North Dakota State Building Trades Unions President Jason Ehlert joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the necessity of the North Dakota building trades to develop market share in renewable energy.
While North Dakota is rich in coal, petroleum and natural gas, it is also ripe for solar, wind agriculture enhanced biofuels, Ehlert said. The state also contains an abundance of minerals that can be mined for battery production. Transitioning the state to a more renewable energy economy can be a juggling act for the building trades, he added.
Ehlert explained the need to grow registered building trades apprenticeship programs, the push to educate young people about the opportunities available through the trades and the challenge of recruiting more women into the trades.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.