Minority Employees Complete Tennessee Valley Authority’s Weatherization Training Program

  • Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Seventeen members of Chattanooga’s minority workforce were among the first in the region to complete the Tennessee Valley Authority’s pilot Building Futures Minority Training Program. The program, offered in partnership with Tennessee Urban League Affiliates, was developed to train interested minority candidates on home weatherization skills and certify existing minority contractors for the Quality Contractor Network, an exclusive group of contractors authorized to weatherize homes across the utility’s seven-state service area that includes parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia.
 
The free program trained members of Chattanooga’s minority workforce on air sealing, attic insulation and duct sealing best practices.
The three-day technical training session was led locally by the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga.  
 
“The Tennessee Urban League Affiliates are honored to facilitate the training of a workforce for the home weatherization field,” said Program Director James McKissic. “As a member of TULA, we will work with Green|Spaces to ensure training participants are well prepared to work for contractors in TVA’s Quality Contractor Network to provide superior service to homeowners in need of improved energy efficiency.” 
 
Participants also received soft skills training on topics such as effective communication, teamwork and networking. "Graduates now have the skills, mindset and knowledge to identify necessary energy upgrades and service equipment, which will ultimately reduce homeowners’ total energy expenditures while improving their health and safety," officials said.
 
“I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn new skills and network with potential employers in a new industry,” said Sabrina Carter, a Building Futures Minority Training Program participant. “I appreciate TVA’s investment in the community through this program. It’s a great feeling to know I can help my family and neighbors through weatherization.” 
 
Last month, 23 contractors participated in the Building Futures Minority Contractor Training Program. Those participants are now eligible to become certified for the utility’s Quality Contractor Network, where they can help customers install energy upgrades, service energy equipment and coordinate financing through local power companies. Workforces in Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville are also participating.
 
“In all, 40 contractors and trainees participated in our pilot training programs,” said Frank Rapley, senior manager of TVA’s EnergyRight for the Home. “Their feedback was invaluable as we continue to shape the ongoing training program that will launch later this year. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Tennessee Urban League Affiliates to strengthen our contractor network and improve the lives of program participants and Chattanooga residents.”
 
“The Tennessee Valley Authority is making a significant difference in the lives of Chattanoogans and Tennesseans through this new opportunity,” said Warren E. Logan, Jr., president of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. “Not only are participants of the program learning a valuable new skill, but they can apply their learning to help residents throughout the state identify potential health hazards that come from an energy inefficient home. We are grateful to TVA for launching this important pilot in our own hometown.”
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