Supporting States and Communities: NREL’s Workforce Development Tools and Technical Assistance

This Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) webinar offered actionable insights and resources for those advancing workforce development, energy deployment, or small business growth. Speakers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) highlighted workforce research, tools, and technical assistance opportunities designed to support state energy offices, communities, and workforce partners. Topics included workforce research and analysis, career map tools, state technical assistance programs, prize opportunities, and community capacity-building strategies.

Tools presented included the Energy Training Connector—an ArcGIS-based platform offering centralized access to training data—along with educational resources, career maps, and teacher training initiatives. Speakers also shared insights from national workforce assessments and discuss opportunities for tailored assistance through programs like C-LEAP and the State-Federal Accelerator (SFA). Participants learned how to access these resources and engage in ongoing convenings designed to foster collaboration and learning among states.

Speakers:

• Jennifer Daw, Group Manager and Senior Researcher, NREL
• Elise DeGeorge, Senior Project Leader, NREL
• Alexandra Kramer, Researcher II-Decision Support Analysis, NREL
• Jeremy Stefek, Researcher IV- Environmental Engineering, NREL
• Kristin Wegner Guilfoyle, Project Manager IV- Research, NREL
• Anna Ziai, Project Director for Federal Initiatives, CESA (Moderator)