Building the Green Workforce: Designing Apprenticeships to Meet Boulder County's Emission Reduction Goals

Description

Event Overview

Workforce Boulder County invites employers and professionals working in sustainability, clean tech, and the green trades to a roundtable and Q&A session on Wednesday, January 21st, from 3:00–4:30 PM at the Southeast County Community Hub in Lafayette.

This session will focus on the workforce needed to make decarbonization a reality with skilled workers who can install, maintain, and scale the technologies that support Boulder County's climate goals.

We want to hear directly from employers about your hiring challenges and where targeted training through apprenticeships could strengthen your talent pipeline. With support from Colorado’s Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediaries (QAI) grant, Workforce Boulder County and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce can help employers launch apprenticeships in sustainability, clean tech, and the green trades. Your insights will ensure these programs address real workforce gaps.

Who Should Attend

• Employers and business professionals in sustainability, clean tech, and the green trades
• HR leaders and hiring managers
• Organizations preparing for future clean tech or sustainability-focused talent pipelines
• Contractors and trades employers experiencing skilled labor shortages

Potential apprenticeship pathways include:

• Heat pump installation & HVAC electrification
• Building performance & energy efficiency technicians
• Solar technician & solar installation apprenticeships
• EV charging infrastructure technicians
• Battery storage maintenance and operations
• High-performance building construction
• Decarbonized facilities maintenance (building ops focused on heat pumps, controls, and energy systems)

These roles are a representation of the hands-on workforce essential to expanding clean energy, improving building performance, and supporting decarbonization across Boulder County.

Why Participate

Join us to share your workforce needs and priorities and directly shape the design of upcoming green trades and clean tech apprenticeships. Your expertise will help ensure these programs produce job-ready workers and meet the real needs of Boulder County employers while supporting our county’s broader decarbonization goals.