ENERGY HAS THE JOBS

New Report Identifies Strategies to Train Workers for the Clean Energy Economy; Experts say ensuring the proper systems and institutions are in place will advance public policy goals and prepare for job growth in the energy sector.
June 30, 2011 (National Council on Energy Policy)

"…[Task Force on America’s Future Energy Jobs] by a task force of leading energy workforce experts outlines a series of practical recommendations to prepare individuals for high skilled jobs in the electric sector. In the face of the very real challenge of developing a workforce that can transform our power sector to support a clean energy economy, the bipartisan task force—composed of experts from labor, the electric power industry and the training and educational sectors—recognized opportunities to train workers for new high-skill, high paying jobs in the energy sector, at a time when growing numbers of Americans are unemployed or underemployed."

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"The report details a number of practical steps that can be implemented..[for] Training the workforce of tomorrow…Improving data collection and performance metrics…Identifying training standards and best practices for energy sector jobs…Funding individuals seeking energy sector-related training and education…[and] Improving and revitalizing the education of future energy sector professionals. The Department of Labor has undertaken a number of initiatives to this end. Congress should continue to focus on the priorities outlined in the America COMPETES Act…"