Friends of Vocational Technical & Agricultural Education,
Six (6) MAVA Chapter 74 vocational technical schools were recipients of a total of $1,674,984.60 to Support Training and Job Opportunities
in the Clean Energy and Climatetech Sector. The schools and grants are listed below.
David
$16 Million in Grants to Advance Clean Energy Workforce Development
Investment to Support Training and Job Opportunities
in the Clean Energy and Climatetech Sector
The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced over $16 million in grant awards to invest in planning, capacity, training, and equipment for climate-critical jobs in the clean energy and climatetech sector. Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Undersecretary Katherine Antos and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Dr. Emily Reichert announced the awards alongside other state and local officials at Brockton High School, which is the state’s largest high school and also a grant recipient.
“Our clean energy revolution is powered by workers– crane operators, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and more – who are ready to lead,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It is essential that this growing workforce mirrors the diversity of our communities, embodies our commitment to labor, and is equipped with the tools we need to tackle the climate change and reshape our future.”
Brockton High School is receiving $653,347 to renovate classroom space in the existing automotive shop and to acquire automotive training equipment. This will allow the school to offer EV technician training to students. In addition to this, the school will benefit from two other grants. One grant will support the Clean Automotive Technology Center of Excellence, while the other grant, led by MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Board, will focus on creating a clean energy career awareness and exploration program for youth and young adults aged 16 to 24. "Students are driving innovation. Engaging them early is important to building a skilled workforce and advancing Massachusetts’ clean energy goals,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “By providing hands-on training, we are equipping the next generation to build the infrastructure and implement the technologies that will protect our communities, safeguard our environment and lower our energy costs.”
“Clean energy jobs grew at more than twice the rate of overall employment in the United States in 2023, proving that the clean energy sector has the power to be a major driver for the Massachusetts economy,” said MassCEC CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “Today’s $16 million investment in Massachusetts’ clean energy and climatetech workforce will help us continue that momentum. These grants from MassCEC will fund opportunities for people across the state, whether they’re a high school student from an Environmental Justice community or a union electrician looking to gain new skills.”
The awardees are:
Equity Workforce Training, Equipment, and Infrastructure Implementation Grants (Total: $8,125,130)
- Brockton High School – $653,347 – Brockton High School, in partnership with Project Green Schools, will renovate classroom space adjacent to the existing automotive shop and obtain automotive training equipment needed to provide students with EV technician training.
- Cape Cod Regional Technical High School – $355,000 – Cape Cod Tech will develop the land and obtain training equipment needed to expand its environmental science program to include vocational training opportunities focused on environmental engineering and other climate-critical occupations.
- Cape Cod Regional Technical High School – $200,000 – Cape Cod Tech will expand its environmental science program to include vocational training opportunities for environmental engineering career paths that serve secondary students and provide resources for adult learners.
- Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (MRVTS) – $1,200,000 – MRVTS will establish the Montachusett Vocational Partnership Academy, which will provide training to students and adult learners interested in climate-critical trades.
- Plymouth Public Schools – $653,347 – Plymouth Public Schools will install a pre-engineered metal building and procure instructional equipment to establish the Clean Energy Lab for Trades training space needed to provide students with hands on and collaborative training on clean energy projects.
- Plymouth Public Schools – $25,000 – Plymouth Public Schools will establish a Clean Energy Lab for Trades that will provide integrated workforce skill development for high-performance building, net zero grid, and clean transportation occupations.
- Project Green Schools – $250,000 – Project Green Schools will support Brockton High School’s Clean Automotive Technology Center of Excellence, a collaborative program between Brockton High School, Project Green Schools, ACDC, DeVivo Companies, and others.
Climate-Critical Workforce Training, Equipment, and Infrastructure Grants (Total: $1,706,515)
- Gloucester High School – $670,684 – Gloucester Public Schools will update the building envelope, install EV training equipment, and update computers and compressors to modernize the existing Automotive Technology and Advanced Manufacturing training programs.
- Gloucester High School – $275,996 – Gloucester Public Schools CTVE workforce development program will modernize and expand existing Chapter 74 programs in Automotive Technology and Advanced Manufacturing through technical curriculum development and addition of work readiness curriculum.
Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Support Grants (Total: $4,517,446)
- Boston Impact Initiative – $750,000 – Boston Impact Initiative will implement its GreenEdge Accelerator program to provide a continuum of services for Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity Grants (Total: $2,037,538)
- Upper Cape Cod Technical School (UCT) – $49,957.60 – UCT will explore the feasibility of creating a new program to provide skills for green energy jobs, such as EV technicians.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy and climatetech sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits, and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts.
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