On Monday (March 12), Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser opened the District of Columbia Infrastructure Academy, a new training program focused on preparing workers for fast-growing jobs in infrastructure, which includes fields such as transportation and green technology.

D.C. Infrastructure Academy, modeled after similar programs in Chicago, Philadelphia and Georgia, focuses on serving underemployed and unemployed residents.

Infrastructure Academy

According to a press release from the mayor’s office, in 2017, the district’s infrastructure sector included 6,753 jobs, with 2,231 job openings and only 1,246 hires. This means a nearly 50 percent shortage in an industry with an average hourly wage of $48.75.

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On Monday (March 12), Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser opened the District of Columbia Infrastructure Academy, a new training program focused on preparing workers for fast-growing jobs in infrastructure, which includes fields such as transportation and green technology.

Washington’s infrastructure sector is slated to increase 11 percent by 2021, and almost 20 percent by 2026.

The D.C. infrastructure Academy is being funded by Bowser’s $16.75 million commitment in the district’s capital budget and a $5.2 million contribution to workforce development programs.

“The D.C. Infrastructure Academy is a pathway to the middle class,” said Bowser. “As the infrastructure industry continues to grow, we want D.C. residents to be first in line for these high-paying jobs.”

Programs and services include solar panel installation, energy and utilities and opportunities to develop interview skills, among others.

“If [employers] don’t have people to fill the jobs to do the work, the work slows down and we can’t afford for work to slow down when we’re talking about our infrastructure,” Bowser told WTOP.