Impact Story

Empowering Energy Efficiency Externs: Workforce Development Celebrates the Winter 2024 Graduation!

On a sunny Wednesday, May 15th, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) transformed into a hub of excitement and achievement. The air buzzed with anticipation as 24 talented DC residents, fresh from the 2024 Winter Cohort of the Workforce Development program, stepped into a promising future in the green industry.

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  Externs listening to DCSEU Managing Director, Ernest Jolly, provide opening remarks.

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  Workforce Development Program Manager, Gleniss V. Brown Wade, providing remarks to externs and graduation attendees.

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  Extern, Michelle Hugee, providing the Extern’s Address to members of her cohort.

These individuals have not only completed the program but also gained hands-on experience and technical expertise in the local energy-efficiency and renewable energy industries. From mastering cutting-edge technologies to understanding sustainable practices, they’ve emerged as true industry champions. Among the 24 graduates, 18 have already accepted full-time job offers. Their hard work and dedication have paid off, propelling them into meaningful careers that make a difference. But for those still exploring their options, the journey continues with a mix of anticipation, interviews, and some weighing multiple job offers.

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  Externs giving a presentation to attendees about optimizing renewable energy systems with artificial intelligence.

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  Ernest Jolly congratulating Javar Allen-Boyd, extern who went on to receive full-time employment with Greenscape Energy.

Graduates from the program hail from different neighborhoods across the District. Wards 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 were well represented. Their collective impact will ripple through our communities, creating a more sustainable and resilient DC.

At the graduation ceremony, Eric J. Jones, AOBA VP of Government Affairs, DC and a seasoned industry expert, took the stage to share a powerful lesson on perseverance and character as these externs step into the field carrying not just technical knowledge but also the resilience forged over the last 5 months.

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  Eric J. Jones, AOBA VP of Government Affairs, providing the commencement address to graduating externs.

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  Katelyn Shanks, extern at Advanced Solar, giving a presentation describing the types of accomplishments she made while in the program.

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  Ana Sanchez, extern at Greening Urban, giving a presentation on renewable energy optimizing. Sanchez would go on to become a new full-time Associate Program Manager at the DCSEU.

"The 2024 Winter Cohort Extern participants were the most diverse individuals with various cultural backgrounds, ages, social status, etc., but what impressed me the most was how well they supported one another," said Gleniss V. Brown Wade, Manager of Workforce Development. "They were genuinely concerned about each other's well-being, asking when someone was out for the day and if they were okay. Each extern helped each other with lunch or providing rides to their work sites. I am extremely overwhelmed with the amount of empathy they showed each other."

The Workforce Development program isn’t just for seasoned professionals. It’s a bridge for all—whether you’re a fresh high school graduate like Katelyn Shanks or someone seeking a career switch like Michelle Hugee. Shanks thanked Brown V. Wade for taking a chance on an eager extern. Now armed with professional experience, she’s ready to conquer the workforce with confidence. 

Congratulations to everyone who graduated from the Workforce Development program! Learn more about the Workforce Development program and get started on your career in the green industry.