We talk a lot about building a clean energy future for North Carolina. It's a pleasant, optimistic catch-phrase. But what does it mean for our communities? What does it mean for our economy? And what does it mean for workers who need good pay and reliable jobs?
North Carolina has a number of characteristics that make it a frontrunner for clean energy development - welcome news as our economy recovers from a pandemic that rattled the job market in nearly every sector.
The clean energy sector includes a diverse set of roles to be filled, within clean energy industries and in businesses that support their services. Jobs at the lower end of the pay scale typically offer higher salaries than similar levels in other sectors.
What are these jobs, and why is North Carolina so well-positioned to build a clean energy workforce?
In 2019, the N.C. Department of Commerce released a Clean Energy and Clean Transportation workforce assessment as required by Gov. Roy Cooper's Executive Order 80, "North Carolina's Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy." The report evaluates current and projected workforce demands in the clean energy and transportation sectors, assessed the necessary skills and education for employment growth, and recommended actions for the sectors' development.
Report Summary
North Carolina already has a substantial clean economy workforce and many opportunities for growth. The report's definition of "clean" includes clean energy generation (production, storage, transmission, and distribution from zero emission sources), energy efficiency efforts, and transportation using reduced- or zero-emission vehicles.
Nearly 300,000 workers are employed in clean economy activity, in industries that are 100 percent "clean" or are necessary to transition to a clean economy. Clean job growth rates are expected to accelerate over the next few years, creating thousands of new opportunities in clean energy generation, energy efficiency, and clean transportation.
The report emphasized that the state is meeting its clean economy needs largely due to strong workforce education programming. Jobs in clean energy and transportation are available across a variety of education, skill, and wage levels, with many requiring only a high school education and some additional training. For other positions, North Carolina's community colleges offer training and opportunities to research and engage in clean technological growth.
The report indicates that nearly half of all degrees completed at North Carolina's public and private post-secondary institutions are in business-related program areas that may foster office and administrative clean technology positions. Other programs include mechanical, repair, and engineering technologies, engineering, precision production, construction, and transportation/materials moving.
Role of North Carolina’s Community Colleges
Of note in this data is the huge role North Carolina's Community College System (NCCCS) plays in supporting growth of the state's current and future workforce, particularly in energy-related occupations. Nearly 52 percent of individuals completing academic degrees within the University of North Carolina (UNC) system or the NCCCS received credentials through the Community College System.
Further, the NCCCS provides educational courses and training programs outside its degree programs, including a number of short-term trainings related to energy and transportation occupations. As of 2018, more than 440,000 wage earners participated in clean energy generation, energy efficiency, and clean transportation industries, with nearly 34 percent of those workers having participated in an educational or training program through the NCCCS.
The NCCCS is also responsible for North Carolina's registered apprenticeship programs (via ApprenticeshipNC). As of 2019, more than half of the 8,400 active apprentices in the program were enrolled in occupations related to the state's clean economy.
Some examples of community college programming include:
- Cape Fear Community College offers an Electrical Lineworker Training program, a 10-week course designed to help students start a career as an electrical lineworker. The Carolina Energy Workforce Consortium estimates that the industry will need approximately 4,000 new lineworkers over the next five years.
- Central Carolina Community College's Sustainable Technologies Program trains students for a number of different clean economy careers, from building performance analysts and green building specialists to renewable energy technicians and sustainability managers. Its associate degree in Applied Science in Sustainability Technologies trains future workers and entrepreneurs for earth-friendly and consumer-friendly occupational paths.
- Central Piedmont Community College was the first community college in the country to offer a Tesla START Program. This partnership with Tesla involves a 12-week training program for servicing the company's electric vehicles.
- Fayetteville Technical Community College partners with local high schools to offer an Intro to Photovoltaic Systems Career and Technical Education Pathways course. This dual enrollment program helps accelerate high school students' work toward an associate degree or entry-level job in installation/maintenance of residential and industrial electrical systems.
- Blue Ridge Community College offers a diploma in Alternative Transportation Technology, as well as certificates in Alternative Fuels and Advanced Electric Drives. These programs prepare individuals for work involving alternative fuel and hybrid electric vehicles.
Beyond community college programming, the UNCsystem offers students opportunities to participate in and expand clean energy research, education, and applied activities. NC State University's NC Clean Energy Technology Center, Appalachian State's Appalachian Energy Center, and North Carolina A&T State University's Center for Energy Research and Technology are important hubs of connection between industry and higher education.
Increasing Workforce Development in North Carolina
As the clean energy economy expands, collaboration between employers and education providers will be essential to ensure continued workforce growth and success. There are already several such programs, including:
- The Community College Council of Associations for Engagement (CAFE), a collaborative of industry associations that partners with community colleges to create clean energy curriculum programs. The group recently worked with the Carolinas Energy Workforce Consortium to meet a need for electric lineworkers and develop community college programming for lineworker training. The programs deployed within two years of formation, providing rapid turnaround for promoting industry success.
- The Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster's Talent Action Committee, which identifies needs, challenges, and opportunities for talent in the energy and technology industry. For example, the group recently completed a project in which public school teachers were given exposure to clean energy trends and opportunities, which they then used to inform programming among fellow teachers and students.
- The North Carolina Business Council on Education, which also connects North Carolina business leaders, educators, and education decisionmakers to help develop curriculums and career readiness programming.
The state's community colleges and public and private universities are poised to serve a critical role in helping North Carolina meet its maximum potential in developing a clean energy workforce. Students and job-seekers who want to be part of this burgeoning sector should look into these programs. There has never been a better time to be a part of North Carolina’s clean energy industry and help power our state to a cleaner, better future.