Carol Zabin, Ph.D., Project Manager Donald Vial Center for Employment and the Green Economy

California Workforce Needs Assessment for Energy Efficiency, Demand-Side

Management, and the Green Economy

Carol Zabin, Ph.D., Project Manager

Donald Vial Center for Employment and the Green Economy

Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

University of California, Berkeley

January 26, 2010

Low Income Oversight Board Meeting

Funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Overview• Need for workforce preparation given the projected

growth in green jobs and employer demand

• Identification of gaps in California’s current workforce training and education infrastructure

• Identification and recommendations of workforce strategies to improve coordination and effectiveness

• Based on work of others and new analyses

• Partnering with COE, RIA, P/PV

Tasks 1-2 California’s Labor Market Needs to Meet

Energy Efficiency and Green Economy Goals• Task 1 develops profile of California’s workforce and

workplace (i.e., California’s labor supply and demand)• Current structure of the California economy• Major trends affecting its development• Elements of profile include

– Population projections– Migration flows– Aging of the workforce – Income and wage inequality trends – Competitive advantages– Other factors: policies, budgetary constraints and the business cycle

Task 2California’s Energy Efficiency and Green

Economy Labor Markets

• Employment projections for future demand for “green” workers by sector, occupation, and region

• Job characteristics

• Sector profiles (e.g., residential retrofit market)– Occupations– Skills– Pathways

• Mapping of EE employers and workers

Task 2Project Employment by Scenario

Policies

Investment

Business cycle

Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3

JobsJobsJobs

Task 2Sector Case Studies

• Current and emerging/expanding occupations

• Existence of career pathways or lack of them

• Skill standards, certifications etc

• Employer hiring practices, qualifications, applicant pools, and specific barriers to employment

• Wages, benefits, other job characteristics

• Current use of internal and external training

>>> What is needed in this labor market?

Tasks 3-6California’s Assets and Needs for Meeting

Green Economy RequirementsPresent situation• Significant new investment in workforce training and education

Key Questions• Responding to job growth and need for skills development?• Sufficient coordination to minimize duplication? • Building on California’s assets (e.g., community college and apprenticeship

infrastructure)?• Investment going where it is needed?• Opening up access to good green jobs with career ladders for disadvantaged

communities?

Task 3Inventory and Assessment of Collaborators

• Who is doing what?

• Where is there coordination and collaboration among the many workforce initiatives occurring?

• Where is there coordination between economic development initiatives and workforce initiatives?

• What are challenges and opportunities for better alignment and coordination of workforce training and education initiatives among the major funders?

Task 4Assessment of Workforce Infrastructure

• Detailed resource inventories– Workforce education and training programs– Employment information systems

• Energy education and career awareness in k-12 programs• Training and education programs to prepare workers for

green jobs– type and length of training, specific skills, industry recognized certificates and

credentials– # of graduates, # of job placements– Geographic distribution by skill category– Population served

• Employment information systems to help match workers with training programs and jobs

Task 5Best Practices for Minority, Low Income

and Disadvantaged Communities

• Program characteristics and strategies necessary to successfully place and retain people from disadvantaged communities in good green jobs

• Initiatives in California employing best practices

• Characteristics of programs employing best practices– Size, scalability, breadth, geographic reach

• Match between programs and employer needs by sector, occupation and region

Task 6Gap Analysis and Development of

Workforce Strategies to Address Needs

• Synthesis of Tasks 1-5

• Geographic and sector mapping of match between existing workforce and education programs and labor market needs for skill upgrading

• Based on alternative policy and growth scenarios

• Identification of strategy to fill gaps, considering existing players and their potential contributions to a coordinated workforce development effort.

Task 7Support for Planning and Conducting of

Public Meeting(s)

• Stakeholder engagement process

• Coordination with other research and planning efforts

• Dissemination of results

• Green Workforce “Summit” in late Fall 2010

Project Status

• Work has begun on each of the major tasks

• Efforts are being made to avoid duplication of efforts– California Energy Commission– California Workforce Investment Board/Green Collar Job Council– Employment Development Department/Labor Market Information Division– DOE projects

• Plans for contacting stakeholders are moving forward

• Your cooperation is most appreciated

Backup Slides

Baseline Jobs + projected jobs

EDD Green Employer Survey

CoE Green Employer Survey

EDA Green Employer Survey

Task 2: Project Labor Supply

• Project green sector workforce characteristics– Task 1 findings, California workforce– Task 2 findings, current green workforce– Projections from CA Department of Finance

• Profile population with barriers

Task 2: Profile Sectors

• Case studies of energy efficiency sectors– Review of trade literature– Industry expert interviews– Employer interviews

• Residential retrofit is first sector, including whole house retrofit

Task 2: Sector Case StudiesOccupations

Jobs Staffing Patterns

EDD Green Employment Survey

CC Centers for Excellence Survey

Key informant interviews

Task 2: Profile Skills

• Current occupations

• Emerging/expanding occupations

• Existence of career pathways or lack of them

• Skill standards, certifications etc

Task 2: Profile pipeline into jobs job quality

• Employer hiring practices, qualifications, applicant pools, and specific barriers to employment

• Wages, benefits, other job characteristics

• Current use of internal and external training

Task 2: Map Green Businesses and Workers

• Map current and future green business locations

• Map current and future green workforce locations

• Determine mismatch

Task 3: Inventory and Assessment of Interests, Responsibilities, Current and Planned WE&T Activities, and Strengths of Collaborators

QUESTIONS:

• Who is doing what?

• Where is there coordination and collaboration among the many workforce initiatives occurring and where isn’t there?

• Where is there coordination between economic development initiatives and workforce initiatives?

• What are challenges and opportunities for better alignment and coordination of workforce training and education initiatives among the major funders?

Task 3: Inventory and Assessment of Interests, Responsibilities, Current and Planned WE&T Activities, and Strengths of Collaborators

DATA COLLECTION ON:

• Government agencies that fund workforce development.• Government agencies that fund green job creation.• Government agencies with a role in regulating the green sectors.• Philanthropic foundations that fund job training and pathways out of poverty

programs. • Key training and education institutions • Key employers, employer associations, labor organizations, and labor-

management partnerships that fund training.• Community organizations or other intermediaries that shape workforce

development in their regions.• Regional public/private partnership involved in green job creation and green

workforce development.

Task 4 Identification and Documentation of Education and Job Training Programs and Employment Information Systems

DATA COLLECTION ON:

• Community college degrees, certificate programs, and other training offerings

• Adult education, high school, and ROP offerings

• Community-based and non-profit training organizations

• Private and industry training programs

• Four-year college degrees that specialize in energy efficiency, renewables, and related fields

• Building and construction trades apprenticeship programs

• Private and public employment information sytems

• K-8 programs

Task 5 Identification of Best Practices to Support Participation of Minority, Low Income and Disadvantaged Communities

DATA FROM:

• National studies of best practices in workforce training and education programs to increase minority, low-income and disadvantaged populations’ placement and retention in good jobs

• Inventory in Task 4

• Qualitative interviews with training partnerships

Task 6 Identification of Future Needs (“Gap Analysis”) and Development of Workforce Strategies to Address Needs

• Synthesis of Tasks 1-5

• Geographic and sector mapping of match and mismatch between existing workforce and education programs and real needs for skill upgrading in the labor market

• Gap analysis will be based on alternative policy and growth scenarios

• Will include recommendations on how to address gaps, considering existing players and their potential contributions to a coordinated workforce development effort.