21 new projects announced to expand federal industrial training program
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) has announced the selection of 21 projects to expand the Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) program. The ITAC program provides hands-on job training for clean energy careers while helping small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) save energy, improve performance, and reduce emissions. These programs, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, help small businesses save money and expand opportunities for disadvantaged communities to save energy and pursue high-quality clean energy careers.
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The expanded ITAC program will train over 4,000 students, apprentices, and incumbent manufacturing workers for quality careers that do not necessarily require a four-year college degree. The selections both establish new ITACs and provide planning grants to selectees to plan for creating future ITACs. All told, MESC funds over 200 projects ranging from advanced manufacturing deployment, workforce deployment, SMM manufacturing efficiency, batteries and battery components, heat pumps and clean HVAC, as well as critical minerals and materials.
The ITAC program has a long history of success, having provided more than 21,000 assessments at SMMs, which comprise more than 90% of the nation's manufacturing entities, over more than four decades. The expanded program will reach even more SMMs in states and communities across the country.
The selected projects include labor unions, community and technical colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeship readiness providers. An estimated 50% of the funding for the announced selections will go to organizations that serve disadvantaged communities, according to the DOE. The selections also include seven institutions federally recognized as serving an especially high percentage of students from minority groups (also known as Minority-Serving Institutions, or MSIs).
The expansion of the ITAC program is part of MESC's broader portfolio of investments in clean energy and manufacturing. MESC is investing over $20 billion in funding to communities and industries across the nation.
For more information on the ITAC program and other MESC initiatives, visit the MESC website.
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