RES, the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, is thrilled to announce that the U.S. Department of Labor has recognized RES as an Apprenticeship Ambassador. Ambassadors will serve as champions in promoting, expanding, and diversifying Registered Apprenticeships and strengthening the nation’s workforce. In becoming an Ambassador, RES has committed itself to promoting Registered Apprenticeships as a valuable workforce strategy within the renewable energy industry, seeking to develop and expand opportunities for people historically underserved.
“We are so proud to be recognized by the Department of Labor for our commitment to diversifying and supporting the American workforce,” said John Rohde, CEO of RES in the Americas. “Through our apprentice program we will bring in strong new talent to the renewable energy industry.”
As a part of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative that was passed in 2021, ambassadors will:
- Promote and expand awareness of the benefits of Registered Apprenticeship in the U.S. for industry, employers, career seekers, educators, and communities as a whole
- Identify and scale innovative practices and partnerships to modernize, strengthen, and accelerate the adoption of Registered Apprenticeship
- Increase access and support for underrepresented and underserved populations in Registered Apprenticeship including women, youth, people of color, rural communities, justice-involved individuals and people with disabilities
- Communicate the business case for Registered Apprenticeship as a mainstream workforce strategy for high-demand industries and creating opportunities for good jobs for all Americans across the economy
RES has pledged to develop best practices in order to bridge the gap between standard training and true education and understanding. The company will also host organizational open houses for prospective apprentices, educational, training or other stakeholders on behalf of the Department of Labor, as well as a variety of other efforts to support the success of American workers, employers and communities across the country.
RES’ apprenticeship program was launched in 2014 and has rapidly grown since then, experiencing a 540% increase in enrollment. In 2021, RES restructured its program to create four unique paths for an apprentice, where an apprentice could gain experience within Substation, Distribution or Transmission, or rotating between all three as part of the HV Electrician apprentice. RES currently has 32 apprentices in the program, compared to just five in 2019.
About RES
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company active in onshore and offshore wind, solar, energy storage and transmission and distribution. At the forefront of the industry for over 40 years, RES has delivered more than 22GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 9GW worldwide for a large client base. Understanding the unique needs of corporate clients, RES has secured over 1.5GW of corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) enabling access to energy at the lowest cost. RES employs over 2,000 people and is active in 11 countries.
