{"id":725047,"date":"2023-01-23T12:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T17:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/new-skilled-trade-academy-offers-detroiters-jobs-and-energy-efficient-home-repairs\/"},"modified":"2023-01-23T12:00:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T17:00:04","slug":"new-skilled-trade-academy-offers-detroiters-jobs-and-energy-efficient-home-repairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/new-skilled-trade-academy-offers-detroiters-jobs-and-energy-efficient-home-repairs\/","title":{"rendered":"New skilled-trade academy offers Detroiters jobs and energy efficient home repairs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nDTE Energy and Walker-Miller Energy Services launch Energy Efficiency Academy partnership, quadrupling program participants in 2023The program will serve:Detroiters \u2013 providing training accreditation and placement for good-paying jobs in the booming energy efficiency industryMichigan businesses \u2013 building a pipeline of skilled talentDTE customers \u2013 helping to make their homes more energy efficient
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DETROIT, Jan. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DTE Energy, Michigan\u2019s largest energy provider, has partnered with Walker-Miller Energy Services, one of the country\u2019s largest African American and woman-owned energy efficiency companies, to launch the Energy Efficiency Academy. The Academy directly responds to the growing demand for energy-efficient home repairs in Detroit, while also building a local workforce that will benefit the community for years to come. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The Academy launched in the Fall of 2022 with a class of 10 participants. Growing from it\u2019s first-year learnings, the Academy will kick-off the 2023 program year this spring aiming to quadruple its participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are creating jobs for Detroiters and building a talent pipeline for a Michigan industry on the rise,\u201d said Carla Walker-Miller, founder and chief executive officer, Walker-Miller Energy Services. \u201cWe\u2019re honored and excited to partner with DTE Energy for this initiative; inviting residents to participate in the growing clean energy economy, with all its important benefits. This is a huge win, not only for our organization, but most importantly for the region\u2019s socioeconomic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Home Builders Institute<\/a>, 2.2M additional skilled trade hires nationwide are needed now through 2024 to address labor demand, mitigate weakened housing supply and improve affordability. In Detroit, nearly 40,000 owner- and renter-occupied households suffer from inadequate housing conditions, according to the University of Michigan\u2019s Detroit Metro Area Community Study (DMACS)<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re committed to creating opportunities and implementing diverse, equitable and inclusive programs that are essential to enriching the communities in which we serve,\u201d said Trevor Lauer, president and chief operating officer, DTE Electric. \u201cGrowing a network of diverse contractors specialized in energy-efficient best practices addresses the need for good-paying jobs and increased clean energy measures in two ways \u2013 by providing improved incomes and more energy-efficient housing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The eight-week paid Energy Efficiency Academy includes both classroom training and field training \u2013 working in Detroit homes to implement energy-saving home upgrades or installs. Participants can earn Building Analyst and Home Evaluator certifications through the Building Performance Institute (BPI). Academy participants receive professional guidance and are connected to a recruitment network for entry-level clean energy jobs with starting wages at or above $18 per hour, including benefits, driven by today\u2019s competitive job market. Career pathways in electric, HVAC, insulation, and home performance skilled trades will be accessible for participants who complete the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience with this program has been so positive, including the fact that I now have a job helping customers understand energy efficiency,\u201d said Marquise Burnett, energy specialist, Walker-Miller Energy Services. \u201cAll the science that goes into how a home operates and its relationship to energy efficiency is taught in this program.\u00a0 It\u2019s exactly what I need to assist customers in how to save energy and money.\u201d<\/p>\n

DTE is narrowing the gap of skill-trade workers by spearheading several workforce development programs to attract new talent in the clean energy industry. The Energy Efficiency Academy is the newest in a number of workforce training programs DTE has partnered on including:<\/p>\n

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