Last month, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 569 announced its new Renewable Energy and Manufacturing Division. The Division is structured to meet emerging workforce development needs in the rapidly expanding renewable energy and climate manufacturing sector of Imperial Valley.

In addition, the Division will support the IBEW’s apprenticeship training initiative for the battery and advanced manufacturing sectors. The Clean Transportation and Advanced Manufacturing Electrical Training Trust apprenticeship training initiative builds on IBEW’s 133 years of electrical experience to prepare today’s workforce for the industrial, manufacturing, and technology jobs of the clean economy.

The IBEW said the union is driving a cleaner, greener economy in North America. IBEW continues to be at the forefront of sustainable technologies, including battery manufacturing, the union said.

IBEW Local Union 569 represents over 3,700 skilled and highly trained union electricians and power professionals in San Diego and Imperial Counties. IBEW 569 has been working in partnership with the Imperial Valley community for decades, including as “Lithium Valley” emerged as one of the world’s largest stores of lithium, a key element in electric vehicle and battery storage technologies.

IBEW 569 also operates the largest electrical apprenticeship program in San Diego & Imperial Counties — the third largest such apprenticeship in California — where the union is training Southern California’s green workforce.

The union trained over 400 power professionals in Energy Systems and Microgrid Training and Certification (ESAMTAC), which is considered the highest standard of training and certification in energy storage systems nationally. ESAMTAC was developed by a team led by Penn State University that included: the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the IBEW, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the National Electrical Industry Standards (NEIS) project that utilizes the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approval process.

Back in June, local Unions of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), announced the creation of the Clean Transportation and Advanced Manufacturing Electrical Training Trust.

IBEW said the union has committed national resources to develop customized training for individual workplaces in collaboration with employers. Apprenticeship and skilled training opportunities will include Medium/Heavy Duty Clean Vehicle Mechanics, Industrial Manufacturing Technicians and other battery and advanced manufacturing careers.

IBEW has also dedicated electrical training centers in more than 35 locations along the west coast of the United States, which give electrical workers classroom and lab training to go with the on-the-job skills they learn in a paid apprenticeship. In addition to advanced manufacturing, the new training trust creates the opportunity to use these facilities for new and emerging clean technology sectors like zero-emission vehicle maintenance.

“Our local members in Imperial County were early pioneers in building large utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects in California. We are now ready for the next wave of work opportunities through Lithium Valley,” IVEW Local 569 San Diego and Imperial Counties Business Manager Jeremy Abrams said. “This new apprenticeship training initiative will enable us to provide the skilled training necessary to scale up a skilled manufacturing workforce in Imperial County and we stand ready to partner with manufacturers to successfully deliver a secure, domestic supply chain of high-quality battery components.”

Leading the IBEW 569’s Renewable Energy and Manufacturing Division will be the union’s new Renewable Energy and Manufacturing Organizer (REMO), Fabiola Moreno, who grew up in Salinas Valley in the small agricultural town of Gonzales. She is a former Legislative Aide to Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia where she staffed the Assemblymember on bills related to agriculture, public safety, jobs and economic development, and labor.

She is the founder of the Ruelas Fulfillment Foundation which supports high school students who want to pursue a career after high school while being committed to giving back to their communities. Moreno was the first in her family to graduate from college. She has a degree in political science from San Diego State University.