Allison Carr

The STEPs4GROWTH (Successful Training and Effective Partnerships for Growing Regional Opportunities in the Workforce To Harness the) NC Clean Energy Alliance project will focus on economic development and jobs in the Clean Energy (CE) Sector. Project activities will lead to the development of an educational/experiential system to support the explosive growth of Clean Energy across four geographic regions in North Carolina. Many of the counties in these four regions are either economically distressed or serve a large minority population that has been negatively impacted by the recent COVID pandemic. STEPs4GROWTH will address Clean Energy across four sectors, including Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Clean Vehicles, and Grid & Storage. The four CE Sectors will be supported by ����������������sectoral partnership teams��������������� that include in a lead Backbone Organization, Community Colleges, Workforce Development Boards Regional Training Centers, Chambers of Commerce, Universities, and industry partners. The Backbone Organizations will implement a Collective Impact approach that includes common agendas, continuous communication; mutually reinforcing activities, and shared metrics. Ultimately, the ����������������sectoral partnership teams��������������� will define an educational and work experience system that supports students in developing their knowledge and skills with stackable credentials or certificates with courses to develop personal soft skills, fundamentals in STEM, and specific technical skills. Industry in each CE Sector will play a crucial role in defining the skills for worker development. North Carolina A&T University is submitting the STEPs4GROWTH proposal as the Clean Energy Sector Lead Entity.