Sec. 2. Energy workforce development
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Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary shall establish and carry out a comprehensive, nationwide program to improve education and training for jobs in energy-related industries in order to increase the number of skilled workers trained for such jobs. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary may provide— financial assistance awards, technical assistance, and other assistance the Secretary determines appropriate, to educational institutions and covered organizations and programs, including those serving unemployed energy workers; and internships, fellowships, traineeships, and apprenticeships at the Department of Energy, including at the Department of Energy national laboratories.
Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary shall distribute assistance described in paragraph
(1)in a manner proportional to the needs of energy-related industries and demand for jobs in energy-related industries, consistent with information developed under subsection (e). In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— prioritize the education and training of individuals from underrepresented communities for jobs in energy-related industries, including in providing internships, fellowships, traineeships, apprenticeships, and employment at the Department of Energy, including at the Department of Energy national laboratories; and in providing research grants and technical assistance to educational institutions, give priority to minority-serving institutions. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— collaborate with— to the maximum extent possible, State workforce development boards, to maximize program efficiency; educational institutions and covered organizations and programs; energy-related industries and covered organizations and programs to increase the opportunities for, and enrollment of, students and other candidates, including students of minority-serving institutions and unemployed energy workers, to participate in industry internships, fellowships, traineeships, and apprenticeships; and Federal-State Regional Commissions, including the Appalachia Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Northern Great Plains Regional Commission, and the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission; and conduct outreach activities to— encourage individuals from underrepresented communities and unemployed energy workers to enter into the STEM fields; and encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships, and partnerships among energy-related industries, and covered organizations and programs, that 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. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary, in collaboration with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Bureau of the Census, and energy-related industries, shall establish a clearinghouse to— develop, maintain, and update information and other resources, by State and by region, on— training programs for jobs in energy-related industries; and the current and future workforce needs of energy-related industries, and job opportunities in such energy-related industries, including identification of jobs in energy-related industries for which there is the greatest demand; and act as a resource for educational institutions and covered organizations and programs that would like to develop and implement training programs for such jobs. The Secretary shall annually publish a report on the information and other resources developed, maintained, and updated on the clearinghouse established under paragraph (1). 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 students with the skills necessary for jobs in energy-related industries, including jobs in— the energy efficiency industry, including jobs in energy efficiency (including architecture, design, and construction of new energy efficient buildings), conservation, weatherization, retrofitting, inspecting, auditing, and software development; the renewable energy industry, including jobs in the development, engineering, manufacturing, and production of energy from renewable energy sources (such as solar, hydropower, wind, and geothermal energy); the community energy resiliency industry, including jobs in the installation of rooftop solar, in battery storage, and in microgrid technologies; the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry; the advanced automotive technology industry, including jobs relating to electric vehicle batteries, connectivity and automation, and advanced combustion engines; the manufacturing industry, including jobs as operations technicians, in operations and design in additive manufacturing, 3-D printing, and advanced composites and advanced aluminum and other metal alloys, and in industrial energy efficiency management systems, including power electronics, and other innovative technologies; the chemical manufacturing industry, including jobs in construction (such as welders, pipefitters, and tool and die makers), as instrument and electrical technicians, machinists, chemical process operators, engineers, quality and safety professionals, and reliability engineers; the utility industry, including jobs in smart grid technology, cybersecurity management, and the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity and natural gas, such as electricians and utility dispatchers, technicians, operators, lineworkers, engineers, scientists, and information technology specialists; the alternative fuels industry, including jobs in biofuel and bioproducts development and production; the pipeline industry, including jobs in pipeline construction and maintenance and jobs as engineers and technical advisors; the nuclear energy industry, including jobs as scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, and security personnel; the oil and gas industry, including jobs as scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, petrochemical engineers, and geologists; and the coal industry, including jobs as coal miners, engineers, developers and manufacturers of state-of-the-art coal facilities, technology vendors, coal transportation workers and operators, and mining equipment vendors. 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 elementary schools and secondary schools for teaching energy efficiency technology, architecture, design, and construction of new energy-efficient buildings and building energy retrofits, manufacturing efficiency technology, community energy resiliency, and conservation initiatives. 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 listed under such paragraph. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the Secretary or any other officer or employee of the Federal Government to require or coerce a State, local educational agency, or educational institution to adopt or carry out the guidelines or best practices developed under paragraph (1). To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall, to avoid duplication of efforts, carry out the Equity in Energy Initiative of the Department of Energy, the Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program of the Department of Energy, and any other program of the Department of Energy that the Secretary determines appropriate, through the program established under subsection (a). There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.