Celebrating the Next Generation of Clean Energy Workers

It was an honor Thursday to join Sec. Rick Sullivan in celebrating the accomplishments of the students and clean energy companies who have participated in our Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program.

I was so excited to see so many young clean energy workers and their companies take time out of their days to join us at Roxbury Community College to talk about their experiences in the clean energy sector this summer, and to hear their success stories first-hand.  Leading companies like Harvest Power, EnerNOC, and Free Flow Power were all on hand to celebrate the conclusion of this summer’s program.  It’s clear that something as simple a summer internship is having a significant impact on the both the young workers and the growing sector that employs them.

The internship program has been a favorite of mine since I started here at MassCEC last year because you can immediately see the results of MassCEC’s funding.  Since 2011, the internship program, a partnership between MassCEC and the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC), has provided job placements for 328 interns at more than 110 companies across Massachusetts. During this summer’s internship round, a record number of 125 companies and 956 interns applied to the program. To date, 41 students gained full or part-time employment—and from what I heard at today’s event, I am certain we will see that number grow.

Please join me in saluting the companies and interns who participated this summer!  I’m already looking forward to next year’s celebration.