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House Energy Committee Examines 21st Century Workforce Bill

By Karen Paczkowski posted 05-11-2015 17:31

  

On April 23rd the House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing on the 21st Century Workforce bill, a bipartisan effort to establish a comprehensive energy and manufacturing workforce program. The development of new technologies, expansion of new energy sectors, and the expected retirement of large amounts of the workforce have created a need for new workers in the energy and manufacturing sectors. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Rush (D-IL), Rep. Flores (R-TX), Rep. Green (D-TX), and Rep. Hudson (R-NC), aims to establish “a comprehensive program to improve education and training for energy and manufacturing-related jobs” in order to fill these positions with highly skilled employees.

 

The bill has a large focus on education, and directs the Secretary of Energy to “equip students with the skills, mentorships, training, and technical expertise necessary … for managing and operating the Nation’s energy and manufacturing industries.” In collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, and the National Science Foundation, the bills calls for the Department of Energy to develop guidelines for elementary through postgraduate education, and “provide direct assistance,” including financial assistance, “to schools, community colleges, workforce development organizations, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, apprenticeship programs, and minority serving institutions.” The bill also includes a particular focus on broadening participating in the STEM fields by underrepresented groups such “women, minorities, veterans, and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals.”

 

The bill does not focus on any one particular energy sector, and instead encourages the development of skills needed across all energy sectors. The bill directs the Department of Energy to work with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, and industry to map out the energy and manufacturing workforce needs by state and region. At April’s hearing, the benefits of multi-sector job training were discussed, emphasizing the need to train a flexible workforce capable of operating in both the traditional fossil fuel and renewable energy industries.

 

The Committee plans to combine this bill with the Architecture of Abundance energy legislation, “a comprehensive effort that will address four key policy areas: modernizing infrastructure, a 21st century energy workforce, energy diplomacy for a changing world, and efficiency and accountability.” 

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