Dept. Of Energy Selects 2 Atlanta Institutions For Jobs Funding

ATLANTA — Two Atlanta educational institutions are among the first community colleges, trade unions and union training programs to win federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The funding — which comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Law — will be used to expand the Industrial Assessment Center Program and create new Building Training and Assessment Centers.

Overseen by the DOE, the two programs aim to:

• Provide hands-on learning opportunities to university students and union apprentices who are pursuing careers in the energy field.
• Provide free energy assessments to the nation's small and medium-sized manufacturers so they can reduce energy costs and increase productivity.

The Biden Administration said the latest round of funding will help the nation reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase access to high-quality green jobs, "with a focus on pathways to quality careers that do not require a four-year degree."

BTACs are located at universities while IAC Programs are hosted by community colleges and trade unions.

The DOE announced earlier this month that the programs will be expanded into the following two Atlanta institutions:

Atlanta Technical College

Location: Atlanta
DOE Award Amount: $2 million
Awardee Cost Share: $0
Project description:

The IAC and Clean Energy Technicians Training Initiative (CETTI) at Atlanta Technical College will use hands-on training to address the growing demand for skilled clean energy professionals. The project embodies a comprehensive approach to workforce development and community advancement and will develop multiple training pathways, including an Energy Efficiency Assessment/Auditing program and an associate degree in clean energy technology—the latter of which will be the first such degree offered in the technical college system of Georgia. The project will engage with regional IACs, local businesses, nonprofits, Chambers of Commerce, and labor unions to foster community collaborations, serve manufacturers with no-cost assessments, and ensure equitable access to quality jobs.

International Training Institute for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Industry

Location: Atlanta; Las Vegas, Nevada
DOE Award Amount: $3.3 million
Awardee Cost Share: $1.5 million
Project description:

The two International Training Institute (ITI) IACs will be located at the Georgia Sheet Metal JATC (in Atlanta, GA) and the Sheet Metal Local 88 JATF (in Las Vegas, NV). Both regions have a growing need for skilled heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC) technicians. This project will help meet that need and expand high-quality union work opportunities by 1) building state-of-the-art Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing labs; 2) offering stacked, weeklong courses for both apprentices and journey-workers on energy-saving HVAC practices and technologies (including heat pumps); and 3) partnering with their signatory industry contractors within the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) to enable energy system upgrades for small to medium-sized manufacturers.

"For more than four decades, the IAC Program has provided more than 20,000 assessments at small- and medium-sized manufacturers, which comprise more than 90 percent of the nation’s manufacturing base," the DOE said in its Nov. 15 announcement.

"The new IAC and BTAC awardees will work with hundreds of industrial facilities and buildings across 25 states, expanding the existing network of 37 IACs and launching 10 inaugural BTACs."

Learn more about the programs here.