The California Energy Commission on July 8 approved four workforce-related grants that together total about $9.29 million, according to the meeting packet and related grant materials.
The largest award is a $5 million CREATE grant to the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California under Agreement FED-26-001. Commission materials say the grant will support the California Residential Energy Advanced Technology Education initiative, aimed at training residential electricians, plumbers and pipefitters, and sheet metal workers for electrification and energy-efficiency work.
In a separate item, the commission approved a $1.5 million Workforce Enablement grant to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College under Agreement FED-26-002. The materials say the program is intended to help students in clean-energy and energy-efficiency training persist, complete their coursework and move into jobs.
The commission also approved a $1.5 million CRESST grant to the same trades council under Agreement FED-26-003. That packet says the project will provide childcare stipends and safety tools to apprentices in residential electrical, plumbing and HVAC training.
The fourth award is a $1,289,757 SMART grant under Agreement FED-26-004 to the Western States Council of SMART. The materials say the project will expand heat-pump contractor training at six apprenticeship centers.
Taken together, the four actions show the commission directing new funding toward residential clean-energy workforce development, apprenticeship support and contractor training.
The available record does not include final vote tallies for each item or detail any commissioner discussion.
