As the green economy moves forward, it’s necessary that traditionally underrepresented communities be part of the sector, according to Daniel Ferguson, senior director of workforce development, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI).

WorkingNation sat down with Ferguson at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego.

Ferguson says there is great opportunity in the green economy. “We are bolstering the talent pipeline by providing what I call debt-free postsecondary education in green jobs – be it IT support, project management, EV maintenance technicians. We’re providing the opportunity for folks to get into this green economy through accelerated training, partnering with community colleges and other training practitioners to provide training will lead to good-paying green jobs.”

He continues, “We’re training individuals for the opportunities for our LACI startups – comprising of those technologies that specialize in zero emissions transportation, smart and sustainable cities, and clean energy.”

“Through our pilot’s work, we’re able to deploy the technology in the communities for those individuals getting trained to upkeep the technology and also ultimately be able to afford, to utilize, and to be able to gain access to the technology.”

Learn more about Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator.