(a)
Establishment— The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, shall establish and carry out a comprehensive and nationwide program (referred to in this section as the “program”) in accordance with this section to improve education and workforce development for jobs in energy-related industries (including jobs in manufacturing, engineering, construction, retrofitting, and research and development in energy-related industries) to increase the number of skilled workers prepared to work in energy-related industries.
(b)
Workforce development—
(1)
In general— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall—
(A)
encourage underrepresented groups to enter into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields;
(B)
encourage educational institutions to provide students with mentors and equip students with the skills, preparation, and technical expertise necessary to fill the employment opportunities vital to managing and operating energy-related industries;
(C)
provide internships, fellowships, traineeships, registered apprenticeships, and employment through existing programs at the Department of Energy, including at National Laboratories;
(D)
provide research grants and technical assistance to institutions of higher education, with priority given to minority-serving institutions;
(E)
provide students and other candidates for employment with the necessary skills and certifications for skilled, semiskilled, and highly skilled jobs in energy-related industries;
(F)
ensure that the program is in alignment with Department of Energy initiatives to ensure minority participation in the energy workforce;
(G)
engage with other programs and laboratories in the Department of Energy that are carrying out the Minorities in Energy Initiative of the Department of Energy; and
(H)
to the maximum extent practicable—
(i)
collaborate with and support workforce development programs to maximize the efficiency of the program;
(ii)
collaborate with registered apprenticeship programs and preapprenticeship programs; and
(iii)
if requested by the Secretary of Labor, support the establishment of nationally recognized certifications by the Department of Labor in the energy-related industries described in subsection (j)(4).
(2)
Priority— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall prioritize the education and training of underrepresented groups, including low-income individuals, low-wage workers, and displaced workers, for jobs in energy-related industries.
(c)
Direct assistance—
(1)
In general— To carry out the program, the Secretary shall—
(A)
provide direct assistance (including financial assistance awards, technical expertise, and guidance on internships) to educational institutions, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, joint labor-management organizations, registered apprenticeship programs, and preapprenticeship programs; or
(B)
work within existing programs of the Department of Energy (including programs of the National Laboratories).
(2)
Distribution— The Secretary shall distribute direct assistance under paragraph (1)(A) in a manner that—
(A)
is proportional to the needs of, and demand for jobs in, an energy-related industry; and
(B)
is consistent with the information obtained under subsections (e)(3) and (j).
(d)
Resource center—
(1)
In general— The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, shall establish an online resource center to provide—
(A)
competency models and career maps for jobs in energy-related industries; and
(B)
a tool to map skills across—
(i)
different energy-related industries; and
(ii)
different jobs in energy-related industries.
(2)
Purpose— The Secretary shall establish the online resource center described in paragraph (1) to be a resource for educational institutions, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and registered apprenticeship programs that would like to develop and implement workforce development programs for the jobs described in that paragraph.
(3)
Complementarity with existing resources— In carrying out paragraph (1)—
(A)
the Secretary may draw from or complement any existing resources of the Department of Labor or the Department of Education, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and
(B)
if the Secretary and the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary of Education, as applicable, agree, the appropriate Secretaries may—
(i)
integrate the online resource center established under that paragraph with any existing online resources of the Department of Labor or the Department of Education; or
(ii)
modify those existing online resources to ensure complementarity between those resources and the online resource center established under paragraph (1).
(4)
Complete integration with existing resources—
(A)
In general— The online resource center described in paragraph (1) may be established entirely through the modification of 1 or more existing online resources of the Department of Labor or the Department of Education if—
(i)
the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, determines that the modification of 1 or more existing online resources, rather than the establishment of a new online resource, would be an efficient and effective means of—
(I)
carrying out the purpose of the online resource center described in paragraph (2); and
(II)
providing the models, maps, and tool described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1); and
(ii)
the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary of Education, as applicable, agrees to modify (or allows the Secretary to modify) the applicable online resources in a manner that carries out subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) to the satisfaction of the Secretary.
(B)
Subsequent establishment of new resource— If the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, determines at any time that it would be more appropriate to establish a new online resource center under paragraph (1), the Secretary may do so.
(e)
Collaboration and report— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall—
(1)
collaborate with educational institutions, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, registered apprenticeship programs, and energy-related industries;
(2)
to facilitate the sharing of promising practices and approaches that best suit local, State, and national needs, encourage and foster collaboration, mentorship, and partnership between—
(A)
industry, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and registered apprenticeship programs that provide effective workforce development programs for jobs in energy-related industries; and
(B)
educational institutions that seek to establish those programs; and
(3)
collaborate with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Bureau of the Census, and energy-related industries—
(A)
to develop a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the workforce needs of, and job opportunities in, energy-related industries and labor organizations, by State and by region; and
(B)
to publish an annual report on job creation in the areas identified by the Secretary under subsection (j)(1)(A), including any areas identified pursuant to a periodic review carried out under subsection (j)(3) as being among those areas with the greatest demand for workers.
(f)
Guidelines for educational institutions—
(1)
In general— The Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, and the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall develop and provide to educational institutions voluntary guidelines or promising practices for providing graduates with skills necessary for jobs in energy-related industries (including skills for manufacturing, engineering, construction, retrofitting, and research and development in energy-related industries).
(2)
Input from industry and labor organizations— In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall solicit input from energy-related industries and labor organizations.
(3)
Energy efficiency and conservation initiatives— The voluntary guidelines or promising practices developed under paragraph (1) shall include grade-specific guidelines for teaching students, families, and communities about energy efficiency technology, manufacturing efficiency technology, community energy resiliency, and energy conservation initiatives.
(4)
STEM education— The voluntary guidelines or promising practices developed under paragraph (1) shall promote education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as it relates to job opportunities in the areas identified by the Secretary under subsection (j)(1)(A), including any areas identified pursuant to a periodic review carried out under subsection (j)(3) as being among those areas with the greatest demand for workers.
(g)
Outreach to minority-Serving institutions— The Secretary shall—
(1)
give special consideration to increasing outreach to minority-serving institutions;
(2)
make resources available to minority-serving institutions to increase the number of skilled minorities and women qualified for jobs in energy-related industries (including with respect to skills for jobs in manufacturing, processing, engineering, construction, retrofitting, and research and development in energy-related industries);
(3)
encourage energy-related industries to improve opportunities for students of minority-serving institutions to participate in industry internships and cooperative work-study programs; and
(4)
work with the laboratories of the Department of Energy to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in internships, fellowships, workforce development programs, and employment at those laboratories.
(h)
Outreach to displaced and unemployed energy workers— The Secretary shall—
(1)
give special consideration to increasing outreach to employers, labor organizations, and job trainers preparing displaced and unemployed energy workers for emerging jobs in energy-related industries (including jobs in manufacturing, engineering, construction, retrofitting, and research and development in energy-related industries);
(2)
make resources available to institutions that serve displaced and unemployed energy workers to increase the number of individuals prepared for jobs in energy-related industries (including jobs in manufacturing, engineering, construction, retrofitting, and research and development in energy-related industries); and
(3)
encourage energy-related industries to improve opportunities for displaced and unemployed energy workers to participate in industry internships, registered apprenticeship programs, and cooperative work-study programs.
(i)
Enrollment in workforce development and registered apprenticeship programs— The Secretary shall collaborate with industry, local workforce development boards, State workforce development boards, nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, and registered apprenticeship programs to help identify students and other candidates, including from underrepresented groups to enroll in quality preapprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeship programs for jobs in energy-related industries.
(j)
Guidelines To develop skills for an energy industry workforce—
(1)
In general— The Secretary—
(A)
in collaboration with energy-related industries and labor organizations, shall identify, within energy-related industries, the areas that have the greatest demand for workers; and
(B)
in collaboration with energy related industries and labor organizations and in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall develop and maintain, in accordance with this subsection, guidelines for the skills necessary to work in those areas.
(2)
Skills— In developing and maintaining guidelines under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary, in collaboration with energy-related industries and labor organizations and in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall include levels of proficiency or certification in skills relevant to the applicable area, which may include, as applicable, 1 or more of the following:
(S)
Any other skill that the Secretary, in collaboration with energy-related industries and labor organizations, determines to be appropriate.
(3)
Focus— The Secretary, in collaboration with energy-related industries and labor organizations, shall—
(A)
periodically review the areas identified under paragraph (1)(A), other areas within energy-related industries, and the energy market in general; and
(B)
shift the focus of the efforts carried out under this subsection to ensure that, as the energy market evolves, the guidelines developed and maintained under paragraph (1)(B) continue to address the areas with the greatest demand for workers.
(4)
Requirement— In carrying out paragraphs (1)(A) and (3), the Secretary shall review and consider, at a minimum, areas within the following energy-related industries:
(A)
The alternative energy generation and refining industries, including—
(i)
the renewable energy industry, including work relating to the development, engineering, manufacturing, production, and installation of—
(I)
technologies that generate renewable energy from sources such as solar, hydropower, wind, wave, and geothermal energy; and
(II)
technologies relating to hydrogen or other energy carriers that are generated from renewable sources;
(ii)
the bioenergy industry, including work relating to biomass, biofuel, and biochemical refining;
(iii)
industries involving the extraction and refining of minerals that are critical to renewable energy storage and production; and
(iv)
the nuclear energy industry, including—
(I)
discovery, extraction, refining, and power generation; and
(II)
production of hydrogen paired with nuclear energy generation.
(B)
The fossil energy extraction and refining industries, including—
(i)
the oil and gas industry, including discovery, extraction, refining and power generation;
(ii)
the petrochemical manufacturing industry, including hydrogen generation from fossil sources;
(iii)
the coal industry; and
(iv)
the carbon sequestration industry, including underground storage and longterm biological storage pools.
(C)
The energy storage industry, including the manufacture and installation of batteries, pumped hydro, and other forms of physical and chemical energy storage.
(D)
The energy conveyance industries, including—
(i)
with respect to electricity—
(I)
the transmission and distribution of electricity;
(II)
the establishment of microgrids; and
(III)
smart grid technologies;
(ii)
pipelines for the transmission of oil, natural gas, hydrogen, biomass, and other energy feedstocks; and
(iii)
vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure.
(E)
The energy efficiency industry, including work relating to conservation, weatherization, electrification, energy auditing, retrofitting, programming and automation, construction, plumbing, and inspection.
(F)
The manufacturing industry, including—
(i)
the manufacture of—
(I)
wind, solar, and geothermal energy equipment;
(II)
hydropower, wave power, and biofuel combustion equipment;
(III)
nuclear components; and
(IV)
other alternative energy equipment;
(ii)
the manufacture of alternative fuel vehicles, engines, drive trains, and fuel cells;
(iii)
the manufacture of electric batteries, cryogenic hydrogen equipment, and other forms of chemical and physical energy storage;
(iv)
the manufacture of heat pumps, induction heaters, and other advanced technologies used for—
(I)
space and water heating and cooling; or
(II)
drying applications; and
(v)
advanced manufacturing that supports the energy sector, such as operations and design relating to—
(I)
additive manufacturing;
(II)
3-dimensional printing;
(III)
advanced composites and advanced aluminum and other alloys;
(IV)
industrial energy efficiency management systems (including power electronics); and
(V)
other innovative technologies.
(5)
Complementarity with existing resources— In carrying out paragraph (1)(B)—
(A)
the Secretary shall draw from or complement any existing resources of the Department of Labor, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and
(B)
if the Secretary and the Secretary of Labor agree, the Secretary and the Secretary of Labor may—
(i)
integrate the development and maintenance of the guidelines described in that paragraph with any existing resources of the Department of Labor; or
(ii)
modify those existing resources to ensure complementarity between those resources and the development and maintenance of those guidelines.
(6)
Complete integration with existing resources—
(A)
In general— The publication and maintenance of the guidelines described in paragraph (1)(B) may be carried out entirely through the modification of 1 or more existing resources of the Department of Labor if—
(i)
the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, determines that the modification of 1 or more existing resources of the Department of Labor, rather than the establishment of a new resource, would be an efficient and effective means of publishing and maintaining those guidelines; and
(ii)
the Secretary of Labor agrees to modify (or allows the Secretary to modify) the applicable resources in a manner that carries out clause (i) to the satisfaction of the Secretary.
(B)
Subsequent establishment of new resource— If the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, determines at any time that it would be more appropriate to establish a new resource to carry out paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary may do so.