ANDOVER — Greater Lawrence Technical School students will be leading the clean energy revolution in home construction.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $27 million in grants, designed to grow the state’s clean energy and climatetech workforce, through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) on Friday, Nov. 21 at the school. Sixty-seven organizations will use the money to support training programs, career awareness initiatives, and business development efforts, which are expected to reach 13,000 individuals and hundreds of businesses.
The $475,000 grant to Greater Lawrence will expand teaching of Introduction to Solar Installation and Basic Electrical training to adults participating in Technical Training Programs during the next two years. The school was one of nine organizations to receive an Equity Training Implementation Grant, focusing on returning citizens, single parents, and English language learners.
As part of the grant-funded programming, Greater Lawrence students are building a high-performance house with the most-advanced technology available, the first such home built by Massachusetts high school students.
“This project gives our students invaluable hands-on experience in the very methods and materials that will define tomorrow’s construction standards,” Superintendent John Lavoie said. ”Together, these initiatives demonstrate how career technical education can align perfectly with the Commonwealth’s clean energy goals, preparing a skilled workforce to lead the transition to a sustainable economy.”
“What has been really great is watching students shift from ‘Why do we need to know this?” to “This actually makes us better builders,” said Carpentry instructor John Chester. “You can see the lightbulb moment when the realize they are learning techniques most professionals don’t touch until years in their field.”
“Building a strong, inclusive clean energy workforce doesn’t begin at the hiring stage. It begins with early exposure. It begins with mentorship, and meaningful learning experiences that spark curiosity,” said Dr. Jennifer Le Blond, Interim CEO of MassCEC, who was joined at the event by Rebecca Tepper, Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Discover more from John Guilfoil Public Relations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.