The University of Houston will team up with the Urban Enrichment Institute and the City of Houston to train the next generation energy workforce.
The University of Houston, a nationally recognized institution for innovation and energy research, will soon be part of a joint effort to train the next generation energy workforce thanks to a $560,000 award.
The funds were awarded to the Urban Enrichment Institute, an nonprofit dedicated to supporting at-risk youths, by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. It will enable UEI to develop the “Spark Energy Futures: Equipping Youth and Communities for the Energy Transition” program alongside UH’s Energy Transition Institute and the Houston Health Department.
Keith Cornelius, executive director UEI, hopes the program will prepare students to enter the workforce without a college degree.
“The primary motivator for educating and mentoring students in certain ZIP codes where there may be food deserts and education achievement isn’t as high has always been to go to college. Things have changed,” Cornelius said. “For those students who don’t want to go to college, this project will give them training and certification to enter the workforce in the energy field.”
The Spark Energy Futures program is designed for Houstonians ages 16-25 and will provide them with four months of STEM-based training, hands-on experience and industry-aligned certifications without needing a four-year degree.
Participants will get field exposure, earn credentials and job placement support, as well as recruitment and community engagement supported by UEI’s network.
Cornelius expects the program to serve 50 young adults in its first year.
“We’re going to conduct seminars and workforce development fairs as part of this program to expose our students to the energy industry,” Cornelius said. “We’re also going to expose students and energy partners to the program at UH.”
Given its status as the Energy University, Debalina Sengupta, assistant vice president and Chief Operating Officer of ETI, said UH will provide technical knowledge and additional support to boost program and workforce needs.
“To meet growing demands, the energy supply, transmission, distribution and markets associated with an ever-increasing energy mix needs a workforce skilled in multidimensional aspects of energy, as well as the flexibility to switch as needed to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to our population.”
— Debalina Sengupta, assistant vice president and Chief Operating Officer of ETI, University of Houston
“Our energy systems are going through unprecedented changes to address the growing energy demands in the United States, Gulf Coast and Texas,” she said. “To meet growing demands, the energy supply, transmission, distribution and markets associated with an ever-increasing energy mix needs a workforce skilled in multidimensional aspects of energy, as well as the flexibility to switch as needed to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to our population.”
The award was part of a $2.7 million grant that will fund four projects in the Gulf region. Each project is designed to prepare young adults for high-quality careers in the energy sector as the nation transitions to cleaner, more resilient systems.
The other projects are:
- $750,000 for “Bridging the Solar Skills Gap: Clean Energy Workforce Training for Youth” in New Orle
- $748,175 for “Building the South Texas Energy Workforce” in Kingsville, Texas
- $728,000 for “Texas Green Careers Academy: Activating a New Generation of Energy Professionals” in Austin
For Cornelius, working alongside his alma mater and the city of Houston is an opportunity for him open more doors for the young adults he serves.
“We’re going to be flying the UH flag all day, every day. We’re looking to have tremendous success with the Energy Transition Institute,” Cornelius said. “This program is a testament to what can be done between a community-based organization, a major university and the city.”