WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Joint Economic Committee hearing this week, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) called for strengthening public-private partnerships to support job training and apprenticeship opportunities in the green energy sector.

“We need to get more folks trained—including in the trades. There is some money in the Inflation Reduction Act to train on energy efficiency. That was something quite important to a lot of us, but especially to me,” said Sen. Welch. “There’s an issue here about getting people who could have a really good, well-paying career, that gave them the option of staying where they live,” during the hearing.”

Watch the hearing here:

As a member of the House of Representatives, Senator Welch led the inclusion of the HOPE for HOMES Actin the Inflation Reduction Act. This bill includes dedicated funding for a grant program to train new, and re-skill, contractors working in the home energy efficiency sector.  The measure will also help homeowners in Vermont and across the United States retrofit their homes with energy efficient improvements including insulation, HVAC systems, and air source or ground source heat pumps—in turn lowering energy costs for Americans.

Read more about the job training programs within the HOPE for HOMES Act and the Inflation Reduction Act here. 

The Joint Economic Committee is a bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Committee, focused on reviewing economic conditions and recommending improvements in economy policy. It was established in 1946.

###