WALTHAM, MA – National Grid today announced the first distribution of its Clean Energy Scholars Fund, awarding a total of $300,000 in scholarships to 94 students attending Franklin Cummings Tech, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston). The Clean Energy Scholars program is part of the company's commitment to growing the Commonwealth's clean energy workforce and increasing accessibility to jobs in the field.

As part of this commitment, National Grid provides $100,000 to each of the three schools -- Franklin Cummings Tech, Northeastern University, and UMass Boston. The awards are directed to qualifying students pursuing engineering or craft and trades-related degrees and participating in National Grid's Clean Energy Careers Academy. 

The Scholars program is part of a larger Strategic Workforce Development initiative at National Grid. The initiative leverages strategic partnerships with higher and secondary education institutions to support students from historically underrepresented communities and close critical opportunity and employment gaps.

"It's no secret that the clean energy workforce lacks diversity," said Amanda Downey, Vice President of Strategy Development and Partnerships at National Grid. "These programs are designed to break down historic barriers to entry and increase accessibility to clean energy careers – and are essential as we navigate through this clean energy transition in a just and equitable manner. At National Grid, we believe our future workforce should represent the communities we serve. We look forward to continuing these partnerships with our esteemed institutional partners to enable the accessibility of clean energy careers."

"Connecting our HVAC&R Technology, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Computer Information Technology students with professional mentors from National Grid will help the students gain valuable knowledge about their chosen fields and build workforce development skills," said Jackie Cornog, Dean of Students at Franklin Cummings Institute. "This kind of partnership ties directly to our mission at Franklin Cummings Tech, which is to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement." 

"This partnership is beneficial on many fronts," said Dr. Gregory D. Abowd, Dean of the College of Engineering at Northeastern University. "It helps National Grid build a workforce more reflective of the communities it serves; it provides Northeastern students access to new career and educational opportunities; and it adds to the university's extensive collection of programs supporting students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities. If all that weren't enough, it helps enable the future of clean energy. We're proud to be a part of it. "

"We are delighted to continue this second year of partnership with National Grid," said Joseph Berger, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UMass Boston. "We've already seen the impact the program has had over the past year, and we look forward to continued growth and opportunities for our students."

The 2024 Clean Energy Scholars include 51 students from Northeastern, 30 from Franklin Cummings, and 13 from UMass Boston. Award recipients participating in National Grid's Clean Energy Careers Academy program in which National Grid mentors and others engage students about the energy and utilities field, provide professional development opportunities, scholarly roundtable discussions, and create connections that can lead to future internships, co-ops, and full-time employment within National Grid. Students received varying award amounts. The awarded students major in a variety of science and engineering areas and are exploring engineering and energy careers. 

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.