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Welcome to this month’s edition of our newsletter! Here, we’ll share what we’re reading, thinking, and doing—and help you stay informed about what other movers and shakers are doing in the green workforce development space. This newsletter is designed as a resource for you, so let us know which topics you’d like to see more of and what resources would be the most helpful!
Inside This Month’s Edition
🚀 Launchpad Updates
Cohort 5 Has Wrapped: This cohort now joins a growing alumni network of 100+ workforce professionals committed to building a stronger, more aligned clean energy workforce ecosystem. Six weeks, dozens of conversations, and one shared goal—the 5th cohort of the Accelerator for Green Workforce Developers officially wrapped on April 17th with a final in-person session full of reflection, candor, and real next steps. With an NPS of 9.8, the experience continues to resonate long after the final session.
Toolkit Coming This Summer: Built directly with and for employers, our upcoming Energy Efficiency Employer Workforce Toolkit translates real hiring practices into practical, ready-to-use resources. Developed through 20+ hours of convenings and working sessions, the Toolkit focuses on the hardest-to-fill entry-level roles and offers clear job definitions, screening criteria, and onboarding guidance.
Angela Selected as a Rockefeller Foundation U.S. Big Bets Fellow: Angela is one of 10 bold innovators selected for the Rockefeller Foundation's second class of U.S. Big Bets Fellows. Her project focuses on helping jobseekers in New York access well-paying clean energy career pathways through an easy-to-use, navigable database of training programs and relevant certifications. We couldn't be prouder. Congratulations Angela!
Taking New York’s Lessons to Chicago: Angela joined Carbon League's Chicago Clean Energy Workforce Week to share insights from New York's clean energy workforce ecosystem alongside practitioners from Illinois and beyond.
Speaking at Con Edison’s Decarbonization Summit: On April 24th, Angela joined the Workforce Development: Training & Collaboration Panel at Con Edison's Decarbonization Summit to speak about Green Launchpad's employer coalition work—built in direct partnership with Con Edison's support.
The Green Launchpad in San Antonio: On April 29th, Angela moderated The Resilience Dividend: How Grid Hardening Drives Community Resilience, Economic Growth, and Workforce Development at the Energy Thought Summit—a timely conversation as grid infrastructure and workforce demand continue to intersect in compelling ways.
🔍 Career Highlight
Are you looking to better understand the connection between clean energy and workforce development? We’ve got you covered! Watch this short video for a breakdown of The Green Launchpad’s Clean Energy Framework.
Clean energy careers span across multiple sectors, segments, and systems — each playing a vital role in the green workforce. Each month, we’ll spotlight one key sector, segment, or system driving the clean energy transition and highlight the careers and skills shaping the future.
This Month…
We’re continuing our exploration into Tech-Enabled careers in clean energy—a cross-cutting set of roles that support the clean energy transition across multiple sectors. From energy efficiency and electrification to renewables, buildings, and grid systems, these roles are essential to how clean energy is designed, implemented, and optimized. While green tech jobs span all eight segments of the clean energy ecosystem, they are especially prominent in energy efficiency across New York—where data, systems, and performance optimization play a critical role in reducing emissions and improving building operations.
2 Sample Career Pathways in Tech-Enabled Jobs
Information Security Analyst
These professionals safeguard the digital systems that run power grids, solar farms, and energy management platforms from cyber threats. It's one of the fastest-growing roles in tech, and the clean energy sector's increasing reliance on connected systems means demand here is only going up. Many analysts enter the field through IT or computer science programs, and certifications like CompTIA Security+ or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) can give jobseekers a real competitive edge.
Note: This video is not specific to the clean energy sector, but it highlights many of the core responsibilities.
Software Engineer
Software engineers are increasingly the unsung backbone of the energy transition—building the platforms, tools, and systems that make smart grids, energy marketplaces, and clean tech products actually work. In clean energy specifically, you might be developing software for EV charging networks, grid management systems, or renewable energy monitoring platforms.
Note: This video is not specific to the clean energy sector, but it highlights many of the core responsibilities.
The career pathways highlighted above are adapted from the 2025 IREC “A Landscape Analysis of Tech Careers in the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Fields” report.
🙌 Launchpad Community Updates
Clean Energy Connect: Workforce and Resource Expo: Co-hosted by the Green Economy Network and Fordham University Community Affairs, this free expo connects community members with training programs, green employers, and education partners across the growing green economy. Whether you're exploring a career change or ready to meet hiring managers, this is a great place to start.
Action Appointments x Onboard Climate: Free Recruitment Support for Climate Nonprofits: US-based climate nonprofits with open roles can now access fully funded, expert hiring support through a new partnership between Onboard Climate and Action Appointments NGO Recruitment, a firm with over 30 years of experience placing talent at leading climate organizations worldwide.
Building and Financing the Green Workforce: A Roadmap for Mayor Mamdani: The Green Economy Network has released a bold new policy brief with three concrete recommendations for the Mamdani administration. This is a must-read for anyone working at the intersection of climate policy and workforce development.
Henry Street Settlement CECC Training Fair: Henry Street Settlement is hosting a Clean Energy Career Center training fair on Friday, June 5th at 302 Henry Street. If you have a clean energy–focused training program and are interested in participating, reach out to Mahin at [email protected] to get involved. More details are on the way—stay tuned, and start spreading the word to jobseekers in your network.
🏛️ Policy Brief
New York State Senate Advances Earth Day Legislative Package: The NY State Senate passed a sweeping Earth Day package of bills including the ASAP Act to expand rooftop and community solar, the Just Energy Transition Act to phase out fossil fuel facilities, a new electric landscaping equipment rebate program, and measures to address PFAS and lead pipes.
$17.5M NYSERDA Investment in Clean Heating & Cooling: Governor Hochul announced a $17.5 million investment through NYSERDA's Clean Heat for All: Room Heat Pump program to advance through-wall heat pump technologies in residential and multifamily buildings—creating real, near-term demand for skilled HVAC technicians and building electrification tradespeople across upstate New York.
SUNNY Act Passes NY State Senate: The New York State Senate voted 62-0 to legalize small plug-in balcony solar panels, opening up renewable energy access to millions of renters and homeowners who've long been locked out of the solar market—and signaling growing demand for solar installation and support roles across the state.
