Sec. 33811. Energy workforce development
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Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Economic Impact, Diversity, and Employment, shall establish and carry out a comprehensive, nationwide program to improve education and training for jobs in energy-related industries, including manufacturing, engineering, construction, and retrofitting jobs in such energy-related industries, in order to increase the number of skilled workers trained to work in such energy-related industries, including by— encouraging underrepresented groups, including religious and ethnic minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, unemployed energy workers, and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals to enter into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (in this section referred to as STEM ) fields; encouraging the Nation’s educational institutions to equip students with the skills, mentorships, training, and technical expertise necessary to fill the employment opportunities vital to managing and operating the Nation’s energy-related industries; providing students and other candidates for employment with the necessary skills and certifications for skilled, semiskilled, and highly skilled jobs in such energy-related industries; strengthening and more fully engaging Department of Energy programs and laboratories in carrying out the Department’s Minorities in Energy Initiative; and to the greatest extent possible, collaborating with and supporting existing State workforce development programs to maximize program efficiency.
In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall prioritize the education and training of underrepresented groups for jobs in energy-related industries. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide direct assistance (including financial assistance awards, technical expertise, and internships) to educational institutions, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and apprenticeship programs.
The Secretary shall distribute such direct assistance in a manner proportional to the needs of, and demand for jobs in, energy-related industries, consistent with information obtained under subsections (e)(3) and (i). In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish a clearinghouse to— maintain and update information and resources on training programs for jobs in energy-related industries, including manufacturing, engineering, construction, and retrofitting jobs in such energy-related industries; and act as a resource for educational institutions, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and apprenticeship programs that would like to develop and implement training programs for such jobs.
In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary— shall collaborate with educational institutions, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, apprenticeship programs, and energy-related industries; shall encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships, and partnerships among industry, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and apprenticeship programs that currently provide effective training programs for jobs in energy-related industries and educational institutions that seek to establish these types of programs in order to share best practices and approaches that best suit local, State, and national needs; and shall collaborate with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, and energy-related industries to— develop a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the workforce needs of such energy-related industries, and job opportunities in such energy-related industries, by State and by region; and publish an annual report on job creation in the energy-related industries described in subsection (i)(2).
In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, and the National Science Foundation, shall develop voluntary guidelines or best practices for educational institutions to help provide graduates with the skills necessary for jobs in energy-related industries, including manufacturing, engineering, construction, and retrofitting jobs in such energy-related industries.
The Secretary shall solicit input from energy-related industries in developing guidelines or best practices under paragraph (1). The guidelines or best practices developed under paragraph
(1)shall include grade-specific guidelines for teaching energy efficiency technology, manufacturing efficiency technology, community energy resiliency, and conservation initiatives to educate students and families. The guidelines or best practices developed under paragraph
(1)shall promote STEM education in educational institutions as it relates to job opportunities in energy-related industries. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— give special consideration to increasing outreach to minority-serving institutions; make resources available to minority-serving institutions with the objective of increasing the number of skilled minorities and women trained for jobs in energy-related industries, including manufacturing, engineering, construction, and retrofitting jobs in such energy-related industries; encourage energy-related industries to improve the opportunities for students of minority-serving institutions to participate in industry internships and cooperative work-study programs; and partner with the Department of Energy laboratories to increase underrepresented groups’ participation in internships, fellowships, traineeships, and employment at all Department of Energy laboratories. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— give special consideration to increasing outreach to employers and job trainers preparing displaced and unemployed energy workers for emerging jobs in energy-related industries, including manufacturing, engineering, construction, and retrofitting jobs in such energy-related industries; make resources available to institutions serving displaced and unemployed energy workers with the objective of increasing the number of individuals trained for jobs in energy-related industries, including manufacturing, engineering, construction, and retrofitting jobs in such energy-related industries; and encourage energy-related industries to improve opportunities for displaced and unemployed energy workers to participate in industry internships and cooperative work-study programs. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall, in collaboration with energy-related industries— identify the areas with the greatest demand for workers in each such industry; and develop guidelines for the skills necessary for work in the following energy-related industries: Energy efficiency industry, including work in energy efficiency, conservation, weatherization, retrofitting, or as inspectors or auditors. Renewable energy industry, including work in the development, engineering, manufacturing, and production of renewable energy from renewable energy sources (such as solar, hydropower, wind, or geothermal energy). Community energy resiliency industry, including work in the installation of rooftop solar, in battery storage, and in microgrid technologies. Fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry. Manufacturing industry, including work as operations technicians, in operations and design in additive manufacturing, 3–D printing, and advanced composites and advanced aluminum and other metal alloys, industrial energy efficiency management systems, including power electronics, and other innovative technologies. Chemical manufacturing industry, including work in construction (such as welders, pipefitters, and tool and die makers) or as instrument and electrical technicians, machinists, chemical process operators, engineers, quality and safety professionals, and reliability engineers. Utility industry, including work in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity and natural gas, such as utility technicians, operators, lineworkers, engineers, scientists, and information technology specialists. Alternative fuels industry, including work in biofuel development and production. Pipeline industry, including work in pipeline construction and maintenance or work as engineers or technical advisors. Nuclear industry, including work as scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, or security personnel. Oil and gas industry, including work as scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, petrochemical engineers, or geologists. Coal industry, including work as coal miners, engineers, developers and manufacturers of state-of-the-art coal facilities, technology vendors, coal transportation workers and operators, or mining equipment vendors. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall work with industry, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and apprenticeship programs to help identify students and other candidates, including from underrepresented communities such as minorities, women, and veterans, to enroll into training and apprenticeship programs for jobs in energy-related industries. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.