Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday that the state will train about 1,000 workers for jobs in high efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and electric heat pump technologies.
The Career Pathway Training Partnerships program will prioritize those most in need of work, including low-income New Yorkers.
“Growing the clean energy economy will be a critical factor in New York’s efforts to build back better and combat climate change,” Cuomo said. “These investments and partnerships will help us increase the number of skilled workers to meet the sector’s growing demands, while ensuring underserved communities are directly benefitting from and participating in our efforts to make buildings healthier and more efficient through innovative clean energy solutions.”
Despite the demand for clean energy services across the state, many HVAC installers, boiler operators and other skilled clean energy trades workers are scheduled to retire over the next 10 years. This shrinking building trades workforce, coupled with the difficulty many HVAC companies already have filling current job openings, is resulting in a growing HVAC workforce gap and an increasing need for training the next generation of skilled and talented contractors to fill these roles.
Providers seeking the maximum funding amount are required to train a minimum of 50-60 students with at least 80 percent of those trained placed in a job, internship or apprenticeship. In addition, proposers are required to have at least 50 percent of their program trainees be from a priority population including: veterans, Native Americans, individuals with disabilities, low income individuals, displaced power plant workers, the formerly incarcerated, and New Yorkers residing in disadvantaged communities.