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Virginia Energy previews training program for residential energy contractors
Summary
Virginia Energy outlined a Training for Residential Energy Contractors (TRACK) program to support home energy electrification tied to the Home Energy Rebate Program, including budget and target occupations, and solicited stakeholder feedback on design and labor-market alignment.
Andrea Dixon Chesbener, energy workforce coordinator at the Virginia Energy Department, said the agency is designing a Training for Residential Energy Contractors (TRACK) program to support home energy electrification under the federal Home Energy Rebate Program. The program is intended to train and certify workers for residential electrification work tied to the Commonwealth’s implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The program is funded from the state’s Home Energy Rebate Program allocation. “Out of that $188,000,000, we were able to secure $3,400,000 to test and train individuals for electricity, HVAC, and plumbing,” Chesbener said. The agency described TRACK as targeted to roles that support residential electrification and related trades.
Stakeholders on the webinar flagged the need to align training with current labor-market realities. Corey (EarthRight), a solar-industry commenter, predicted industry consolidation and said companies that are diversified into HVAC and electrical are better positioned to retain workers. Lorraine (commenter) recommended maintaining flexible skill sets and off-ramps so trainees can move into related jobs such as operations and maintenance or electrician roles.
Participants urged that the agency use up-to-date labor-market data to target occupations with ongoing demand and to design clear progression pathways from entry-level work to credentialed trades. Andrea Chesbener and colleagues said they are coordinating across programs so entry points from youth and K–12 initiatives can feed into adult training opportunities.
The agency did not present a formal vote or final rule in the webinar; staff sought feedback and said next steps include finalizing program design and posting application details on the agency website. The webinar recording and contact list will be shared via the Virginia Energy site and the agency’s mailing list.
For now, the substance of TRACK is design and coordination; no formal awards or contracts were announced during the session.
