CEO Awarded $1,150,000 By New York Power Authority

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

‍

Media Contact:

Claire Gross, Sr. Manager of Public Relations 

cgross@ceoworks.org | (646) 370-8292

‍

New York, NY –April 7, 2025– The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) proudly announces a $1,150,000 grant from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to train and support justice-impacted New Yorkers as they pursue union professions and explore careers in the green energy sector. The grant will assist at least 200 returning New Yorkers across New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany in preparing for direct entry into union apprenticeships that offer competitive wages, benefits, and long-term advancement. 

‍

“This investment from NYPA is about opening doors to careers that have too often been out of reach,” said Chief Executive Officer of Center for Employment Opportunities, Sam Schaeffer. “By combining paid training with clear pathways into union apprenticeships, we’re ensuring that justice-impacted New Yorkers can access stable, family-sustaining jobs while helping build a cleaner energy future for our state.”

‍

Across New York State, more than 9,000 people return home from incarceration each year. They face significant structural barriers to long-term stability, including high unemployment, exclusion from higher-wage industries, high cost of transportation, and limited access to job training or upskilling. 

‍

For many people returning from incarceration, the cost and time commitment of advanced training courses is untenable. People living paycheck to paycheck just to provide for themselves and their families can’t afford to enroll in time-consuming courses. That’s why CEO employs an “earn as you learn” model. NYPA’s grant will cover the cost of tuition, provide a stipend of $17 per hour for 40 hours per week over 8 weeks, and subsidize transportation costs associated with the course.

‍

CEO and instructional partners will embed clean energy context throughout the training program in alignment with NYPA’s goals, including:

• A Green Construction Module, covering sustainable building principles such as energy efficiency, water conservation, material selection, and jobsite environmental quality.
• Site visits or guest presentations from green energy-aligned contractors and unions.
• Exposure to entry-level roles in solar installation, weatherization, and energy auditing. 
• Pipelines and subsidized access to industry-recognized green credentials, including the BPI Building Analyst Certification.

‍

New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act has accelerated the need for skilled labor in foundational trades like electricians, laborers, carpenters, and welders—roles essential to infrastructure, energy efficiency, and decarbonization. A growing workforce shortage in these trades threatens to slow progress. Nearly 85% of clean energy jobs fall within these existing trades, either in high demand or requiring updated skills . Many of these roles do not require advanced degrees and offer strong upward mobility, offering accessible entry points for workers with the right foundational training.  

‍

Justice-impacted New Yorkers are eager to fill these labor gaps and NYPA’s grant provides the flexibility and monetary support necessary for this essential training. 

‍

###

‍

About the Center for Employment Opportunities

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in 30 cities in 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring justice-impacted people have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.

‍

‍