Workforce
Our Mission
One of the greatest limits to the continued economic growth of our member companies is a skilled workforce. AAEF is actively engaged in solving this issue.
AAEF’s workforce mission is to collaboratively develop a clean economy pipeline of career education and skill development:
Enabling diverse students and adults to gain equitable, quality, family-sustaining jobs
Providing employers with access to a diverse, skilled, qualified workforce
Streamlining offerings and leveraging funding for public and private partners; and
Reducing our collective impact on the environment and human health.
A contiguous advanced energy career pipeline begins with exposing K-12 students and job seekers to the careers available in our industry. This exposure might occur through teacher-led career exploration curricula, industry speakers, project tours, career fairs, or media outreach. Once an individual expresses interest in a career, they should be easily connected to training programs and pathways, whether in higher education, trade schools, community colleges, or intermediary credential programs. These pathways should connect or overlap with early job experiences such as apprenticeships, internships, or fellowships. The final stage of a contiguous green jobs pipeline includes ongoing career progression through mentorship, career coaching, professional development, re-skilling, and entrepreneurship. Collaborations among a wide range of organizations are critical to connecting each of these stages, ensuring fluid movement through the pipeline.
Our workforce strategies must reflect the cutting-edge aspects of this emerging 'new economy.' Accordingly, we must shift away from the 'train and pray' model used by educational systems and instead adopt an employer-driven approach. Rather than focusing on job development, as employers do, we concentrate on skills development through our innovative training models.
