IREC Adds Energy IT Career Resources to Green Workforce Connect Platform
The public face of the energy workforce is often represented by frontline positions such as construction, manufacturing, and electrical work. These occupations are certainly important. We need skilled workers who can install solar panels, wire electrical systems, and manufacture equipment, as well as the staff who manage, finance, and develop these projects. Behind the scenes, however, energy industries are fundamentally technology industries. There is a critical place for Information Technology (IT) professionals who manage software, networks, cybersecurity, data, and other technological systems and processes.
Common IT career areas in energy industries include software and web development, data science, Information Technology (IT) services, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), and more. The Green Workforce Connect platform was recently updated with detailed occupation profiles of common IT roles in the clean energy industry, where you can get a feel for the responsibilities you can expect; the skills, training, certifications, or experience you may need; and the pathways for advancement. For more free IT career resources, visit the Resource Library.
Green Workforce Connect also now includes video interviews with people working in energy IT roles, so you can hear firsthand what these jobs are like and get career insights from those who have walked this path already. These video interviews are embedded below for ease of access.
Voices from the Field
Hear from three professionals working in IT roles in the energy field as they break down what various careers can look like, the skills you need to get started, how apprenticeship is factored in, and their personal career stories.
Elaina Farnsworth, CEO of SkillFusion
Elaina Farnsworth is a rare voice at the intersection of Information Technology (IT), cybersecurity, and clean energy workforce development. A CEO who began as a curious child in a computer lab and built a 25-year career across healthcare IT, defense training, and Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure, she now runs a platform (SkillFusion) that moves people regardless of prior background into skilled technology and trades roles.
Meghan Sloan, Data Science & Reporting Manager at Uplight
Meet Meghan Sloan, Data Science & Reporting Manager at Uplight—an energy efficiency software company serving over 80 utilities across North America. Meghan started in biochemistry, spent time teaching middle school, and found her way to data science through genomics research. In this conversation, she breaks down what clean energy data science actually looks like, what skills you need to get started, and why she believes apprenticeship is one of the best ways to learn this work.
Jon Wheatley, Director of IT Operations at Revision Energy
Jon Wheatley, Director of IT Operations at Revision Energy, shares how a career that began in the Air Force led him into IT and eventually into the clean energy industry. Hear candid advice on what it takes to break in, what skills actually matter in hiring, and where to start if you’re new to the field.
