Future Workforce

Take your business into the future with the next generation of energy specialists—train and hire operations and maintenance interns

How it works

Bringing the next generation of talent to your business is critical to driving a successful energy management program. The gap between the number of building operations and maintenance–related positions and the available skilled talent is widening. This is due to losses through retirement attrition and an inability to fill open positions with qualified candidates. Currently, more than 120,000 people are employed in building operations and maintenance–related occupations across New York State. Approximately 20 percent of this workforce is expected to retire over the next five years, resulting in more than 24,000 job vacancies.

To find and employ skilled talent, consider developing an internship program. This can serve as a talent pipeline for filling future open positions—freeing up time and capital to use elsewhere. The nature of the internship program can vary but should focus on best practices in energy-efficient operations.

How you benefit

• Create a pipeline of skilled talent to fill open positions in your facilities or buildings
• Mitigate the risk of losing institutional knowledge from retiring employees
• Support job creation—contribute to New York’s growing clean energy economy
• Enhance your brand reputation as a committed sustainability leader among employees, customers, investors, and other key stakeholders

When you should consider it

Investing in your future workforce may be good for your business if you are:

• Managing operations and maintenance employees expected to retire in the near future
• Having difficulty finding qualified candidates in the energy sector
• Investing in new equipment, systems, and technologies
• Interested in creating a culture of sustainability and efficiency in your facility