The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (“MassCEC”) seeks to increase the Commonwealth’s capacity to develop a Massachusetts workforce capable of contributing to the planning, deployment, and operations & maintenance of offshore wind farms in southern New England as well as to support the manufacturing of offshore wind components and its related supply chain.
Donor Name: Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center (MassCEC)
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/28/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $1 million
Details:
Through this solicitation (the “Solicitation”), MassCEC seeks to competitively select and fund qualified applicants or applicant teams to implement projects that advance offshore wind workforce development in the Commonwealth. Proposals may be for new workforce training initiatives, expansion of ongoing initiatives, workforce-related infrastructure, or a workforce-related study. All proposals must incorporate project elements that advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEIJ”) principles.
MassCEC encourages consultation and collaboration between existing training programs and/or providers such as vocational schools, community colleges or labor unions and offshore wind industry developers, turbine and component manufacturers, workforce development organizations, community support organizations, and supply chain companies.
Goals
MassCEC’s goals for offshore wind workforce development are to advance Massachusetts as a national leader and innovator in offshore wind workforce training and education, to incorporate DEIJ elements into training and education initiatives in the Commonwealth, and thereby to develop a well-trained and highly skilled workforce with an emphasis on diversity and safety. Through this Solicitation, MassCEC aims to foster and expand initiatives for offshore wind workforce training and development throughout the Commonwealth. MassCEC employs the following approaches to achieve this goal:
- Conducting targeted research and analysis to inform strategic, evidence-based workforce development initiatives that meet the needs of both the emerging offshore wind industry and jobseekers;
- Engaging directly with offshore wind industry to seek advice and guidance on workforce development to ensure Massachusetts efforts align with their needs, while also tailoring efforts to align with the state and regional landscape;
- Investing in and leveraging resources for essential, high-need training and educational programs to meet identified needs and fill gaps;
- Incentivizing and requiring proactive DEIJ elements in all Offshore Wind Works grants;
- Convening, supporting, and facilitating practitioners and stakeholders—including industry, academia, training providers, workforce development organizations, community-based organizations, and others—to share information, ideas, challenges, and best practices relating to offshore wind workforce training; and
- Engaging closely with workforce experts, community-based organizations, environmental justice advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to proactively support programs and initiatives that build a Massachusetts offshore wind workforce that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just.
Priority Groups
For the purposes of this Solicitation, “Priority Groups” is defined to include the following:
- individuals from Environmental Justice (“EJ”) Neighborhoods or low-income communities;
- members of federally recognized or state-acknowledged tribes;
- members of underrepresented communities in the clean energy workforce; and
- current or former workers from the fossil fuel industry (“Fossil Fuel Workers”).
Focus Areas
- FOCUS AREA 1: SKILLED TRADES
- FOCUS AREA 2: CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
- FOCUS AREA 3: SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION
- FOCUS AREA 4: INFRASTRUCTURE
- FOCUS AREA 5: WORKER SAFETY
Funding Information
MassCEC has currently allocated Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,500,000) in funding for project awards under this Solicitation, with a preferred maximum award amount of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) for workforce development or access to opportunity projects and studies and up to One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) for workforce-related infrastructure projects. MassCEC may increase or decrease funding at its sole discretion.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants may be an individual company, organization, or institution, or may be a team of such entities. Applicants are encouraged to engage with, partner with, and/or demonstrate support from the offshore wind industry, including developers and other companies, and/or Massachusetts-based training or educational providers with existing programs. The lead applicant must fall into at least one of the following categories:
- A community-based nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status and located in Massachusetts
- A public government entity
- An accredited Massachusetts school
- An accredited Massachusetts higher education institution offering two- or four-year degrees
- A local labor union
- An established private workforce training provider or other private company doing business in Massachusetts in partnership with an organization, entity, school, institution, or union that falls under one of the categories listed above
While the primary geographic area of focus for the Solicitation is Massachusetts, MassCEC recognizes the regional nature of the local workforce, with workers residing in one state but working and/or seeking employment in a neighboring state. Thus, MassCEC will consider projects that foster offshore wind workforce collaboration with neighboring states. While co-applicants may be from outside the Commonwealth, the lead applicant must be a Massachusetts-based entity.
For more information, visit MassCEC.
