Issued by the U.S. Department of Energy
In a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on Monday, September 23, as part of the White House Workforce Hub in Michigan, White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selection of the inaugural class of fellows for the Community Workforce Readiness Accelerator for Major Projects (RAMP) initiative. The Department, through the leadership of DOE’s Office of Energy Jobs (OEJ), selected ten dynamic fellows to partner with local organizations across the nation, including Michigan, to lead the charge in creating accessible pathways into high-quality jobs within the rapidly expanding clean energy sector to lead the charge in creating accessible pathways into high-quality jobs within the rapidly expanding clean energy sector.
“RAMP is more than an energy workforce program—it’s a catalyst for community empowerment and economic justice across the country,” said DOE’s Director of the Office of Energy Jobs, Betony Jones. “By equipping these fellows with the tools, mentorship, and training to build partnerships in their regions, we’re laying the groundwork for a clean energy economy that prioritizes equity, job quality, and community engagement at every step.”
This first-of-its-kind, two-year fellowship is central to DOE’s mission of addressing workforce gaps while ensuring that the clean energy transition lifts all communities, especially those historically left behind. The RAMP initiative is designed to empower communities with the resources and capacity to connect local workers to good jobs in clean energy infrastructure and supply chain projects, fueled by landmark federal investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The selected fellows, who come from diverse backgrounds in workforce development, community organizing, and clean energy, will work hand-in-hand with host organizations deeply rooted in their communities across target geographies, some state specific and some broader regions, based on the Investing in America map investments and clean energy projects.
RAMP’s target geographies are identified places that have received substantial, concentrated public and private investments for clean energy infrastructure and supply chain projects. These investments have transformative economic and employment potential for local communities, and such communities will benefit from increased capacity to develop workforce partnerships and programs.
The Department’s 2024 RAMP Fellowship selections include:
Alabama: Jacob Morgan Morrison
Pennsylvania and West Virginia: Coleman Rogers
Colorado: Claudia Gissel Uribe Guzman
Tennessee: Beau Dakota Hawk
Georgia: Derrick Figures
Michigan: Phaedra Njambi Amber Wainaina, JD
Nevada: Alexander Goff
Ohio: Zachary Ruppell
Texas: Alexandra “Allie” Perez
Tribal Lands: Ethan-Lee Robbins
The RAMP Fellowship aims to generate lasting impact in key regions that are home to large new clean energy factories and sites. Many of these regions have been underinvested in and are now seeing an influx of new investment and community revitalization as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Fellows will develop scalable workforce strategies, create local partnerships, and connect workers—especially those from marginalized communities—to sustainable careers in clean energy. The program is set to redefine workforce development by embedding community, equity, and job quality into every facet.
For more information on the RAMP Initiative and to meet the 2024 fellows and host organizations, visit www.energy.gov/RAMP.