American Clean Power

Workforce Training & Education

With the clean energy workforce projected to double to nearly one million by 2030, ACP offers industry resources to support recruitment, diversity, and retention of our workforce. 

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Growing the clean energy workforce.

Supporting a talented, well-trained, diverse and informed workforce is a priority for the U.S. clean energy industry.

Clean energy investment will more than double the clean energy workforce to around 1 million by 2030.  

Building, operating, and maintaining power generation projects demands strong technical skills and safety awareness. Utility-scale clean energy sites are unique, requiring fewer technicians to perform diverse tasks without the specializations found in traditional facilities.

While demand for clean energy technicians is rising, training programs have not kept pace, leading to inconsistent curricula and skill levels.

ACP, in collaboration with the Clean Power Institute, developed the Certified Clean Energy Professional Program as a solution. The program establishes an industry-wide bar for the skills and competencies technicians should be able to demonstrate.  

The program builds upon ACP’s guidelines for entry-level technician training to outline a standardized approach to certify technicians’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively install, maintain, and troubleshoot clean energy technologies. To become certified, technicians must successfully complete a series of hands-on demonstrations that simulate typical maintenance and repair tasks. As a result, technicians are recognized for their expertise and companies have confidence that new technicians are ready to take on this challenging job.  

Additionally,  experienced clean energy professionals are encouraged to participate by applying to become an entry level technician assessor. Learn about how to become a Certified Clean Energy Assessor.  

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Become an assessor for ACP's entry-level clean energy technician certification program

‍ACP is taking applications from experienced clean energy professionals to become an assessor

Workforce training Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from interested and qualified individuals for its entry-level clean energy technician certification program. Any questions about the application process can be directed to [email protected].

Assessor Qualifications:

  • Five or more years of experience supervising clean energy technicians, conducting competency assessments, or leading technician training programs with at least three of those years occurring in the last five years.
  • Received a recommendation from their company to serve as an assessor.
  • Demonstrated interest in raising the bar of trained and competent clean energy technicians.
  • Attended ACP’s assessor training and certified by ACP as an assessor.

Materials to Submit to Verify Your Qualifications:

  • Provide a resume that lists your employers, positions, position tenure, and position description to help demonstrate your experience supervising clean energy technicians and/or conducting field assessments.
  • Provide a brief letter of support from your employer recommending your for the assessor position.
  • Provide a brief description of your interest in raising the bar of trained and competent clean energy technicians.
  • Confirmation that you can attend the virtual assessor training should you be selected.

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Tools to help job-seekers and company managers.

ACP offers a variety of tools and educational materials to support recruitment, diversity, and retention of the clean energy workforce, which you can explore below.

Clean Energy Career Pathways Catalog

Over 300 job descriptions for technical and specialty jobs in clean energy

Created for job-seekers, hiring managers, the existing workforce, and the public, ACP’s Clean Energy Career Pathways Catalog presents over 300 job descriptions for technical and specialty jobs within the clean energy industry.

The cover image for ACP's Clean Energy Career Pathways Catalog - an opaque background with colorful images of renewable energy on the right side, including solar farms, wind farms and transmission lines.

This catalog shows the upward mobility and opportunities that exist within the industry, alongside highlighting the skills and requirements necessary to work in these positions. The aim is to provide a better understanding of how existing transferrable skills could be applied to clean energy jobs or what a career progression within the workforce could look like.

This massive effort is meant to provide workers in other energy industries, veterans, and workers in underrepresented communities a better idea of the jobs available in clean energy, as well as support the industry with recruiting and retention.

Browse the Catalog

If you have questions about the catalog, please email [email protected].

Micro Credentials

Measuring the skills needed for effective work as a clean energy technician

The cover image for ACP's Resource "Micro Credentials," with pictures of word documents and the text "measuring the skills needed for effective work as a clean energy technician."

Micro Credentials represent concise, logical skills that – when combined – form the larger skillsets necessary to successfully work in certain jobs on clean energy sites. An individual can be tested against these skills to demonstrate mastery of the skill and, in so doing, get on a path to a promotion.

How can I use Micro Credentials?

Employers can use the Micro Credentials to test and track training effectiveness, technician progression, and fit for various tasks and projects. This can help ensure work is performed safely and competently. The addition of more and targeted Micro Credentials can also be used to reward additional capabilities and skillsets.

Technicians can use the Micro Credentials to demonstrate their competence in particular skills. Using these credentials as reference, the capabilities and the breadth of technician skills can be measured and quantified, which can support career progression.

Explore ACP’s Micro Credentials

The ACP Micro Credentials are designed to aid the employer to comply with 29 CFR 1910.269(a)(2)(viii) and 29 CFR 1910.9 (b). These two standards require both training and demonstrated proficiency in the work practices they are expected to perform.    

ACP’s Training and Education Working Group has prepared this series of micro credentials. If you have questions about this ACP program, or recommendations for additional micro credentials, please reach out via [email protected]. 

Qualified Electrical Worker Programs

Guidelines to help companies build a QEW program 

   

Building, operating, and maintaining any power generation project requires a high level of electrical safety awareness, training, technical skills, knowledge, and the personal discipline to always act in a safe manner. To build such awareness, knowledge and skills requires training, including on specific tasks since each task presents different hazards and mitigation procedures.

The Guidelines Qualified Electrical Workers represent a basic set of criteria for a Qualified Electrical Worker (QEW) program with suggestions for developing the training, managing the verification of skills and the implementation in the field including both the technical skills and the electrical safety elements to be considered. This is intended as a guideline to assist companies in preparing their own QEW program.

Download QEW Wind Guidelines

Download QEW Solar Guidelines

Download QEW BESS Guidelines

If you have questions about the guidelines, please contact [email protected]. 

Entry-level Technician Training

   

The Entry-level Technician Training Guidelines ensure a comprehensive understanding of entry-level requirements and standardized skills for operations and maintenance technicians working in onshore and offshore wind facilities, utility-scale solar facilities, and battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities

Download Wind Guidelines

Download Solar Guidelines

Download BESS Guidelines

If you have questions about the guidelines, please contact [email protected]. 

Certified Clean Energy Professionals Program Interest Form

The Certified Clean Energy Professional Program provides industry-recognized certifications for clean energy technicians and assessors across wind, solar, and battery storage. Let us know how you’re interested in engaging with the program.