Workforce Training - Building Operations & Maintenance

Funding Available to Train Building Operations and Maintenance Staff

Did you know that every $1 of preventive maintenance you don’t spend now can result in $4 of expenditures to repair or replace those building systems later?

Building operations and maintenance employees are key to building managers and owners in reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Improving the skills of these employees can significantly enhance building efficiency and reduce operating costs.

NYSERDA’s Building Operations & Maintenance Training Program (PON 5357) provides funding for organizations to design and deliver custom, hands-on training for their maintenance and facilities teams. The program is designed to help organizations save energy and money, improve the performance of existing equipment, and transition to advanced building systems. Organizations can connect with a Building Operations & Maintenance Program training provider or a training partner of their choice to develop a unique training program tailored to their organization's needs – with little or no out-of-pocket costs.

Building owners and property managers across New York State have successfully used project funds to:

• Customize training programs for their staff based on their own buildings and equipment
• Develop on-site training, on-demand training videos, and coaching and mentoring programs
• Increase skilled employee retention and career advancement opportunities
• Improve indoor air quality, increase occupant satisfaction, and reduce energy and water consumption
• Support compliance with NYC Local Law 97  

How It Works

NYSERDA will provide funding up to $500,000 per project. The funding can cover up to 90% of the cost of eligible projects when 75% or more of buildings employing operations and maintenance (O&M) workers are located in a disadvantaged community or when the application is for a qualifying union-led project or qualifying pre-apprenticeship program. For all other projects, NYSERDA will provide funding of up to 70% of the cost of eligible projects. Cost share can include operator time spent in training, so projects could be funded without cash contributions by building owners/property managers.

Training can cover building systems and technical areas as needed for building O&M staff, including:

Program Eligibility

Building owners, facility managers, property management companies, training providers, business associations, trade groups, and organized labor associations are eligible to apply for funding. Training providers, business associations/trade groups or organized labor associations must partner with a specified entity or entities that employ building O&M workers to be eligible to apply. Applications must be for training activities connected with specific buildings, building portfolios, or campuses of buildings, including partnerships of businesses with common training needs and skills gaps.

Other eligibility requirements include:

• Training must be for operators at buildings that have total annual energy expenditures of $1 million or more for all fuels and energy uses
• Participating buildings employing O&M workers must be New York State electricity customers of an investor-owned utility company that are paying into the System Benefits Charge (SBC)/Clean Energy Fund (CEF)

Contact Us to Discuss Your Eligibility

Connect With Us

Have questions about the Building Operations & Maintenance Training Program? Get in touch and email us at [email protected] or sign up for office hours.

NYSERDA offers Building Operations & Maintenance Training Program office hours on the second Tuesday of each month, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST.

Registration for office hours is encouraged, and you will receive a calendar invitation with access instructions within two business days. To join live during the virtual office hours, access the meeting with this link .

Register for Office Hours

You can also sign up for email updates on NYSERDA’s workforce development and training programs.