Nevada secures funding to boost clean energy jobs

CARSON CITY, Nev. – Nevada is among nine states to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program. The grant, totaling $1,998,841, will support 13 public-private partnerships aimed at preparing workers for well-paying infrastructure jobs.

The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation’s Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) will collaborate with Nevadaworks to implement Project CEJA (Clean Energy Jobs Academy). This initiative aims to reach 2,500 workers over the next five years, offering high-quality employment opportunities in the clean energy sector and lithium battery supply chain.

“This grant will give people access to develop skills and connect them to the jobs they want early,” said Christopher Sewell, director of DETR. “This is an opportunity to help grow a skilled, diverse, and aligned workforce in Nevada by promoting collaboration and cooperation among entities focused on workforce development.”

OWINN and Nevadaworks plan to develop a regional worker-centered sector strategy program focused on Nevada’s clean energy economy. The project will identify and expand recruitment, training, education, and retention of workers in advanced manufacturing occupations within the clean energy and transportation sectors.

The initiative aims to strengthen the national supply chain of lithium, ensuring that Nevada’s historically marginalized Native American and rural communities benefit from these efforts. Milt Stewart, CEO of Nevadaworks, expressed enthusiasm for the grant, stating, “We are thrilled to receive this grant, which will significantly strengthen our infrastructure for workforce training in the clean energy sector. This support helps us to better prepare Nevada’s workforce for the growing opportunities in this industry.”

In partnership with firms in the lithium supply chain, OWINN and Nevadaworks are committed to providing robust pathways in the advanced manufacturing sector. These pathways offer high-wage jobs with career advancement for workers, including adult learners, women, veterans, underemployed workers, justice-impacted individuals, at-risk youth, and underserved populations, particularly in Nevada’s rural and tribal communities.

The service area of this grant encompasses all 17 counties of Nevada. This project builds on the Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop (Nevada Tech Hub), a statewide effort led by the University of Nevada, Reno, to bolster America’s lithium batteries, critical elements, and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.