Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Air district details intern and fellowship program aimed at building regional air‑quality workforce
Summary
The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District described a modest but active intern and fellowship program that places students in hands‑on projects and partners with local universities and workforce organizations; directors discussed expanding training for clean‑tech careers.
Megan Shepherd, director of Administrative Services for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, told the board the agency runs an intern and fellowship program that places students in climate, monitoring and community projects and that the district invests roughly $150,000 annually in the effort.
Shepherd said the program supports about five student interns and two fellows a year and partners with institutions such as Sacramento State, UC Davis, CivicSpark, Cristo Rey and local high schools. The district emphasizes deliverables and mentorship, and Shepherd said nearly 10 percent of the agency’s current full‑time staff started as interns or fellows.
Directors used the presentation to discuss workforce development tied to the clean‑energy transition. Vice Chair Tara Maple and Director Guerra highlighted the importance of pairing internships with job training for electric‑vehicle maintenance, electricians and other trades as the region converts to low‑emission technologies. Jaime Lemos, the district’s Director of Transportation and Climate Change, said the agency coordinates with partners including SMUD, SACOG and Valley Vision to identify training gaps and to design apprenticeship paths — for example, to address a shortage of electricians needed to install EV chargers.
Board members asked for more detail on total program alumni and how the district publicizes opportunities; Shepherd and staff said they would provide application windows and additional outreach details for board members to share with constituents. There was no formal board action on the presentation.
