REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Establishment of a Silicon Valley Power Scholarship - Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures (SVPSF) Program and Delegate Authority to the City Manager to Negotiate a Final Grant Agreement with Santa Clara University
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Manage Strategically Our Workforce Capacity and Resources
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
Promote Sustainability and Environmental Protection
BACKGROUND
Since 2006, Silicon Valley Power (SVP) has offered local scholarships for traditional four-year institutions as well as trade and community college opportunities. Over 56 students in the Santa Clara community have benefited from scholarship awards ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.
U.S. clean energy employment accounts for 3.01% or 484,980 jobs in California growing annually by 2.2%. Fields in energy and sustainability are expanding locally and across the nation, and there is a growing awareness of the importance of an equitable and just transition into the emerging green jobs sector.
Providing educational and employment opportunities for the next generation is critical to Silicon Valley Power's Vision Statement: Innovating creative energy solutions for a resilient and sustainable community. Investing in a green jobs workforce pipeline is critical to achieving SVP's Vision Statement and the City's Climate Goals. The skillsets needed to compete in the emerging green jobs is expanding rapidly. This is particularly true for employees trying to advance in this field in the Bay Area where the energy, sustainability, and climate drivers are leading the way in accelerating this field.
SVP is proposing to add a new multi-year scholarship program focused on creating access to education in the field of sustainability through partnerships with Santa Clara University (SCU) and Mission College. The primary scholarship program is the Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures (SVPSF) Program, in partnership with Santa Clar...
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