Carson City, NV – Nevada is set to receive a significant boost to its clean energy workforce training programs, thanks to a nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The funding, awarded through the Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program, will support Project CEJA (Clean Energy Jobs Academy), an initiative aimed at preparing Nevadans for well-paying jobs in the burgeoning clean energy sector.

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), in collaboration with Nevadaworks, will spearhead Project CEJA. Over the next five years, the program aims to reach 2,500 workers, providing them with the skills and training necessary to thrive in the clean energy and lithium battery supply chain industries.

“This grant will give people access to develop skills and connect them to the jobs they want early,” said DETR Director Christopher Sewell. “This is an opportunity to help grow a skilled, diverse, and aligned workforce in Nevada.”

Project CEJA will focus on developing a worker-centered sector strategy, identifying and expanding recruitment, training, education, and retention efforts within advanced manufacturing occupations related to clean energy and transportation. A key goal is to strengthen the national lithium supply chain while ensuring that Nevada’s Native American and rural communities, often historically marginalized, benefit from these growing opportunities.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant, which will significantly strengthen our infrastructure for workforce training in the clean energy sector,” said Milt Stewart, CEO of Nevadaworks. “This support helps us to better prepare Nevada’s workforce for the growing opportunities in this industry.”

The grant will impact all 17 counties in Nevada, building upon the existing Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop (Nevada Tech Hub) initiative led by the University of Nevada, Reno. This statewide effort seeks to bolster America’s electric vehicle materials industry within the state.

Project CEJA promises to create robust pathways into the advanced manufacturing sector, offering high-wage jobs and career advancement opportunities for a diverse workforce, including adult learners, women, veterans, underemployed workers, justice-impacted individuals, at-risk youth, and underserved populations.

Source: News3LV