ELECTRIFICATION
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
September 9, 2025
Lori Mitchell, Director
Kate Ziemba, Senior Environmental Program Manager
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ELECTRIFICATION WILL IMPACT WORKFORCE
• Regulations and Market Conditions
• Bay Area Air District regulations phasing out
natural gas appliances for water and space
heating (2027-2031)
• Bay Area building electrification projected to
reach $1.2B in 2025
• Santa Clara County leads California in EV
adoption (40% of new car registrations)
• Growth: Estimated need for 424 more
building electrification workers in San José
by 2030
• Retraining: Technical components of EVs
require specialized skills and training
81% of San José’s greenhouse gas
emissions come from transportation and
buildings
Source: 2023 Climate
Smart Communitywide
Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1
SJCE’S ROLE IN SUPPORTING WORKERS
• Available Funds: SJCE has $970,000 for community and
workforce development (one-time, limited funding)
• Stakeholder Engagement: Interviewed representatives
from 30 organizations to understand how SJCE can support workers in the electrification transition
• Unions, non-union contractors, trade associations, City departments, auto dealerships and Original Equipment
Manufacturers, trade schools and training facilities, local organizations involved in the building trades and electrification • What we heard:
1. SJCE can use funding to support local training programs and address the need for up-to-date training equipment
2. City can increase and shape demand for workers and high road jobs through SJCE programs and policies
2 “HIGH ROAD” JOBS
• High road workforce development
aims to improve both the quality of
jobs and increase equitable access
to them
• High road employers:
pay family supporting wages,
compete based on the quality of their
services and products, and
engage workers in building their skills
Photo credit: OhmConnect
3 PILOT PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
• Program 1: Training Equipment and
Curriculum Grants ($400k)
• Support local training providers
• Fund equipment (heat pumps, EVs, chargers,
solar PV systems)
• Fund new EV curriculum development
• Program 2: Student Scholarships ($100k)
• For ~25 students in the Trades Orientation
Program at San José City College
• Focus on underrepresented, low-income
students
Photo credit: Getty Images
4 INCREASING AND SHAPING DEMAND FOR
WORKERS
• SJCE investing ~$10M in
transportation and building
electrification in Fiscal Year
2025-2026
• Explore direct install and
aggregation program models
to scale electrification
and attract high road
contractors
• Adjustments to EcoHome
Rebate program:
1. Now requires final permits
2. Will offer a special incentive
for contractors to install a heat
pump at their home or
business
3. New OSHA and wage theft
requirements for contractors
in order to be displayed in
EcoHome Directory
5 NEW “HIGH ROAD” CONTRACTOR BADGE
• Proposed criteria for voluntary badge on EcoHome
Directory for qualifying contractors
• Health care: pays 85% of plan cost covering two adults and two dependents
• Wages: pays prevailing wage
• Training and safety: affiliated with state registered apprenticeship and workers have OSHA certification
• Verification: annual submission of documents and spot checks
• Continued collaboration with workforce and labor
stakeholders
6 QUESTIONS?
• Recommendation: Adopt a
resolution approving the
proposed electrification
workforce development
programs.
• Staff:
• Lori Mitchell, Director
• Kate Ziemba, Senior
Environmental Program
Manager
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