To grow our future climate tech workforce, industry and education must join forces
Growing Massachusetts’s climate tech industry will create considerable economic opportunity for Massachusetts while helping reduce carbon emissions. It can also be a source of economic opportunity for people from underserved communities. As the business and industrial communities shift operations and practices to build our climate economy and a climate tech future, they must also participate in innovative approaches to building the skilled, diverse workforce that will drive this new economy.
With a predicted 40,000 jobs needed in the climate tech space to meet our climate goals, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide economic advancement for many people — especially those in underserved communities of color — through good-paying jobs and fulfilling careers that will rapidly become available in the climate economy. However, to take advantage of this opportunity, industry and educators must work together to ensure access to skills-first training programs that utilize classroom education, industry-based internships, job placement assistance, externships and career advancement support.
Franklin Cummings Tech partners with many industry leaders, including PowerOptions, Ameresco, Beacon Climate Innovations (BCI), and Schneider Electric — all members of NECEC, the Northeast Clean Energy Council. An example of this kind of skills-first educator/industry partnership is Schneider Electric’s recent commitment to expanding the Energy Management Lab at Franklin Cummings Tech. This partnership allows students to study, research and practice building energy management systems at the college. With state-of-the-art training equipment and a hands-on curriculum informed by the latest advancements and immediate needs of the climate tech industry, students at Franklin Cummings Tech are accessing project-based learning inside and outside the classroom, jump-starting a climate tech career.
Through this approach, the Building Energy Management (BEM) program at Franklin Cummings Tech also ensures access by prioritizing partnerships with schools in Boston and Gateway Cities with scholarships, internships, co-ops, and wrap-around support to boost student success.
An example of a proactive skills-first training partnership approach to build a well-prepared climate tech workforce is the commitment made by Boston developer BGI in its 10 World Trade project. When the office and life sciences development opens in early 2025, 10 World Trade will have five certifications (LEED, WELL, SITES, WiredScore, and SmartScore), making it one of the smartest, most sustainable buildings in the country. It will set a new benchmark in Boston for environmentally and socially sustainable developments that benefit the environment, the people working inside and the surrounding community.
Ano important benchmark set by 10 World Trade is how it will facilitate onsite, hands-on training for Franklin Cummings Tech students and faculty in the latest, most sophisticated building energy management systems available today. This valuable training is made possible through the Energy Management Training Fund (EMTF) at Franklin Cummings Tech. The fund was established with an initial investment from 10 World Trade and is designed to nurture talent and ensure equitable access to innovative skills and technical education in the climate tech field.
We need this type of active participation from the business community to succeed in creating economic opportunity and building a skilled and diverse workforce. We invite business and industry to join us in the classroom, invest in externships for faculty and staff, and provide the resources necessary to keep educational programs at the forefront of our collective climate tech advancements. By fostering a collaborative environment where business and academic institutions work together, we can ensure that students receive a comprehensive education with theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
To maximize the investment in these educational partnerships and the potential economic advancement opportunities that will become available as the climate economy grows, we should also consider committing to a skills-based hiring approach that challenges the notion that only graduates with four-year degrees are capable of being the best and most-prepared employees. This approach will help expand the climate tech labor market to meet increasing demand, tap a rich source of skilled talent in communities of color that are often overlooked, and build a diverse workforce.
The time to act is now. Climate tech and a thriving climate economy can help people prosper in the workforce and build generational wealth, as the sector is poised for tremendous growth. Massachusetts can lead this revolution and be a significant force in training the workers who will build the climate tech economy. By adopting a skills-based approach to training and hiring, we prepare a new generation for successful careers and ensure that the future workforce is diverse and equipped to drive sustainable change.
Joe Curtatone is president of NECEC. Dr. Eliza Wilson is executive director of development operations at Franklin Cummings Tech and co-chair of education workforce development at the NECEC Institute.
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