Aligning Education with STEM Workforce Needs
SAVE THE DATE: WEDNESAY, JUNE 5, 2024 AT 8:30am - 10:30am
Panel discussion to explore the workforce needs in the clean energy sector
MassBay Community College - Center for Health Sciences, Early Childhood, and Human Services
490 Franklin Street, Framingham, MA, 01702
Hosted by Solect Energy
About the series
MSEN is hosting a series of panel discussions aimed to foster a conversation on the development of collaborative efforts to empower and prepare our region’s
youth for fulfilling, engaged lives and productive careers, now and for decades to come.
Why We Must Connect Education and the Future of Work
LaVerne Srinivasan, Elise Henson, and Farhad Asghar, Future of Learning and Work, Carnegie Corporation of New York, February 3, 2022
“Fundamental goals for American public education are to ensure that each student is prepared to be an active participant in a robust democracy and to be successful in the global economy. This requires coordinated efforts among government, philanthropy, the business community, and the education sector. However, as our nation’s economic and labor market opportunities evolve, the lack of alignment among K–12, higher education, and the world of work is further exposed and compromises our resilience and success. Our institutions are working to meet the opportunities and demands of the future of work in relative isolation. We must encourage systematic connections that reach across the educational, political, and economic domains to holistically prepare students for life, work, and citizenship. This demands a redesign of educational and employment options for all students. We must ask tough questions about what contributions are needed from each sphere today to prepare the workforce of tomorrow.”
Additional Resources:
Human Capital for the 21st Century: Aligning Education with Future Workforce Needs
Bob Wise & Javaid Siddiqi, The COVID Constituency
10 Steps to Building Talent Locally
A Local Talent Handbook, Lumina Foundation
SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 8:30am - 10:30am
Panel discussion to explore the workforce needs in the clean energy sector
MassBay Community College - Center for Health Sciences, Early Childhood, and Human Services
490 Franklin Street, Framingham, MA, 01702
Hosted by Solect Energy
The MassBay Center is a green building that is net-zero-energy ready and tracking for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. The facility is designed to conserve energy, water, and resources, providing a healthy environment for learning while generating as much energy as it consumes each year. When walking throughout the campus, green placards explain the environmental details.
Solect Energy is one of the Northeast's leading commercial solar development firms, offering end-to-end tailored solutions, including design, installation, financing, operations and maintenance services, and beyond. In business for over 15 years, Solect has delivered 750+ solar projects for business enterprises, generating an impressive 140+ megawatts of clean energy throughout New England. Based in Hopkinton, MA, we are a fully-owned subsidiary of Pattern Energy.
The panel discussion hosted by Solect Energy will explore the workforce needs in the clean energy sector. “According to the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Cabinet (WSC), the Greater Boston region is projected to see the greatest increase in total number of clean energy jobs by 2030. While the region is projected to add the greatest number of jobs, 61% of the clean energy jobs created will be outside of Highway 128 [a region that comprises MetroWest]. // One in three current clean energy workers in Massachusetts are people of color, which is somewhat more diverse than statewide demographics of workers. Still, representation in many of the highest-paying positions is not equitable, across both roles that require a bachelor degree and those that require on the job training and/or licensing. // If Massachusetts is going to grow the clean energy workforce to keep pace with the demands of its decarbonization commitments, clean energy occupations must be equally accessible and welcoming to all potential workers” (A Massachusetts Clean Energy Workforce Needs Assessment - MassCEC, 2023).
Session 1: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at Metroworks-Natick Common
Panel Discussion hosted by MetroWest STEM Education Network in collaboration with Contexed
ABOUT CONTEXED:
Contexed works with global employers on their most important planning, decision making, and talent development initiatives. Working with Academic and Workforce Development Partners, Talent Management and Strategic HR professionals, Contexed develops and delivers state-of-the-art management education and executive coaching programs to enable employers to acquire and apply knowledge that matterssm for growing their top-line, improving their bottom-line, and developing their next-in-line managers and executives.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Paul Joseph
With more than 20 years of marketing, sales, management and executive education experience, Paul created Contexed with the singular goal of driving performance by improving business decisions that affect growth and change. His clients and past employers range from early stage start-ups to Fortune 500 businesses primarily in technology- and knowledge-based industries. Paul balances his professional time with his commitment to volunteerism and local government. Paul has held municipal political office and served as economic development committee chair in his home town of Natick, Massachusetts for six years. He is a board member of a local non-profit and works as a community liaison and advocate for other organizations focused on substance abuse prevention and empowering youth. You can learn more about Paul at: www.linkedin.com/in/pjoseph
Jonathan Salsman
Jonathan Salsman (Jon) is Director of Engineering for EV Charging at New Leaf Energy. New Leaf Energy is one of the most experienced clean infrastructure development companies in the U.S., with over 1.5 GW of projects developed to date and an active pipeline of solar, energy storage, wind, and electric vehicle charging projects across the U.S.
Jon joined New Leaf Energy in March of 2023, bringing with him over a decade of experience in transmission and distribution planning and the design and construction of renewable energy projects. Jon started his career at National Grid, where he worked in their Distribution Design, Transmission Planning and Utility-Owned Solar departments. More recently, Jon served as Director of Engineering for Industria Engineering, a Massachusetts-based construction firm, where he oversaw the design and construction of Industria’s solar and energy storage systems. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems) from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Jon is a Registered Professional Engineer in multiple states and he is also the chairperson for Electrical Wiring at Assabet Valley Regional High School. You can learn more about Jon at: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathansalsman