Sen. Eldridge highlights solar installation training program with returning citizens through partnership with DOC and CWS
Community Work Services helps returning citizens earn well-paying jobs in a quickly-expanding industry
BOSTON - Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough) is proud to highlight the Clean Energy Institute, a solar installation training program by Community Work Services (CWS) to train underrepresented communities in solar and clean energy jobs. Eldridge advocated with the Department of Correction (DOC) for a year and a half to get the contract with CWS signed, highlighting the intersectional impact of providing training and jobs to formerly incarcerated people to help combat climate change.
The Clean Energy Institute aims to help those from underrepresented communities gain high-demand jobs in the well-paying solar energy industry. In partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, as well as the Apex Technical School an affiliate of The Fedcap Group — the partnership will serve formerly incarcerated individuals returning to their communities
Those in the program will attend a 450-hour training session that will prepare them for the micro/smart grid and solar energy systems which they will soon work on through both classroom lessons and hands-on training in solar installation. In addition, the Clean Energy Institute will teach basic financial literacy and digital skills.
“Programs like the Clean Energy Institute provide valuable opportunities to citizens returning to the community,” said Senator Jamie Eldridge. “Countless studies show that increasing employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals drastically decreases recidivism rates, and I’m thrilled to see the Clean Energy Institute putting this into action. This pilot program is a good start, but I urge the Healey-Driscoll administration to invest more in re-entry job training, including in the clean energy sector.”
Craig Stenning, Executive Director of CWS, praised Senator Eldridge for his enduring dedication to enhancing the prospects of formerly incarcerated individuals as they reintegrate into their communities in Greater Boston. "Through this fresh collaboration, CWS aims to extend its reach in fulfilling our mission, dating back to 1877, of aiding those facing obstacles to achieving economic stability."
CWS Commercial Cleaning Program Coordinator Tim Muise added, "Through CWS's Reimagining Reentry Training Programs, we infuse hope into an environment often deprived of it. This hope stems from the core principle of Reimagining Reentry: individuals who have overcome similar obstacles pay it forward to those currently facing challenges. Senator Eldridge wholeheartedly acknowledges the significance of this principle, and his backing of this initiative is immeasurable."
To read more about Community Work Services, click here. To learn about the Clean Energy Institute in Boston, click here. To find out more about FedCap, click here.
