Policy & Practice | Winter 2024

community. These partnerships will enable us to conduct outreach to can didates and to place graduates in their local communities—to scale impact.” Today, there are typically more than 100 applicants for 8 to 10 spots in a training cohort. Notably, if a candidate is not a fit for Clean Tech Accelerator, Goodwill endeavors to recommend alternative pathways and support. Awareness of the program has further spread through word-of-mouth testimo nials from program participants. An Opportunity for Stability and Success Stand-out graduates like Oscar are a key reason Clean Tech Accelerator has earned its positive reputation. The ability to cultivate these skilled and credentialed workers is thanks, in large part, to the thoughtfully planned requirements of the program that begin even before the first day of training, as wraparound services from transportation to child care support are sorted to enable participation. Once training begins, individuals follow a meticulously designed cur riculum that focuses on employment readiness, classroom and hands-on training, and attainment of critical industry certifications. Placement services follow to connect trainees with relevant job opportunities. When it comes to the success of Houston’s Clean Tech Accelerator, the program numbers speak for themselves. So far, 47 trainees have graduated, with 8 others currently enrolled. Those who complete the program earn key industry certifica tions, including OSHA-10 (part of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s outreach training program) and from the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), both critical for HVAC workers. While the national success rate for EPA cer tification hovers around 50 percent, the Houston program has maintained a 100 percent pass rate. Employers are responding to these impressive outcomes. To date, more than half of the program graduates have been placed into jobs in this pilot year. For next year, the goal is to achieve an 80 percent placement rate.

SPOTLIGHT: OSCAR DUENAS

For Oscar Duenas, a chance interaction with a former schoolmate at a gas station led him to learn about Clean Tech Accelerator. Oscar’s friend had recently been hired after completing training as a heat pump technician, and his experience piqued Oscar’s interest. Although the program offerings were compelling—a

chance to build transferable skills, find a role with growth potential, along with a salary that could enable him to support his young family—the practical challenges of taking five weeks off from his current job posed significant obstacles. Fortunately, CleanTech Accelerator offered support that helped Oscar continue his training while keeping up with his everyday responsibilities outside the classroom, including assistance with food and transportation.When the training was over, the support continued, with one-on-one career coaching, career readiness training, help with interview attire, résumé review, and more. Oscar ultimately secured a job making nearly triple the state minimum wage.

Like Oscar Duenas (see Spotlight), Candace Keith is another outstanding graduate. After facing major financial uncertainty for many years as a single mother of two children, Candace decided to join the program and complete five weeks of intensive HVAC and heat pump training. Not long after her training finished, she was offered a job that she was eager to accept. With guidance from her instructors, Candace was able to negotiate fair compensation that was higher than she thought possible. Today, Candace is working as an HVAC technician at a company where she is positioned for growth and continued opportunities. On top of its participant successes, Clean Tech Accelerator has also successfully trained two in-house instructors to teach the heat pump tech nician curriculum, with James (Jim) Midkiff serving as the Lead Instructor. These instructors have now taken over from Goodwill’s original third-party training partner, Bloc Power. Looking Ahead to What’s Next The program plans to launch new pilots for training solar and storage

technicians in the coming year. The Goodwill of Houston training facility is also set to undergo significant expansion in 2025, thanks to the stra tegic leadership of Mike Winckler, President and CEO. For other organizations considering embarking on similar journeys that do not have the same resources as Accenture and Goodwill, Majied is clear that they should not be discour aged. “Believe in the opportunities that you’re creating for your commu nity and for your local economy and move forward with that. Just start where you are,” she says. The Clean Tech Accelerator program stands as a testament to the power of community-based partner ships in driving equitable employment opportunities. Through its compre hensive training and support services, the program is not only meeting the needs of the clean energy economy but also transforming lives and communities. As it continues to grow and expand, the program promises to be a cornerstone in the journey toward a sustainable and prosperous future.

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