The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the selection of 17 new Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) and the inaugural cohort of 10 Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTAC). Of the 27 selected programs, 17 of them are based at community colleges, trade schools, and labor unions. The purpose of these programs is to help “expand training opportunities for in-demand, high-quality jobs while identifying opportunities for organizations to save energy, improve productivity, and reduce waste.” The selected programs will receive $40.8 million total in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will work with industrial facilities and buildings across the country to expand the existing network of IACs and BTACs to 54 and 10, respectively.
According to the department, these new IACs and BTACs are designed to provide technical assistance and conduct assessments at small- and medium-sized manufacturer (SMMs) and other buildings. They will provide learning opportunities for students and union apprentices, as well as training and upskilling opportunities for current manufacturing and building energy workers. Once they have completed the programs, participants will hopefully be prepared for jobs as energy managers or advanced manufacturing technicians for growing clean energy sectors.
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, "America’s global leadership on advanced manufacturing and energy efficient buildings depends on our skilled, diverse workforce here at home. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, DOE is doing even more to invest in workers and small businesses, helping us meet our clean energy goals while creating high-quality, good-paying jobs in communities across the country.”