Addressing a growing skills gap by closing economic disparities will be critical as Houston’s hydrogen economy grows. To address this opportunity, the Greater Houston Partnership's UpSkill Houston initiative, Accenture and the Center for Houston’s Future (CHF) have launched a new workforce development initiative that aims to help people in disadvantaged communities (DACs) secure good jobs in the emerging hydrogen economy by bridging the skills gap through training and skill development. According to the executive summary of a forthcoming white paper, the strategy will target high-demand and good-paying, middle-skilled hydrogen jobs through a skill-matching process based on skill transferability, among other factors, as well as tailored learning journeys that will provide pathways from education to employment. This will require collaborating with key stakeholders across the hydrogen economy, including local industry employers, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. The list of partners includes Air Liquide, Chevron, bp, Bloom Energy, Calpine, Dow, HIG, Linde, Shell, SLB, Brazosport College, Houston Community College, Lee College, Lone Stage College, San Jacinto College, United Way of Greater Houston and Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions. The learning journeys will help people increase their earning potential and provide career stability by having direct access to the hydrogen sector. “The future growth of the hydrogen industry in Houston and the Gulf Coast provides the region with the opportunity to collaborate with business and industry to rewire the talent pathways into the hydrogen sector and increase economic mobility and opportunity for residents of communities historically underserved.” - Peter Beard, SVP, Regional Workforce Development The consortium aims to work with community stakeholders and educational institutions to align career and technical education (CTE) in high schools with dual credit in community colleges. The ongoing collaboration with colleges and school districts will also support the development of shorter-term programs for adults.  The new initiative follows the U.S. Department of Energy’s selection of the Gulf Coast as one of seven regional clean hydrogen hubs, with operations centered in Houston. Brett Perlman, President of the Center for Houston’s Future, says employers must implement inclusive workforce strategies to fill the skills gap and mobilize a sustainably scaled workforce by recruiting talent from throughout the community. Accenture’s research has found a high degree of jobs will be needed for hydrogen with highly correlated skills from other occupations and industries already in place. “Making this happen requires being very purposeful about the intersection of these opportunities and... working across the ecosystem,” said Mary Beth Gracy, Houston Office Managing Director of Accenture, during a presentation of the strategy. The findings also predict a steady rise in middle-skill jobs within Houston’s clean energy hydrogen economy over the next five to 10 years, especially in carbon capture and storage (CCS), as well as consistent growth in manufacturing, application, storage, distribution and production as demand and technology advances. Robert Nunmaker, General Manager – Hydrogen, USGC & Europe at Chevron, echoed the report's conclusions. "This region plays a key role in supplying lower-carbon hydrogen and ammonia, which will require a skilled local workforce that will be positioned to execute these projects.” According to research conducted by McKinsey and CHF, Texas - and the Gulf Coast region as a whole - are already the nation’s largest hydrogen producers with more than 1,000 miles of dedicated hydrogen pipelines and 48 hydrogen production plants. The region is also home to a diverse array of energy resources, including a large concentration of academic and industry-driven energy innovation, cutting-edge infrastructure, and a highly skilled workforce. Looking at the future energy mix, hydrogen is anticipated to be twelve percent of the total energy consumption by 2050, according to the IEA. In its Houston as a Hydrogen Hub – 2050 Snapshot report, the Center for Houston’s Future predicts that 170,000 potential direct, indirect and induced jobs could be created in the hydrogen economy, as well as an additional $100 billion for Texas’ gross domestic product. Learn more about UpSkill Houston.

As the world transitions to energy-abundant, low-carbon energy solutions, industry, government, academia, key stakeholders, and community groups will need to work together to ensure an equitable future. Building community engagement and equity was one of several topics of discussion during virtual sessions of the Future of Global Energy Conference hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) and Center for Houston’s Future (CHF).   The conference is an annual gathering of business, academic and civic leaders who share a commitment to Houston’s global energy leadership and path toward an energy-abundant, low-carbon future. The inaugural conference was in 2021 when the Partnership launched the strategy that guides HETI.   Since then, HETI has established focus areas or working groups to advance efforts within several sectors where Houston has a strategic advantage, which includes Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS), clean hydrogen, capital formation, industry decarbonization and power management. In addition, HETI has identified four critical initiatives necessary to move the energy transition forward: workforce development, innovation and technology, policy and funding opportunities and community engagement and climate equity.   During the virtual session on community engagement and climate equity, community-based organizations, leaders in stakeholder engagement, and industry players shared their work and how they’ve engaged with HETI to strengthen best practices.   “We’re only as resilient as the most vulnerable in our community,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. Turner has led many initiatives that have strengthened the city’s work related to energy transition. “We are moving in the right direction by building on inclusivity,” he said.   HETI is working with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and Sallie Greenberg Consulting to create a framework that guides industry on implementing effective community engagement.  “It’s time to have hard conversations and create a shared vision about what change really means and move forward in a way that is beneficial to as many people,” said Sallie Greenberg, Principal of Sallie Greenburg Consulting, and panelist.   John Hall, President and CEO of HARC, Susan Amodeo-Cathey, Director of Energy Transition Programs, Policy and Alignment at Air Liquide, and Bolivar Fraga, Senior Manager of Civic Engagement at BakerRipley, also participated in the panel discussion.   The discussion centered on challenges and opportunities to improve community engagement before implementing new plans or projects in communities, especially in disadvantaged or underserved communities.  “We have to figure out how we change some of our longstanding processes that we think are outreach and engagement that our community members may not see that way,” Amodeo-Cathey said.   Fraga and Hall echoed those sentiments. Hall said energy companies, the business sector and government have the opportunity to collaborate and innovate equitable climate solutions for all.   Panelists also discussed the jobs the energy transition will create and how companies can create opportunities for community members. According to the HETI strategy report, the Houston region could gain up to 560,000 jobs by 2050 by supporting low-carbon technologies, industrial investments, innovation ecosystems, government policies and reskilling of talent.    “The energy transition is going to bring new jobs, so we have to make sure that those jobs reflect our community,” Amodeo-Cathey said. One example of how Air Liquide is doing this type of work is with its U.S. subsidiary Airgas’ high school training program that teaches students new and advanced welding skills.   UpSkill Houston, HETI and CHF are working with Accenture to assess the workforce needs in the hydrogen sector, with the goal of its serving as a model for other sectors. That study and the community engagement framework are expected to be released later this year.   Learn more about how Houston is leading the global energy transition.