About the Project
To achieve the
goals of the Focus on Energy program, Trade Allies need a recruitment and
training strategy that increases their capability to deliver products and
services. This requires leveraging training capacity across the technical
college system, trades, and independent training programs. The Empowering
Trade Allies for Building Efficiency and Electrification Research Project
aims to help Wisconsin best deploy federal workforce funds and building
electrification and efficiency incentives through interviews with Trade Allies,
technical college training programs, independent training programs,
apprenticeship sponsors, and workforce development programs to define needed
training, hiring, and business development support.
Researcher: Midwest Renewable Energy
Association (MREA)
Timeline: November 2023 - July 2024
Sector: Research
Project Highlights
- Trade Ally Interviews: Conducted forty interviews
with Trade Allies providing building energy efficiency, energy management,
energy auditing, insulation, air-sealing, plumbing, and HVAC services to define
immediate and expected recruitment, hiring, and training needs.
- Training Program Interviews:
Conducted
interviews with ten stakeholders representing available training,
certification, and apprenticeship programs that support building efficiency and
electrification workforce capacity.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Held a collaborative
stakeholder review session in April 2024 with interview subjects and Focus on
Energy staff to solicit feedback on the outcomes and recommendations in the
report. The goal of the meeting was to work towards a consensus between Trade
Allies and training providers, prioritizing recommendations for Focus on Energy
and the state of Wisconsin.
- Summary Report: The final report provides
insights into the workforce needs and training program capacities in Wisconsin,
summarizing the challenges and opportunities presented by the research. The
report highlights recommendations for optimizing funding to support building
electrification and energy efficiency upgrades for Wisconsin utility customers,
complementing expected industry growth as a result of the Inflation Reduction
Act.
Key Findings and Recommendations
Six key
recommendations were derived from Trade Ally and training provider interviews.
These recommendations identify priority workforce needs and training program
investments and strategies to scale energy efficiency and electrification
initiatives, fostering a more robust and skilled workforce that can deliver
quality energy efficient projects to Focus on Energy customers, helping
Wisconsin to achieve its energy goals.
Build on Existing Programs
- Create networking and
knowledge-sharing opportunities
- Promote trade careers to
students
- Support for employee
training leading to industry recognized credentials
- Support Apprenticeships
- Leverage/model
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) training
- Develop and formalize
relationships between technical college and HVAC manufacturer/distributor
training
- Provide building analyst
training and certification to existing professional
Support the Customer
- Provide consumer education
resources
- Provide consumer education
partnerships
Meet Trade Allies Where They
Work
- Support and promote worksite
training
- Offer financial support for
training
Quality Control
- Promote Trade Ally standards
- Promote Trade Allies
- Enhance communication on
quality control
Supporting the Students
- Provide wrap-around services
- Support underserved markets
- Increase scholarship
opportunities
Empowering Instructors
- Support professional
development
- Recruit instructors with
industry experience
- Offer financial support for
lab equipment and curriculum
Report
Empowering Trade Allies for Building Efficiency and Electrification Research Project