Workforce Development and Environmental Justice Fellow

Position Overview

The Workforce Development and Environmental Justice Fellow will be a part of a dynamic team working to develop and implement clean energy workforce, equity, and inclusion-based programs across Massachusetts, serving a variety of different stakeholders and creating high-quality jobs. 

The fellow will support the Workforce Development team as part of the development of new workforce initiatives that will be crucial to supporting the growth of a robust and equitable clean energy workforce in Massachusetts while also meeting the state’s net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050. This work includes playing an active role in the review and selection of workforce equity funding proposals from community-based organizations, employers and educational institutions, including those that support expanded outreach, engagement and job training opportunities in climate-critical occupations for residents of Environmental Justice Neighborhoods and other underserved populations, and programming to support minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) in the clean energy industry. The fellow will also assist with awards and contracts, monitoring progress of awardees, participating in check-in calls, and conducting stakeholder outreach, research projects and data analysis as requested. The fellow will also support increased engagement and interaction between awardees of equity planning and training grants and MWBE support grants, and promotion of MassCEC workforce resources and programs. 

As part of Workforce Development, the fellow may also attend stakeholder meetings to take notes and facilitate follow-up and ongoing engagement with stakeholders. 

Additional Job Duties 

• Participate in internal and external meetings, and support planning and set up at roundtables and conferences related to workforce development;
• Participate and assist in the grant process for Workforce Equity grants, including proposal review, awards and contracts, monitoring of awardees, and nurturing relationships with awardees and partners;
• Participate in data tracking and analysis projects, such as tracking MWBE and training awardee metrics, simple GIS mapping projects, and workforce ecosystem stakeholder tracking;
• Conduct business development to engage new clean energy companies to participate in the Clean Energy Internship Program, including clean energy companies who are certified as women or minority owned companies;
• Participate in and support equity awardee check-in meetings, in-person convening sessions, and awardee announcement events.
• Engage with the internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team to promote a more equitable workforce across the organization, and create dialogues around culture, ethnicity, and tolerance; and
• As requested, maintain and update the MassCEC webpage and other marketing materials for workforce development programs.

The fellowship program at MassCEC may include various educational and networking opportunities, including:

• In depth overview presentations from division heads;
• Lunch-time Tech Talks and opportunities to learn from other teams;
• Guided tour of the Wind Technology Testing Center; and
• Other industry related events.

Position Qualifications 

Education: 

• Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in international affairs, economics, environmental studies/science/justice, policy, engineering, entrepreneurship, business, social services or sociology
• 3rd, 4th and 5th years

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Ability to write clearly and effectively;
• Good verbal communication and relationship management skills;
• Willing to take initiative and work independently as necessary;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Ability to stay organized;
• Ability to work on various projects with different deadlines;
• Familiarity working in Excel and databases is helpful, but not required;
• Familiarity with Environmental Justice policies, literature, and communities is helpful, but not required;
• Familiarity with workforce development, adult-based education, and/or social support practices is helpful, but not required;
• Familiarity or fluency in one or more non-English languages commonly spoken in Massachusetts, including Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin and/or Cantonese) and Haitian Creole, is helpful but not required;
• Candidate may occasionally travel within the metropolitan Boston area and willing to travel with MassCEC staff to locations outside of Boston.

Supervision

The fellow will work under the supervision of the Senior Program Manager of Workforce Development in close coordination with additional staff overseeing MassCEC’s Workforce equity programming at MassCEC.

We have a hybrid work environment with at least one day in-person per week required in the office.

Salary 

The fellow will earn $20 per hour and be eligible to work for up to 40 hours per week. 

About the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center 

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. MassCEC works to increase the adoption of clean energy while driving down costs and delivering financial, environmental, and economic development benefits to energy users and utility customers across the state. 

Mission

MassCEC’s mission is to accelerate the clean energy and climate solution innovation that is critical to meeting the Commonwealth’s climate goals, advancing Massachusetts’ position as an international climate leader while growing the state’s clean energy economy.

Our values

MassCEC is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization where everyone is welcomed, supported, respected, and valued. We are committed to incorporating principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice in all aspects of our work in order to promote the equitable distribution of the health and economic benefits of clean energy and support a diverse and inclusive clean energy industry. MassCEC strives to lead and innovate in equitable clean energy and climate solutions.