Transcript:
A program in New York City is helping train people for jobs in energy efficiency – and changing their lives.
Smith: “It gives people hope. And it gives people opportunity that they might not feel like they had.”
Munir Smith graduated from the nonprofit Stacks and Joules’ building automation training program. It’s run in partnership with Henry Street Settlement, a social service agency on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Trainees learn how to install and operate technology that automates a building’s lights and HVAC equipment, which can save a lot of energy.
Michael Conway, cofounder of Stacks and Joules, says the program goes beyond teaching skills. It also provides comprehensive support to students, some of whom struggle with poverty or homelessness.
Conway: “If housing comes up, there’s access to support there. If there’s food or nutritional requirements, if there’s transportation, if they need eyeglasses, if they need, you know, clothes that are appropriate for interviews.”
So by helping trainees overcome barriers, the program provides a path to well-paying careers in energy efficiency.
Smith: “And so, you know, I’m always looking at my classmates achieve great things. … So it’s a proud fraternity to be in.”
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
