Above: The LIME Foundation’s NextGen Trades Academy Fall 2025 Cohort meets at MCE’s San Rafael Office for their first class on Nov. 1, 2025.
Above: The LIME Foundation’s NextGen Trades Academy Fall 2025 Cohort meets at MCE’s San Rafael Office for their first class on Nov. 1, 2025.
New paid training in San Rafael helps locals build skills in green trades
SAN RAFAEL and CONCORD, Calif. — Marin County residents are now gaining hands-on experience in green construction, electrification, and energy efficiency through MCE’s workforce development partnership with The LIME Foundation’s NextGen Trades Academy. The paid training, launched last week in San Rafael, is funded by a $380,000 Climate Justice Grant from the Marin Community Foundation, which has already helped more than 80 local jobseekers gain skills and access good-paying clean-energy careers.
“Clean energy careers should be within reach for everyone in the communities we serve. The NextGen Trades Academy gives our local youth the chance to gain skills to build bright futures while strengthening our local economy. Training new green trade workers helps fast track California’s clean energy transition."
Through paid, in-person instruction, participants gain certifications and job placement support to advance green careers. Most graduates secure employment within 90 days, earning starting wages of up to $50 per hour. The program’s success builds on MCE’s broader investment in a just energy transition with more than 7,000 clean energy jobs and 600 trained Bay Area workers since 2010.
“The NextGen Trades Academy is free, helping folks avoid student debt while gaining in-demand skills. Our students achieve financial independence faster, making construction a valuable alternative to college, which is out of reach for many. MCE’s partnership allows us to expand workforce opportunities across the Bay Area and empower the next generation of leaders in the clean energy workforce.”
MCE’s collaboration with The LIME Foundation, SEI, and AEA underscores the power of community-based partnerships to drive both climate and economic progress. Together, these organizations help local youth turn training into tangible impact — building cleaner homes, stronger communities, and a more inclusive workforce.
Graduates of the NextGen Trades Academy are now putting their new skills to work, helping electrify homes, modernize infrastructure, and create climate-ready communities.
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About The LIME Foundation: The LIME Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Sonoma County that supports at-risk and underserved youth through vocational training, mentorship, and career opportunities. Since 2015, its NextGen Trades Academy has trained over 600 students for sustainable careers in construction and clean technology. Learn more at thelimefoundation.org.
