Clean Energy Careers and Training

ApprenticeshipWorks - Being in a unionized apprenticeship program in one of the NYS Building and Construction Trades unions can offer several benefits to individuals pursuing a career in the construction industry and create excellent introductory opportunities to the blue and white collar careers in clean energy.

Building Performance Association (BPA) – Empowers businesses and enables communities to expand their energy-efficiency workforce by providing valuable tools, growth opportunities, and training options. Apprenticeships allow applicants to gain skills to get a job and a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) is a career path that offers paid work experience and a nationally recognized credential. The Energy Specialist apprenticeship training program offers a combination of classroom instruction, on-the-job training, and mentorship. There are also career matching services for contractors and workforce professional development opportunities, here.

Building Performance Institute (BPI) - Offers certifications, standards, and programs (BPI GoldStar Contractor, Rater, and Product Listing) while developing your professional proficiencies to shape and nurture your career. BPI Certified Professionals solve home and building owners’ trickiest problems. Earning the Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate of Knowledge is your first step into the world of energy efficient home performance and you will learn some of the widely-used industry terminology related to building science. Earning the Healthy Housing Principles (HHP) Certificate of Knowledge proves your knowledge of how the different components of a home interact to affect occupant health.

Building Performance Institute (BPI) Recruitment Toolkit - The Recruitment Toolkit is an easy-to-use document filled with recruitment messages, graphics, and strategies to get the students and the workers you need. Informed by experts, experienced contractors, and educators, this toolkit will save you time and money while increasing your success.Here you will find customizable posts for social media, free photos of energy efficiency, heat pumps/HVAC and home performance work, posters and flyers, and video testimonials.

E2 Clean Jobs America Report – E2 is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors and others who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. E2 produces a Clean Jobs America report that analyzes employment data collected and analyzed by the BW Research Partnership for the 2023 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) released by the Department of Energy (DOE). Mapping and analysis goes down to the County-level. The analysis includes jobs in solar energy, wind energy, combined heat and power, bioenergy, non-woody biomass, low-impact hydro power, geothermal, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicles, clean energy storage, smart grid, micro grid, grid modernization, advanced biofuels, and energy efficiency including ENERGY STAR® and high efficiency appliances, efficient lighting, HVAC, renewable heating and cooling, and advanced building materials.

Electrical and HVAC/R Training Center – Located in Copiague, the training center offers a wide range of curriculum serving the electrical, HVAC/R, Green Technology, & Construction industries. Training is offered to new job seekers and additional courses and seminars designed for those employed in the workforce seeking professional development and/or requiring continuing education to maintain their credentials in the industries.

Farmingdale State College Clean Energy Credentials - Whether you are a graduating high school senior, a current college student, or a seasoned professional, there is something for everyone in the Wind Turbine Technology and Sustainable Energy Certificates at FSC. All of these programs will help to improve your awareness of opportunities in wind power and sustainable energy available to you. The Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center also distributes an e-newsletter highlighting local clean energy jobs which you can subscribe to here.

Green Workforce Connect - Green Workforce Connect is a collaboration led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) designed to connect people to training programs and employers in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors. The Resource Hub for Individuals helps you identify and find job descriptions, training opportunities, nationwide certifications, and potential career pathways. The “Contractor’s Guide to Success” for the Weatherization Assistance Program is a guide to equip contractors with the knowledge and tools you need to succeed as a weatherization contractor—whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting in the field.

Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) - Created mapping tools to help individuals interested in clean energy careers. The Green Buildings Career Map is a highly interactive tool that explores job opportunities across four major sectors of the green buildings and energy efficiency industry, charting possible progression between those occupations, and identifying the sorts of credentials necessary to do them well. IREC’s Solar Career Map explores solar energy occupations, describing diverse jobs across the industry, charting possible progression between them, and identifying the sorts of credentials necessary to do them well.

The Institute for Workforce Advancement (IWA) - One of the northeast region’s leading advanced manufacturing workforce-development training organizations providing essential programming for incumbent and in-transition workers, and college and non-college bound students; from energy to aerospace, pharmaceuticals to building trades.

New York State Department of Labor: Apprenticeship Programs – Many unions, including Carpenters, Dock Builders, Electrical Workers, Iron Workers, Laborers, Lathers, Steamfitters, Teamsters and Utility Workers are involved in the design and construction of clean energy projects across Suffolk County. Pathways into these unions include direct applications during open apprenticeship enrollment posted on the NYS Department of Labor website.

New York State Department of Labor: Exploring Occupations by Green Topics Dashboard – Explore the large spectrum of opportunities in the clean energy sector, from coastal research and energy efficiency to green construction, and sustainable agriculture.Dive into each topic and find a multitude of job titles aligned with your interests and skills. Get the inside scoop on each occupation including level of education and skills needed and typical daily tasks and responsibilities.

New Yorkers for Clean Power Energy Careers Map - This map features jobs, trainings, internships and more in clean energy, energy efficiency and clean transportation industries all across New York State. This is an ongoing project that you can contribute to if you know of a position that needs to be filled— add a job via this online form .

NYSERDA Workforce Development & Training - Helps job seekers and students access careers in the clean energy economy with the following programs and resources: internships, fellowships, apprenticeships, career maps, degrees and certifications, training and a directory of clean energy employers.

NYSERDA Clean Energy Internship Program - Partially funds the salary of skilled interns for eligible clean energy businesses to hire new talents and build their team’s capacity. Funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and the intern’s salary can be covered between 75-90%. Looking for an internship? Apply here. Looking to hire interns? Click here.

NYSERDA Offshore Wind Training – NYSDERA’s introduction to the career pathways and training opportunities in the growing offshore wind industry to help jumpstart or further your career.

NYSERDA’s New York Clean Energy Industry Report - This annual Clean Energy Industry Report is a multi-year, longitudinal research study that analyzes data on clean energy jobs, employer needs, and existing assets in New York’s clean energy sector. Each year the report shows the number of individuals with green jobs in New York State and in each NY State County.

Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: Building Science Education - Explore building science resources needed to train various building professionals. These curated programs provide a centralized list of relevant training materials recommended for a specific occupation. Find educational resources on many building science topics, including high performance heat pumps, efficient windows, and disaster resilience. Training modules consist of lecture notes, presentations, problem sets, videos, and references.

Offshore Wind Long Island - Find your role within offshore winds broad range of careers; from skilled tradesman to engineer, turbine technician to data scientist.

Offshore Wind Training Opportunities Map - Are you or someone you know interested in working in the offshore wind industry? Use NYSERDA's interactive map to find offshore wind job training and education opportunities near you. The programs range from hands-on apprenticeships that equip workers with the experience to install and maintain fixtures in the wind industry, to courses for accounting, business administration, architecture, computer science and more.

Opportunities Long Island (OLI) - Connects individuals from underserved communities to union construction careers. Union apprenticeship can be the first step towards a successful career in the building and construction trades which will be an essential component building New York’s clean energy economy. OLI is an 8-week, 240-hour apprenticeship preparation program that prepares and helps connect you to a career in the union construction trades. Visit local unions and learn about what they do. Learn skills through hands-on and in-classroom training.

Solar Energy International (SEI) - SEI is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower students, alumni, and partners to expand a diverse, inclusive, well-trained and educated solar workforce and spread the knowledge of how to safely deploy industry-leading technology. With an aim to mitigate climate change, promote sustainable economic growth, and support energy independence, SEI has trained over 100,000+ solar professionals since its founding in 1991. The 6 hour introductory course is free while othermore advanced, specialized and intensive multiweek online classes can cost between $695 to $895 each. There are also certification programs in residential and commercial photovoltaic systems. Spanish courses are available.

Stony Brook Offshore Wind Education - Stony Brook University is committed to advancing the accelerating offshore wind industry. Through a combined effort of our schools, colleges, centers, and industry partnerships, SBU is harnessing its research and educational expertise to solve the most pressing problems created by climate change. They’ve expanded their undergraduate and graduate curriculum to encompass research, knowledge and applied skills in the social, business, engineering and marine aspects of this new industry and its effect on our coastline and our communities.

Suffolk County Department of Labor Services – Unemployed and underemployed Suffolk County residents may be eligible for free or subsidized vocational training in the clean energy space with Suffolk County Community College, BOCES, United Way, and other educational institutions and not-for-profit organizations. Call 631-853-6600 to speak with a counselor or to arrange an in-person in-take. You can also find a link to their Renewable Energy Jobs Task Force Final Report here.

United Way of Long Island POWERUP! - The United Way is eliminating barriers to economic advancement in the region through its Workforce Development Training Academy. Operating out of the E3 SmartBuild Training Center, the Workforce Development Training Academy is complete with a portable prototype wind turbine and solar array. Power Up! Wind, Solar & Renewables graduates are proficient in the installation of clean heating and cooling technologies, high-efficiency HVAC, heat pumps, solar panels, and EV Charging. The training is three hours a day, 17 days of in-person training, for a total of 50 hours and is open at no cost to youths, veterans, and others entering the job market.

United Way of Long Island Workforce Development Training Academy - Interested in a career in energy, renewables, or green construction? The United Way of Long Island is meeting the significant challenges of hiring talent and eliminating barriers to economic advancement in the region through its Workforce Development Training Academy. Operating out of United Way’s state-of-the-art E3 SmartBuild Training Center, the academy is complete with a portable prototype wind turbine and solar array. Job seekers can register here and employers can fill job vacancies on the same site.

Last updated July 2, 2024