National Grid is continuing its commitment to workforce training and helping local students find careers in the energy industry through $100,000 in workforce development grant funds over the past two year to the SEAT Center in Schenectady, NY.

SEAT (Social Enterprise and Training) Center provides workforce programs to underserved young people, ages 17 to 24, who are often underrepresented in the economic opportunity in our region. SEAT’s holistic approach includes project based educational classes for young people to earn a high school equivalency, hands on occupational skills training, support services including on-site mental wellness, leadership development, career placement, and on-going graduate support and coaching.

SEAT has a long-standing partnership with National Grid and the National Grid Foundation. Grant funds will be used to enhance SEAT’s ability to connect to and train young people throughout the region to careers in green energy, enhancing their current programs and services with the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA).

“We are proud to continue our great partnership with National Grid leveraging funds and commitment from our local community that will enable us to further develop this exciting and important program for young adults in our community. Green jobs are one of SEAT Center’s five career training pathways aligning with New York State’s Clean Energy initiatives and our state’s commitment to COVID-19 economic recovery efforts,” said Jennifer Lawrence, SEAT Center’s Founder and CEO.

National Grid’s Workforce Development Program is helping to build a better, more prepared workforce to enable the growth of the clean energy industry. To create equitable change for workers, National Grid helps enable sufficient training and hands-on experience. As clean energy grows to become one of the biggest industries for employment, National Grid is increasing these workforce development opportunities to train the new clean energy workforce and equip individuals with the skills they need to succeed. The Workforce Development programs provide young people opportunities to learn about STEM occupations to give them the pathway toward a brighter future.

“We are currently facing an extensional threat from Climate Change. By investing in green infrastructure, we are not only combating the climate crisis, but we are able to create good paying jobs for the working class. I am proud to support the efforts of National Grid over the past few years in making the critical investments to ensure that the Capital Region is a leader in the green economy,” said New York State Assemblyman Phil Steck.

Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara said, “Providing new opportunities, guidance and empowerment for our youth helps them to see new possibilities for their future and develops the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. The efforts of National Grid and Schenectady’s SEAT Center to reach out to underserved youth and connect them to meaningful careers in green energy is a win-win, supporting a clean and healthy environment while also reassuring young people that there’s a bright future within their reach.” Santabarbara added, “Initiatives like Project C are also great opportunities to connect our youth with their communities and equip them with the skills that can help them take charge of their lives and bring about positive change for themselves and others.”

Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said, ““This partnership is another great example of how important these kinds of programs are for our young residents, and our continued commitment to provide career paths that generate long term, sustainable opportunities within our city.  Thank you to National Grid for their continued support of our City and residents. Thank you to the SEAT Center for empowering our youth and showing them their potential.” 

“National Grid is proud to help fund this program. It’s a win-win in that we can help area youth develop skills they need to find meaningful and enriching work and it creates a more skilled and trained workforce for National Grid to utilize as we chart a course in our community towards our clean energy future,” said Brian Sano, National Grid’s regional executive. “I’m excited to see this program in motion and to get some of these students working at National Grid in the near future.”

About SEAT

SEAT exists to work alongside underrepresented young people to create a SEAT at the table in their community.  SEAT’s mission is to provide transformative educational and workforce experiences that create a sense of purpose and hope in our communities while connecting business to real-time solutions.  SEAT annually serves more than 400 low-income young adults who have one of more barriers to employment and in need of workforce development skills to secure a good paying job. SEAT programs provide young people with core job skills training that teach employable skills in a hand- on learning environment where they obtain occupational skills training. nationally recognized credentials, and career pathways opportunities in Construction, Manufacturing, Culinary, Energy, and Film.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.