ComEd seeks hosts and partners for paid energy-efficiency training cohort in Kane County

ComEd Market Development Initiative staff presented an eight-week training cohort the utility wants to bring to Kane County to build local energy-efficiency capacity and pipeline contractors into ComEd’s energy-efficiency programs.

Misty Gibbons, senior program manager for ComEd Market Development Initiatives, and Greg Wilson, program manager for ComEd’s energy-efficiency service provider network, described the 'newcomer' cohort as an 8-week program that includes six weeks of classroom training (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) and a two-week on-the-job training placement with an employer partner. Participants will be paid $17.50 per hour during the program, receive a gas card and daily meals, and have access to wraparound services such as resume assistance and interview coaching. ComEd also offers a childcare stipend of $200 per week and said drug-screening policies are applied with some leniency for disclosed recreational marijuana use.

"We do 6 weeks of dedicated classroom time... Our participants are paid wages for their commitment, so they're receiving $17.50 per hour," Gibbons said.

ComEd said participants complete three BPI certifications—healthy housing principles, building analyst technician and building science principles—and that ComEd covers wages, insurance and PPE for the on-the-job training component. The program places graduates with employer partners for two weeks of paid, supervised training; ComEd said it covers those wages during the placement.

ComEd is recruiting community-based organizations that can conduct outreach and will pay partner CBOs a tiered stipend (the meeting referenced up to $2,000 per month for higher-tier partners and smaller amounts for lower tiers) to help funnel participants into the program. Greg Wilson said cohorts usually enroll around 16 participants and that applications were being accepted with an incubator planned to start June 22.

Committee members asked whether the cohort ties to environmental justice priorities or to existing CJ workforce hubs. ComEd said the initiative is not formally tied to EJ or R3E guidance but that Elgin was appealing in part because it is within some of the ZIP codes targeted for outreach; ComEd also said it partners with CJA hubs and often co-locates or directs graduates between programs where appropriate.

ComEd said Elgin is a preferred host location but that it is flexible and is seeking classroom space, employer partners to host the on-the-job training, and local contractors interested in joining ComEd’s service provider network.

ComEd representatives offered to share flyers and business cards after the meeting and to connect with committee members on host locations and employer partnerships.