What DOE's $100 million PROSPECT initiative means for critical minerals workforce development — and how Energetics can help
With 47 years supporting federal energy programs, Energetics stands ready to turn PROSPECT’s $100 million investment into workforce results
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) recently announced a Notice of Intent for up to $100 million to strengthen America's critical minerals workforce. The nationwide Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies (PROSPECT) initiative will expand educational opportunities and build the skilled workforce needed to support domestic production, processing, recovery, and recycling of critical minerals. In the near term, PROSPECT aims to double the number of graduates in mining, minerals, and related supply-chain fields within two years. Over the long term, it will fund new curricula, teaching tools, and financial aid programs.
"The United States is rebuilding the industrial base and workforce needed to restore American energy dominance and secure our critical mineral supply chains," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in announcing the initiative. "Through the PROSPECT initiative, the Department is investing in the next generation of American engineers, scientists, and skilled workers who will help unleash American energy and ensure the United States remains the world's leading energy powerhouse."
Energetics, a CLEAResult company, welcomes DOE's announcement and is positioned to help CMEI turn this investment into measurable outcomes. DOE estimates the nation will need roughly 6,000 new mining engineers over the next decade alone, on top of shortages in materials science, processing, and recycling talent. Those gaps threaten the pace of America's energy, manufacturing, and defense buildout, and closing them requires the kind of program design, technical analysis, and stakeholder coordination Energetics has delivered for DOE since 1979.
For 47 years, Energetics has served as a trusted technical and management partner across DOE's energy efficiency, renewable energy, industrial technologies, and vehicle technologies programs — spanning research portfolio management, curriculum and program frameworks, merit review and evaluation, and public funding strategy — work that directly maps onto what PROSPECT will require: building degree pathways with universities and community colleges, designing financial-aid and scholarship mechanisms, evaluating grantee performance, and engaging the mining, minerals, and supply-chain stakeholders whose participation will determine the initiative's success.
"America does not lack ambition when it comes to rebuilding our mineral supply chains. We need to couple that ambition with an organized and trained workforce to lead the effort," said Adam McIlwain, Vice President at CLEAResult Energetics. "Energetics has spent nearly five decades helping DOE turn national priorities into working programs on the ground. PROSPECT is the kind of initiative where that experience — building curricula, managing funding, and aligning universities, employers, and government — can move the needle quickly for CMEI and for the students this program is meant to reach."
As PROSPECT moves from announcement to implementation, Energetics is ready to support CMEI and its partners, helping ensure the initiative delivers the skilled workforce America needs to secure its critical minerals supply chains.
Read DOE's full PROSPECT announcement.
About CLEAResult Energetics
Energetics is a consulting capability of CLEAResult. CLEAResult is North America's largest provider of energy efficiency, energy transition, and energy sustainability services. Since 2003, our mission has been to change the way people use energy. Today, our experts lead the transition to a more sustainable, equitable, and carbon-neutral future. Through hometown teams and a broad network of local partners, we deliver world-class technology and personalized services that help commercial and industrial businesses, governments, utilities, and residential customers reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, CLEAResult employs nearly 3,000 people across 60+ cities in the U.S. and Canada and is majority owned by leading U.S. middle market private equity firm Kohlberg. Learn more at clearesult.com, or visit our CLEAResult Energetics page. For additional questions, contact us today.