors and Energy
Auditors require a medium level of preparation. A high school diploma, vocational school training, on-the-job
experience, and additional training up to an associate degree may be required.
Table 23: Training program inventory summary
Training program
Training provider type
Training program outcome
Program length
Location
General
construction
Split between community
colleges (9),
apprenticeships (8), private
non-profit or for-profit
providers (18)
Some industry recognized or
IHE certificates (7),
completion of apprenticeship
or pre-apprenticeship (8). A
few associate degrees (4).
Most under 25 weeks.
Northeast (27)
Northwest/Central (4)
Central (9)
Southern (7)
Construction
management
Split between community
colleges, apprenticeships,
and private providers
Associate degree programs or
completion of an
apprenticeship program
Not enough data.
Southwest (7)
Northeast (4)
Central (1)
Carpentry/Roofer
Split between community
college and apprenticeship
Mix between industry-
recognized certificates (10),
completion of apprenticeship
(6), associate degree (5).
Apprenticeships
longer (multiple
years); community
college programs
mostly under 50
weeks.
Northeast (12)
Southern (4)
Central (3)
Southern (1)
Building inspection
and energy auditor
Mostly private programs
Most lead to industry-
recognized certificates.
Split between 0-25
weeks, 26-50 weeks,
and more (5).
Northeast (18)
Central (5)
Construction, construction management, and carpentry programs were split somewhat evenly between
community colleges and union trade programs. There were also several general construction programs provided
by private non-profit training programs. As is consistent with the training requirements, many of the programs
are short-term, though there are some longer apprenticeships as well.
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Building inspection and energy auditor training is usually offered by a private provider as an add-on curriculum
for existing professionals in the construction industry. BPI certifications are common for jobs in the residential
energy efficiency retrofit field.
Recommendation
Annual openings indicate that the construction trades industry needs a steady flow of qualified workers.
Workers with diversified skills, problem solving ability, and knowledge of building science and general
construction can have upward mobility into higher paying career jobs. As Illinois adopts more advanced energy
efficiency and building codes, construction-related and remodeling/retrofit workers will need additional
training.
Clean-energy focus of construction methods applies to a wide range green-building practices and varied building
certifications. Existing construction programs should incorporate green-building design and construction
principles into the basics to overcome the ideas that somehow green building is a separate topic, “different,”
“more difficult,” “more expensive,” and therefore “not desirable” for construction. Programs that normalize
green building practices, improve energy efficiency, and focus on long-term operating costs of buildings will help
move Illinois closer to carbon reduction goals. Workers with diversified skills, problem solving ability, and
knowledge of building science, general construction, and green building practices can have considerable upward
mobility into higher paying career jobs. Also, we recommend cross training roofers with solar panel installation
training to prepare them for in-demand solar installation work.
Building maintenance
Cluster five includes the following four jobs:
• HVAC Mechanics & Installers
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Maintenance & Repair Workers, General
• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
We identified related CIP training programs for these jobs. Below we list the number of training programs we
identified that are associated with each CIP training program:
• HVAC/R Maintenance Technology/Technician (114)
• HVAC/R Engineering Technology/Technician (8)
• Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology (13)
• Building/Property Maintenance and Management (9)
• Plumbing Technology/Plumber (25)
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Table 24: Building Maintenance Training Program Inventory Summary
Training provider type
Training program outcome
Program length
Location
Mostly community
colleges, with a few
private and
apprenticeship
programs
Mostly industry-recognized
certificates or IHE completion
certificates (75). 23 associate
degrees, and a handful of
apprenticeship certificates. Lots of
stackable certificates
Half of the programs were
between 26-50 weeks.
Others split between short-
term (0-25 weeks) and
longer programs (51-75
weeks).
Decent geographic distribution
throughout the state, though no
programs were identified in the
West Central and Southeast
regions.
Most jobs in this category require medium preparation: vocational school training and on the job experience, an
associate degree of 1 – 2 years. Industrial Maintenance Mechanic training may include an apprenticeship. The
most training programs (114) were found associated with the HVAC mechanic and installer job. Lightcast reports
9 programs for building/property maintenance, 25 programs for plumbing trades, and 13 programs for industrial
mechanics and maintenance technology.
Training programs for jobs in this cluster are most frequently part of community college programs (110
programs). There were 38 apprenticeship providers listed, 7 for-profit training programs, and 13 programs that
fell into an “other” category. Of these, 66 programs provided industry-recognized certifications, 22 IHE
certificates of completion. 31 offer apprenticeships, 14 provide licenses (for plumbing primarily). Most training
programs were between 26 and 50 weeks (65). 52 training programs were 51-75 weeks of training. 27 programs
were considered short programs under 25 weeks. 7 programs were more than 101 weeks of training –
indicating completion of an apprenticeship program.
Recommendation
Lightcast estimates the highest growth in this cluster at 18.8% for industrial maintenance mechanics. Growth
projects are flat for HVAC and General Maintenance and Repair Workers. 3% growth is expected in the plumbers
and pipefitters field. IDES data projects industrial maintenance mechanics to grow by 27% and growth of 9 –
10% for HVAC mechanics and installers, maintenance and repair workers, and plumbers and pipefitters.
Stationery engineers and boiler operator jobs are projected 7.66%. This data was published before the passage
of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which provides rebates, credits, and other incentives for high energy
efficiency appliances and renewable energy projects. The Inflation Reduction Act addresses affordability of high-
efficiency HVAC systems for low and moderate-income individuals by providing credits at the time of purchase.
Families putting off the purchase of energy systems that reduce energy bills will have more financial resources
beginning in 2023 to upgrade furnaces and boilers. As high-efficiency appliances are incentivized, the market for
these products will increase. HVAC technicians will need to learn new skills for installing high efficiency
equipment such as high efficiency air-source heat pumps; geothermal or ground source heat pumps; hybrid hot
water systems; heat-pump water heaters and more. Companies that begin to sell and repair these technologies
early on will be at an advantage over companies that are only interested in sticking with the status quo.
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act Training programs should focus on HVAC and Industrial Maintenance Mechanics
programs in this cluster. Create training for energy efficiency, controls, and heat pump expertise.
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Manufacturing
The manufacturing cluster includes the following jobs:
• Sheet Metal Worker
• Machinist
• Machine Tool Setters, Operators, Tenders, Metal & Plastic
• Welder, Cutter, Solderer, and Brazer
• Electronics and Electronics Repairers, Commercial & Industrial Equipment
For these four jobs, we identified a diverse set of CIP training programs. Below we describe the number of
programs we identified for each training program type.
• Welding technology/welder (221 programs)
• Welding Engineering Technology/Technician (2)
• Machine Tool Technology/Machinist (65)
• Machine Shop Technology/Assistant (13)
• Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician (12)
• Sheet Metal Technology/Sheet working (6)
• Sheet Metal Worker (7)
• Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technician (2)
• Precision Production, Other (3)
• Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology (2)
In total, we identified 340 training programs related to manufacturing. Most jobs in this category require some
preparation, some experience, and 3 months to 1 year of training. A machinist job may require a medium level
preparation with vocational school training, on-the-job experience, or 1–2-year associate degree.
The table below summarizes some of the main findings from our inventory of this cluster.
Table 25: Manufacturing Training Program Inventory Summary
Training provider type
Training program outcome
Program length
Location
Most programs we
identified were based
at community colleges
(259), with a few
private providers (34)
or other providers (41).
Most programs led to industry-
recognized certificates or IHE
certificates of completion (275).
There were a few Associate degree
programs (44)
Over half of the programs
in this inventory were
under 25 weeks, while 30%
were between 26-50
weeks, and 15% were
between 51-75 weeks.
Geographic distribution is
somewhat representative of
population levels, with the
Northeast region having the largest
number of training programs. The
North Central and Southern regions
have a disproportionately high
number of training programs per
population.
Recommendation
As our inventory shows, there are ample training programs in the manufacturing sector, many job openings, and
high anticipated growth. We also note that three of the four jobs in this cluster are below living wage.
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It is unclear how much specialized clean-energy curriculum is required for this industry. The technical skills
taught in existing programs are likely similar to the technical skill needs for clean-energy focused manufacturing
(manufacturing solar panels, for instance). However, students may benefit from a “core” clean energy
curriculum that broadens their career options to other clean energy career pathways. In regions where
manufacturing is expected to grow, there may be a need for additional training, especially training delivered by
community-based organizations that is more accessible to target populations.
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