Cal EPIC, a high school workforce-training program focused on electrical and clean-energy careers, is built to accelerate that kind of forward motion. A year ago, its Rivian van—outfitted to serve as a mobile training lab—began rolling onto four public high school campuses across Sacramento, introducing students to life in the electrical industry through solar car kits, battery assemblies, and circuits they could build, test, and take apart themselves. The work is part of the Green Careers Pathway, a partnership between Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) and Cal EPIC, funded by the California Masonic Foundation’s Working Tools program. So far, 41 students in two cohorts have completed OSHA 10, a certification required on many job sites, with electric-forklift training becoming available at age 18 for those pursuing manufacturing work. Backed by a $471,000 grant from the Foundation, additional cohorts are on track to tally 150 completions in the program’s first year.

Cal EPIC prioritizes students facing barriers to access, among them foster youth, students experiencing homelessness, and  English learners. In January, one cohort visited the Colusa Indian Energy facility about a month after completing OSHA 10 for a close look at how a tribally owned utility generates and distributes power through a network of microgrids. “They start to see how these systems actually operate in the real world,” says Daniel Spinka, career readiness director for SCUSD. Next, Cal EPIC plans additional field visits with regional energy providers, including the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and is preparing to move its headquarters five doors down to a 32,000-square-foot facility with dedicated space for welding, fabrication, and other advanced metalworking. “This is where hands-on learning will start to look like a real work environment,” says Orville Thomas, CEO of Cal EPIC.

For Reid Wages, a senior at George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science, the trajectory looks different. She plans to attend American River College in the fall and pursue work in forensics—an interest sparked a decade ago when her family’s restaurant was robbed. But through Cal EPIC, she gained early exposure to the kinds of technical training and safety protocols that underpin a range of skilled industries, including clean energy manufacturing and infrastructure work. Now, with OSHA 10 training behind her, she has experience handling materials, following safety procedures, and working within regulated environments before ever setting foot in a crime lab.

Nationwide, clean energy employs about 3.5 million workers, adding close to 100,000 jobs last year. “It’s skyrocketing,” Spinka says. “A lot of this work can’t be automated. There’s a real need for real people with real skills.