ORGANIZATION NAME: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
PROGRAM NAME; Workforce Training Building Operations & Maintenance
AGENCY OR GRANT #PON 3715
DESCRIPTION: NYSERDA’s Building Operations and Maintenance Workforce Development and Training Program seeks to reduce energy use, associated carbon emissions, and building operations costs by enhancing the skills of operations and maintenance staff and managers across the State. The Program provides employers and building owners with support to implement workforce development and training projects that create the talent development strategy, corporate culture, on-site training framework, and training tools needed to support building operations and maintenance workers beyond classroom training. NYSERDA will support eligible projects by providing funding for activities such as, but not limited to, on-site training laboratories, curriculum development, career pathways training,
coaching/mentorships, apprenticeships, internships, training trainers within a company, and partnerships with manufacturers. Projects submitted to this PON should be designed to help employers build upon their employees’ technical skills and reduce facility energy use, while realizing other corporate benefits such as reduced equipment downtimes, increased occupant comfort, reduced occupant complaints and tenant turnover, increased numbers of staff with national certifications, and opportunities for promotion and career advancement.
This program targets the operations and maintenance workforce employed in the following building types: multifamily housing, office buildings, retail, colleges and universities, hospitals and health care facilities, State and local governments, not-for-profit and private institutions, industrial facilities, and public and private K-12 schools. Other building types will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Eligible participants include facilities that are New York State electricity customers of a participating utility company and are paying into the System Benefits Charge (SBC)/Clean Energy Fund (CEF). While a training organization may be the lead proposer, it must partner with a specified entity employing building operations and maintenance workers. Proposals must impact staff working in buildings or groups of buildings, including partnerships of businesses with common training needs and skills gaps that have total annual energy expenditures of $1 million or more. Building operations and maintenance occupations or job titles that are targeted for hands-on and on-site training under this program may include, but are not limited to, the following: facilities and property managers; operating and stationary engineers; technicians; building superintendents; maintenance workers; mechanics and supervisors; electricians; HVAC technicians; procurement staff; facility coordinators; and energy/sustainability managers. Potential cost reduction and efficiency improvements achieved through training could target, but are not limited to HVAC systems and controls; building envelope; mechanical systems; building diagnostics; pneumatic systems and controls; building set points and temperature standards; and lighting and lighting controls, motors, etc.
NYSERDA will provide cost share of up to 50% with a cap of $400,000 per application. Applications will be received on a first-come, first-served basis through May 20, 2021.