Project Background for Clean Transportation Workforce Training and Development

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Project Goals

These projects support CARB’s equity goals by maximizing economic opportunities and benefits for priority populations, including low-income and disadvantaged communities, by expanding and increasing connections to good quality clean transportation jobs, training opportunities, and career development. These investments are part of several CARB efforts aimed to address community barriers and increase access to good-quality jobs in the most impacted and overburdened communities. Specifically, these projects increase priority populations’ awareness of and access to zero-emission vehicle (ZEV)-specific training, education, and jobs for individuals opting to follow non-traditional educational pathways (i.e., not a 4-year university or community college).

Guiding Legislation/Policy Drivers

Several key pieces of legislation provide the overall policy framework and funding to support this Project.

  • In 2012, the legislature passed, and Governor Brown signed into law three bills – Assembly Bill (AB) 1532 (Pérez, Chapter 807, Statutes of 2012), Senate Bill (SB) 535 (De León, Chapter 830, Statutes of 2012), and SB 1018 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, Chapter 39, Statutes of 2012) that established the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to receive Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds and to provide the framework for how the auction proceeds will be administered to further the purposes of AB 32 (Núñez, Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006). Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds have been appropriated to CARB for Low Carbon Transportation projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with an emphasis on investments that benefit the State’s disadvantaged communities. Per statute, these funds must be used to further the purposes of AB 32. CARB’s Low Carbon Transportation investments build upon and greatly expand existing advanced technology and clean transportation programs, which provide mobile source incentives to reduce criteria pollutant, air toxic, and GHG emissions.
  • In 2015, the Governor passed the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act (SB 350, De León, Chapter 547, Statutes of 2015) that established new clean energy, clean air, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for 2030 and beyond. In addition to GHG reduction targets across the energy and transportation sectors, SB 350 directed CARB to examine the barriers low-income residents must overcome to access clean transportation and mobility options and develop recommendations for how to increase access.
  • In 2018, CARB released the SB 350 Low-Income Barriers Study, Part B: Overcoming Barriers to Clean Transportation Access for Low-Income Residents (Guidance Document) identifying the main barriers low-income residents and disadvantaged and tribal communities face in accessing clean transportation and mobility options, including recommendations to overcome these barriers. The fifth priority recommendation addresses barriers to maximizing economic opportunities and benefits for low-income residents from investments in clean transportation and mobility options by expanding workforce training and development. This solicitation supports this key need in communities to support projects that demonstrate local economic benefits for priority populations such as connections to good quality clean transportation jobs and training opportunities.
  • In 2020, the Governor passed the Energy: Transportation Electrification: Energy Efficiency Programs: School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program (AB 841, Ting, Chapter 372, Statutes of 2020) mandating all electric vehicle charging infrastructure and equipment located on the customer side of the electric meter, funded or authorized, in whole or in part by CARB, the Energy Commission, or the Public Utilities Commission shall be installed by a contractor holding “the appropriate license classification as determined by the Contractors’ State License Board.” The bill supports statewide transportation electrification and creates high-quality job opportunities for disadvantaged communities by increasing the demand for skilled workers to implement the work.

Project Funding/Allocations/History

  • $1 million for partnership with the California Energy Commission to support the Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Accessible, and Local (IDEAL) ZEV Workforce Pilot Project
  • $1.5 million from Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22 Funding Plan Clean Transportation Incentives (Funding Plan) and $500,000 from the FY 2022-23 and FY 2023-24 General Fund to support the Adult Education and Vocational School ZEV Technology Training Project
  • $2.032 million for partnership with the Foundation for California Community Colleges to support the Expanded and Equitable Access to ZEV Training in Disadvantaged Communities Project

Recent Project/Policy Changes

CARB staff will continue to evaluate the projects as they become fully implemented.   

Project Info/Reports