Dept. Of Energy Picks 3 Wisconsin Institutions For Jobs Funding

MILWAUKEE — Three Wisconsin 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 (IAC) 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 DEO announced earlier this month that the programs will be expanded into following three Wisconsin institutions:

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Location: Milwaukee, WI
DOE Award Amount: $900,000
Awardee Cost Share: $75,000

Project description:

The Wisconsin BTAC project will train students and professionals in energy efficiency, energy storage, and smart building technologies. The Wisconsin BTAC aims to reduce energy burdens in disadvantaged communities while meeting the growing local and regional demand for experienced building energy professionals. It will partner with Tribal stakeholders, such as the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, as well as state government energy officials and the existing Wisconsin IAC.

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

Location: Fennimore, WI; various additional locations across Wisconsin
DOE Award Amount: $3,000,000
Awardee Cost Share: $0

Project description:

The Wisconsin Energy Partnership IAC deploys the long-standing relationships and expertise of Southwest, Madison, and Northeast Wisconsin Technical Colleges to Wisconsin’s small to medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), with a focus on those in disadvantaged communities and on Tribal lands. This project will serve 17 counties across Wisconsin, and it will: 1) provide work-based learning to students via formal apprenticeships and course-based energy site assessments and 2) offer upskilling trainings to SMMs on topics ranging from sensors and cybersecurity to energy analytics and heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC) controls.

Insulation Industry International

Location: Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Wallingford, CT; Miami, FL; Omaha, NE; Lanham, MD, Newark, NJ; and Milwaukee, WI
DOE Award Amount: $1,500,000
Awardee Cost Share: $100,000

Project description:

The Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF)—the training arm of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (HFIAW)—will develop and implement a Mechanical Insulation Energy Assessment Training and Awareness Program. This program will train unionized insulators across the country to conduct mechanical insulation audits for small and medium-sized manufacturers with a focus on businesses located in Justice40 census tracts. A pilot version of this program found that even modest insulation upgrades generate significant reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with upgrades usually generating a complete return on investment within two years.

"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.