NYSERDA’s workforce development and training solutions provide clean energy businesses with funding and resources to hire new talent, develop the skills of current employees, and build their teams’ capacity.

NYSERDA is helping clean energy businesses invest in their teams with the following programs and resources:

For Hiring and Training New Employees

• On-the-Job Training: Helps businesses find qualified candidates through the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) and reduces the financial risk of hiring and training new employees. The program provides reimbursement up to 75% of a new hire’s wages for their first 16-24 weeks of employment and assistance with the development of training plans.

• New York State Clean Energy Internships: Helps prepare the next generation of clean energy professionals by funding internships for students and recent graduates at clean energy businesses. New York-based businesses and organizations that operate in the energy efficiency, clean energy technology, and renewable energy sectors are encouraged to apply to become an approved business and start welcoming the next generation of clean energy professionals to their teams.

• Climate Justice Fellowships: Year-long, full-time fellowships for individuals from historically underserved communities. NYSERDA provides funding for salaries and professional development so that fellows have the opportunity to work within businesses and organizations that advance climate justice and clean energy priorities in their respective communities.

• Hiring Disadvantaged Community Populations: Explore guidance and support for advancing equity and inclusion in recruitment and hiring for clean energy businesses.

For Training Current or New Employees

• Energy Efficiency & Clean Energy Technology Training: Provides funding for businesses to work with training providers to develop and offer technical training opportunities, relevant education, hands-on experiences, paid internships, apprenticeships, full-time jobs, or advanced formal training opportunities.

• Offshore Wind Workforce Training and Skills Development: Provides funding for training initiatives that advance technical skills and prepare workers for jobs in New York’s growing offshore wind industry.

• Cooperative Advertising and Training for Clean Energy Partners: Provides funding to manufacturers and distributors of cold climate air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps to support sales, design, and/or installation training.

Additional Opportunities & Resources for Businesses:

• Connect with Partners: NYSERDA's Partner Connector facilitates connections among training providers, employers, community partners, and other organizations that are interested in forming partnerships and collaborating within our workforce development and training programs

• Directory of Free Online Clean Energy Training: Lists training opportunities on a variety of clean energy topics available online at no cost according to category, training provider, and skill level

• Expand Your Clean Energy Offerings: Discover opportunities and benefits of diversifying business models with clean energy products and service offerings.

• Funding for Contractors & Installers: Access support to help hire new employees, train current employees, and diversify your business model with clean energy technologies and services.

If your business owns or operates a large commercial building, see "For Building Owners & Property Managers" to learn more about funding opportunities to train your building operations and maintenance staff.

NYSERDA’s paid internship and fellowship programs can help jumpstart your future in the clean energy field. Clean energy positions are in high demand and the market will only continue to expand as New York transitions away from fossil fuels. Careers in clean energy also typically offer above average salaries, healthcare, and other great benefits.

NYSERDA is helping job seekers and students access careers in the clean energy economy with the following programs and resources:

• New York State Clean Energy Internships: Helps prepare the next generation of clean energy professionals by funding paid internships for students and recent graduates at New York State’s clean energy businesses. Prospective interns are encouraged to learn more about participating businesses and apply today.

• Climate Justice Fellowships: Year-long, full-time fellowships for individuals from historically underserved communities. NYSERDA provides funding for salaries and professional development so that fellows have the opportunity to work within businesses and organizations that advance climate justice and clean energy priorities for disadvantaged communities. Please note: host employers must apply to the program with a specific fellow candidate in mind.

• Clean Energy Apprenticeships: Learn how a paid apprenticeship can jumpstart a rewarding, well-paying career in clean energy.

• Clean Energy Career Maps: Identify various paths for growth and career advancement in the field of clean energy. Explore these free tools to help map out your own clean energy career journey.

• Degrees and Certifications: Learn how degree and certification programs can set you up for long-term growth in a clean energy career.

• Directory of Free Online Clean Energy Training: Explore free online clean energy training opportunities to expand your knowledge on a variety of clean energy categories.

• Participating Clean Energy Employers: Explore the businesses and organizations that are participating as employers in NYSERDA’s Workforce Development and Training programs to find an opportunity that aligns with your career goals.

• On-the-Job Training for Energy Efficiency & Clean Technology: reimburses businesses for up to 75% of a new hire’s wages for their first 16-24 weeks of employment and provides assistance with training plans. Let your prospective employer know that these resources are available to them to help with your hiring and onboarding process.

Check out more information such as Clean Energy Career Maps and more on the Resources page.

Energize your Career, Transform the Future

Explore local career opportunities in clean energy, watch videos about careers in industries looking to hire new talent, and check out tons of resources on the Roadtrip Nation New York State Clean Energy Portal.

Clean Energy Trainings

The organizations below offer a range of clean energy trainings, some for individuals looking to join the clean energy field and others for existing professionals to learn new skills. Some but not all the trainings listed on the partner websites are associated with NYSERDA-funded projects.

• Building Energy Exchange

• CUNY Building Performance Lab

• Energy Economic Development Corporation

• Healthy Home Academy

• Interstate Renewable Energy Council

• Isaac Training & Education Center

• Non-Traditional Employment for Women (NEW)

• North American Passive House Network

• NYCHA Clean Energy Academy

• Resilience Education Training and Innovation Center

• Solar One

• Steven Winter Associates

• The Hope Program

• Urban Green Council

• Willdan Clean Energy Academy

• Youth Action Program and Homes

The transition from fossil fuels to clean energy is a key opportunity to ensure equitable access to the benefits of a clean energy economy for all. NYSERDA supports these efforts by providing training providers, schools, career counselors, and other workforce development professionals with the funding and information they need to share their clean energy expertise with a diverse audience of New Yorkers.

NYSERDA is collaborating with a robust network of educators and service providers to prepare New York’s workforce for our clean energy economy through the following programs and resources:

Training for Current Employees

• Building Operations & Maintenance Training Program: Empowers building operations and maintenance employees to significantly improve building efficiencies and reduce operating costs for building managers and owners, while contributing to the State’s energy efficiency and emission reduction goals.

• Energy Efficiency & Clean Energy Technology Training: Provides funding for businesses to work with training providers to develop and offer technical training opportunities, relevant education, hands-on experiences, paid internships, apprenticeships, full-time jobs, or advanced formal training opportunities.

• Offshore Wind Workforce Training and Skills Development: Provides funding for training initiatives that advance technical skills and prepare workers for jobs in New York’s growing offshore wind industry.

Training for New Employees

• Energy Efficiency & Clean Energy Technology Training: Provides funding for businesses to work with training providers to develop and offer technical training opportunities, relevant education, hands-on experiences, paid internships, apprenticeships, full-time jobs, or advanced formal training opportunities.

• Offshore Wind Workforce Training and Skills Development: Provides funding for training initiatives that advance technical skills and prepare workers for jobs in New York’s growing offshore wind industry.

• Climate Justice Fellowships: Year-long, full-time fellowships for individuals that currently reside in a disadvantaged community or are from a priority population. NYSERDA will provide funding for salaries and professional development so that fellows may have the opportunity to work within businesses and organizations that advance climate justice and clean energy priorities for disadvantaged communities.

Job Placement Support

• New York State Clean Energy Internships: Helps prepare the next generation of clean energy professionals by funding paid internships for clean energy training program participants, college students, and recent graduates at New York State’s clean energy businesses. Training providers are encouraged to help prospective interns learn more about participating businesses and apply today.

• On-the-Job Training for Energy Efficiency & Clean Technology: Helps businesses find qualified candidates through the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) and reduces the financial risk of hiring and training new employees by reimbursing up to 75% of a new hire’s wages for their first 16-24 weeks of employment and providing assistance for the development of training plans.

Additional Opportunities and Support for Training Providers

• Connect with Partners: NYSERDA's Partner Connector facilitates connections among training providers, employers, community partners, and other organizations that are interested in forming partnerships and collaborating within our workforce development and training programs.

• Request for Clean Energy Training Services: Seeks to establish a pool of training providers to deliver training, develop curriculum and/or training tools, and provide clean energy market expertise.

• Pay for Success Clean Energy Training: Prepares members of disadvantaged communities across New York for meaningful careers in the clean energy economy. NYSERDA will provide up-front funding for training and support services, while a third-party evaluator measures the impact on earnings over six years. The U.S. Departments of Treasury and Labor will contribute funding associated with projects that produce measurable outcomes.

• Example Training Projects: Find inspiration for training projects by learning about the variety of technology areas, the mix of training providers, and the types of training program formats funded through NYSERDA’s Workforce Development and Training programs.

Increasing the efficiency of your buildings requires more than just new technology; it requires a highly trained staff that can identify, diagnose, and resolve energy-related issues. NYSERDA helps building owners and property managers reduce expenses and increase profitability with dedicated funding for workforce development and training.

NYSERDA is helping building owners and property managers save energy and money with the following programs and resources:

• Building Operations & Maintenance Training Program: Empowers building operations and maintenance employees to significantly improve building efficiencies and reduce operating costs for building managers and owners, while contributing to the State’s energy efficiency and emission reduction goals.

• Connect with Partners: NYSERDA's Partner Connector facilitates connections among training providers, employers, community partners, and other organizations that are interested in forming partnerships and collaborating within our workforce development and training programs.

• Example Training Projects: Find inspiration for training projects at your organization by learning about the variety of technology areas, the mix of training providers, and the types of training program formats funded through NYSERDA’s Workforce Development and Training programs.

The following resources are available to all New Yorkers to help in our shared journey to a clean energy future:

Program Resources

• Fact Sheet [PDF]: Downloadable PDF with an overview of all available funding opportunities through NYSERDA’s Workforce Development initiative.

• Definitions: Glossary of common terms found in NYSERDA’s workforce development and training solicitations can be referenced to help with your application process.

• Example Training Projects: Find inspiration for training projects at your organization by learning about the variety of technology areas, the mix of training providers, and the types of training program formats funded through NYSERDA’s Workforce Development and Training programs.

• Participating Clean Energy Employers: Explore the businesses and organizations that are participating as employers in NYSERDA’s Workforce Development and Training programs to find an opportunity that aligns with your career goals.

Training and Workforce Development Resources

• Clean Energy Career Maps: Identify various paths for growth and career advancement in the field of clean energy. NYSERDA invites educators, career advisors, jobseekers, employers, policymakers, and workforce professionals to explore these free tools to help map out clean energy career journeys.

• Offshore Wind Training and Career Pathways Site: Learn about the wide range of career pathways and training opportunities in the growing offshore wind industry.

• NYSERDA Partner Clean Energy Training Sites: See upcoming trainings for new and existing workers offered by training organizations that have been a part of NYSERDA’s Workforce Development and Training Programs.

• Clean Energy Siting Training and Resources: Trainings, guides, and tools for local governments to manage responsible clean energy development in their communities.

• Clean Heat Connect: A network of heat pump distributors and manufacturers offering installer resources, including trainings, sales and marketing strategies, and tools from NYSERDA, NEEP, and trusted partners.

• Energy Code Training and Resources: Explore training and resources to improve energy code enforcement and assist with local energy code adoption.

• Directory of Free Online Clean Energy Training: Explore free online clean energy training opportunities to expand your knowledge on a variety of clean energy categories.

• Training Provider Resources: Training materials for use in clean energy training programs.

• Labor Market Data and Reports: Review state and national publications and websites for data and information on energy efficiency and clean energy workforce needs.

Partner Connector

• Connect with Partners: NYSERDA's Partner Connector facilitates connections among training providers, employers, community partners, and other organizations that are interested in forming partnerships and collaborating within our workforce development and training programs.

Upcoming Trainings and Events

• NYSERDA Events Calendar

• Join the NYSERDA Events Email List