Build together: creating a net-zero workforce

Mille Munksgaard
Proposal Status
Ready for Committee Review
Username
Mille Munksgaard
Proposer First Name
Mille
Proposer Email
mimu@di.dk
Proposer Last Name
Munksgaard
Proposer Phone
(929) 290-9701
Proposer Job Title
Director, Strategy & Projects
Proposer Additional Info
Mille is a sustainability professional with experience in international business development and strategic partnerships within the cleantech sector. Mille joined the Danish Cleantech Hub in New York City in August 2019 where she serves as Director for Strategy & Projects. She advises Danish companies on strategy and business development on the North American market and oversees large international projects, which aim to strengthen the sustainable urban development in the pursuit of game-changing solutions. She specializes in public-private partnership models related to cleantech collaboration between Denmark and New York and provides expert assistance on Danish experiences, solutions and know-how to American partners. Mille has previously worked with Wind Europe in Brussels and the Confederation of Danish Industry in Copenhagen and holds a master’s degree from Copenhagen Business School.
Proposed Session Description
The demand for green buildings is growing rapidly, and the United States needs to train and scale up its workforce to meet the challenge. This session will explore strategies for building a diverse, equitable, and skilled workforce that can accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy. Here, visionary practioners will provide their perspectives on what it will take to drive a pipeline of skilled workers to build back America, whilst addressing the misalignment between job gains and losses.
Why is this session important?
With 550 billion of new infrastructure investments over the next decade, the increasing demand of a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of climate change, is eminent. By addressing today’s labor supply imbalances, this session will address the need for workforce development, and explore how to ensure that marginalized communities are not left behind in the transition to a sustainable built environment. It will also discuss strategies for scaling up training programs, fostering public-private partnerships, and leveraging emerging technologies to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy.

Comments

Gretel Guivelondo Sun, 05/21/2023 - 7:08 pm

YES. Important topic which lends into interesting discussion, and I like that the strategies in connecting people to opportunities are laid out thoughtfully (e.g., scaling up training and fostering partnerships.) Would be helpful to include metrics about these strategies and progress, if any. Might also be helpful to include a trades perspective.

Michaela Boren… Mon, 05/22/2023 - 10:56 am

Round 1: YES. I like how they aim to address 1. ensuring that marginalized communities are not left 2.  strategies for scaling up training programs, 3. fostering public-private partnerships, and 4. leveraging emerging technologies to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy and that their proposal for this is stronger with their varied list of speakers. If it does go through, just want to make sure that they give specific examples or strategies of all this and not just high level strategies.  

Ben Sachs-Hamilton Thu, 05/25/2023 - 9:23 am

Round 1 discussion:Role of emerging tech in scaling workforce. WHAT technologies are we talking about? Ensuring inclusivity in workforce dev - connecting people to opps through training, partnerships, but one thing that could help is to include clear metrics and a trades perspective. How explicitly will this session address justice & equity?

Gretel Guivelondo Thu, 06/15/2023 - 10:05 am

Recommendation: I am leaning towards NO on this one, but would be extremely open to reconsidering if I can get some more clarity on the meat of the content – because this has so much potential! I am waiting on answers from a few follow up questions I had, hopefully get them before the meeting.  Format: Opening speech to set the theme and ambition (potential City rep?)Moderated panel discussion (Richard Yancey from BE-Ex as the moderator, with folks from Turner Construction, Rockwool, some union representation)Wrap up with an inspiring / motivational keynote (?) Overall impression: Mille was inspired with similar topic at New York Climate Week focusing on the wind sector, where there was an amazing conversation, with unions represented. She understands that there were serious gaps about how these entities could push to upskill workforce in general and there are so many different synergies to be leveraged. She hopes that this session will discuss barriers and best in class examples. The hope is to illustrate how stakeholders can work towards a common goal, but having stakeholders be in the same room, focusing on exact problems, and understand what they are doing, and how to collaborate, is there low hanging fruit, are there innovative ideas to scale. However, a few flags:Speakers. Moat speakers were not confirmed as of yet, and during discussion, there was some inconclusiveness about who best could provide the best subject matter expertise. Looking at this now, most are in the manufacturing sector, but discussion could potentially be richer if there is a voice from the workforce, union, or economic development sectors. Some notes on the originally selected speakers:Richard Yancey has gravitas and deep knowledge on high-performance buildings x training deploymentTodd from Rockwool is very articulate and has technical acumen (manufacturer)Alex Moshenberg is a building envelope expert (manufacturer / contractor)Learning Objectives: Since the speakers were still being workshopped, it was tough to determine what specific strategies or concrete examples will be discussed, if there is a clear and unifying thread, and if there are metrics that can be reported out on to evaluate success. 

Diversity and Inclusiveness
This session will provide discussions on how to best leverage the demand for practical, scalable building design and construction solutions, for creating a more equitable workforce system.
Learning Objectives
Understand the importance of workforce development in the transition to a net-zero economy.
Discuss the importance of inclusive workforce development in decarbonization strategies, and explore ways to ensure that marginalized communities are not left behind in the transition to a sustainable built environment.
Discuss how companies can help foster a prosperous construction workforce, which can meet the demands of a net-zero industry.
Evaluate the role of emerging technologies in scaling up the workforce and accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 2 - Some prior knowledge helpful.

NYC 2023 Areas of Focus

Session Format Details
Opening remarks, keynote, 30 min. panel discussion followed by Q&A
Recommended Length
60-minute session

Strongest Content Connection - NYC 2023

Anything else you'd like to tell us about your session proposal?
The demand for energy-efficient buildings continues to grow as consumers realize the benefits of more affordable, efficient, resilient, and healthy buildings. Capitalizing on this demand will be key to the United States’ goal of achieving net-zero no later than 2050. The transition to a net-zero economy will require a skilled workforce with the knowledge and expertise to design, construct, and operate energy-efficient buildings.
Reviewer 1
Boren, Michaela
Reviewer 2
Guivelondo, Gretel
Proposal #
125
Committee Decision
Being Considered

Presenters