The Knight Green Careers Training Center prepares students for high-demand clean energy careers that provide family sustaining wages, such as those in solar, HVAC, residential energy efficiency, green construction, or environmental remediation.
Created in 2009 with generous funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Kresge Foundation, we credential historically excluded Black, Latinx, and immigrant youth and adults, including veterans and returning citizens, whose diversity reflects the city we serve.
Our Energy Auditor, Quality Control Inspector, and Weatherization Installer Technician programs are accredited by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), and in 2013 ECA's Training Center was recognized as IREC's 3i Clean Energy Training Program of the Year.
Partnerships to Train Young People
Our programming focuses especially on transitioning Philadelphia’s young, emerging adults, who are ages 18 to 25 and critically at risk of incarceration and gun violence, into long-term financial stability and career fulfillment.
ECA also has strong partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia, ASPIRA, and the Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) to train 50 high school students in clean energy career pathways each school year. This includes the School District of Philadelphia's Apprenticeship Programs in HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, and Pipefitting. Approximately 40 students from SDP and ASPIRA complete the HVAC Level I maintenance training each year. We also partner with Beyond Literacy to support the continuation and expansion of their Pre-Apprenticeship Programs through which students obtain their GED or High School Equivalency and complete ECA’s IREC-accredited Green Renovation and Retrofit program.
Training Center
Our 2024 Impact
Through 19 cohorts, ECA trained 278 hardworking students in 2024. Graduates left with any number of the 13 industry credentials offered, launching them into their new careers in the clean energy economy. At no cost to the students, we offered seven grant-funded programs:
- Green Renovation + Retrofit
- Gas Technician
- HVAC Installer/Maintenance
- Heat Pump Technician
- Brownfields Environmental Remediation
- Disaster Recovery
- Integrated Pest Management
Build Your Program With Us
For those currently working in the energy efficiency industry, we offer re-credentialing and continuing education. Let us design a training pathway for your employees!
To provide your high school students with hands-on clean energy training, we can build a curriculum that is right for your educational needs.
Have another idea for how to partner with our Green Jobs Training Center or want us to come to you?
Trainees
Take the next step towards a new career in the clean energy workforce.
Meet Our Instructors
Learn more about the talented individuals behind our sought-after programs
Upcoming Programs
Learn more about the various Training Center offerings.
Featured Employer Partners
