The event, hosted at National Grid's Sustainability Hub, welcomed the new participants and provided professional development training to the interns prior to their first day on the job. 

BOSTON (June 16, 2023) – On Thursday, June 15 and Friday June 16, 2023, the Sponsors of Mass Save hosted a kick-off event to welcome in the newest cohort of interns participating in the Clean Energy Pathways program. This event commenced a three-month internship for participants, offering them the opportunity to work side-by-side with an HVAC business in their community. Working with a professional development trainer, the interns explored topics such as emotional intelligence, growth mindset, effective communication, problem solving, financial literacy, team building, and unconscious bias. Each professional development training session aimed to display the many ways participants could establish themselves and further their careers in the energy sector.

Following the two-day event, participants will begin field work with an HVAC business until the cohort formally ends on September 8th. This newest cohort of interns, consisting of 13 participants, reside in different environmental justice communities across Massachusetts including Dorchester, Fall River, Lawrence, Mattapan, Roxbury, Springfield and Worcester.

Launched in 2021, the Clean Energy Pathways program seeks to provide internships to individuals from diverse backgrounds with a commitment to young adults of color, LGBTQ+, low-income, non-native English speakers, and women residing in environmental justice communities. Over the course of the paid, three-month internship, interns will gain hands-on experience working alongside HVAC and weatherization technicians in hopes of finding full-time employment upon program completion. Interns also receive mentorship and professional development training from local community organizations, technical schools and the Mass Save Sponsors.

"Lowering the barriers to entering the clean energy industry is a top priority," said Christopher Porter, Director, Customer Energy Management at National Grid. "Many young adults want to seek out a career in clean energy, but don't haver the access or resource to start that process. Our goal is to bridge that gap, creating job opportunities and a more diverse workforce, while also making strides towards a clean energy future. It's an honor to watch their confidence and skills grow over the course of the program and watch them find personal success."

The two-day event was held at National Grid's Sustainability Hub in Worcester, a space modeled to resemble a home of the future by including a variety of technologies and appliances that increase energy efficiency. 

About Mass Save®
Mass Save® is a collaborative of Massachusetts’ natural gas and electric utilities and energy efficiency service providers including Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, Eversource, Liberty Utilities, National Grid, and Unitil. We empower residents, businesses, and communities to make energy efficient upgrades by offering a wide range of services, rebates, incentives, trainings, and information.