SKILLS BLOG

Building Momentum and Shaping Equitable Pathways in Infrastructure and Clean Energy

By Patrick Mortiere, January 27, 2025

Six months into the Infrastructure Equity Policy Project, we are seeing significant progress toward our goals of fostering a more diverse and equitable workforce in infrastructure and clean energy sectors. This milestone reflects the collective efforts of our state partners who are working to address labor shortages while advancing racial and gender workforce equity.

A Quick Recap: Expectations Set in June 2024

The Infrastructure Equity Policy Project, which launched as part of National Skills Coalition’s People Powered Infrastructure campaign, aims to address the labor gap expected to arise from federal investments in infrastructure and clean energy. With nearly 3 million jobs generated annually—70 percent of which are accessible to workers without a bachelor’s degree—the challenge lies in preparing the 1.1 million workers currently lacking the necessary training. The project is focused on building diverse coalitions to increase training and supports for people to access infrastructure and clean energy jobs, particularly for women and workers of color.

A Brief History: How It Started

The Infrastructure Equity Policy Project was announced in June 2024, with a vision to ensure equitable workforce development in in-demand sectors. NSC hosted a virtual convening of Infrastructure Equity Policy Project leads on August 5, 2024, which brought together partners from eleven states to coordinate strategies, share best practices, and lay the groundwork for policy advocacy.

Following the virtual convening, these state partners participated in peer learning sessions and took advantage of one-on-one research and assistance to support their initiatives. Additionally, leads connected with potential coalition members, strengthening the network of advocates working toward shared goals.

Progress and State Examples

Since the project began, state partners and NSC staff have made significant progress toward achieving the project’s vision and goals. State partners have begun crafting tailored recommendations and advocacy strategies to address workforce barriers and training gaps. A few examples from states include:

  • New Mexico: Somos Un Pueblo Unido is prioritizing policies that expand training opportunities for women, youth, the indigenous community, immigrants, and workers of color in clean energy jobs, and plans to advocate for a statewide infrastructure workforce development plan, with a focus on a just transition for oil and gas workers in the Permian Basin.*
  • Texas: United Ways of Texas is building coalitions to ensure access to training for rural and underserved populations, and they plan to leverage growing interest in broadband/digital connectivity to advance policies and investments that expand job training and support services.
  • Pennsylvania: Partner4Work is focused on increasing support for infrastructure and clean energy sector partnerships in the state through the use of state and federal funding.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next?

Looking ahead to the one-year milestone in May 2025, our efforts will focus on deepening and expanding the progress made so far. A key priority will be supporting state partners as they refine and implement their policy recommendations, ensuring these initiatives align with both state and project goals. Additionally, we will continue to provide customized research and assistance as well as connections to potential coalition members, fostering collaboration and shared insights among partners. Finally, we remain committed to advocating for policies that promote racial and gender diversity in infrastructure and clean energy jobs, advancing equity within these growing sectors.

 

* The Permian Basin is an area in New Mexico and West Texas that is known for its natural gas and oil production as well as energy development.