Recap: Building the Workforce to Power Massachusetts’ Climate Future
October 8, 2025
Amid the federal government’s rollback of climate mitigation and adaptation measures, Lee Pelton, President & CEO of The Boston Foundation, acknowledged the challenges surrounding climate action at Building the Workforce to Power Massachusetts’ Climate Future on October 8, 2025. Still, he emphasized the urgency of gatherings like this one. “This is not a time to press pause on our climate work. It's a time to forge ahead.”
Pelton stressed that beyond technology, policy, and funding, the most critical need is people. To meet Massachusetts’ net-zero commitments, the state requires an estimated 34,000 new HVAC technicians, construction workers, and other skilled professionals.
The Massachusetts Climate Careers Fund, launched last year through a partnership between Social Finance and the Healey-Driscoll administration, aims to close workforce gaps, expand access to economic mobility, and build a more diverse climate workforce. The fund is designed to support low-income people, those who are unemployed, and members of underrepresented communities. It provides training for entry-level workers and help fossil fuel workers transition into the green energy sector.
Tracy Palandjian, CEO of Social Finance, highlighted the fund’s impact. “It’s a win for workers, a win for our climate agenda, and, importantly, a win for our economy.”
Melissa Hoffer, Massachusetts’ Climate Chief, emphasized the need for innovative thinking, saying, “The way we usually do things is what is creating the conditions that are causing climate change.” She added, “The power of imagination is probably the most important skill for every single person in this room right now.”
Panelists addressed the significant barriers workers face in accessing training. Jennifer Applebaum, Managing Director of Workforce Development at Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, spoke about issues that traditional grantmaking fails to address. “I think what breaks them the most and what broke me the most in my career of direct service is when someone right in front of you absolutely should be able to seize the opportunity, but (you) can't because the model that you work within just doesn't fit that. And so, that's where I think this is just a tremendous game changer."
AGENDA
Welcome
Lee Pelton, President & CEO, The Boston Foundation
Introduction
Tracy Palandjian, Co-founder & CEO, Social Finance
Remarks
Melissa Hoffer, Climate Chief, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A
Jennifer Applebaum, Managing Director of Workforce Development, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC)
Kristin Cole, Vice President of Workforce Development, Greenfield Community College
Abel Vargas, President, Valley Home Insulation
Moderator: Kirstin Hill, President and Chief Operating Officer, Social Finance
Closing Remarks
Julia Howard, Senior Program Officer of Climate, The Boston Foundation
Kristen Cole, Vice President of Workforce Development at Greenfield Community College, pointed out that in rural communities, “Transportation... is a real struggle for individuals.” Abel Vargas, President of Valley Home Installation, spoke to the “opportunity cost” of leaving decent-paying jobs to pursue training. “It's a real risk for somebody to say, ‘things may not be great for me right now, but they’re stable and I don’t have the flexibility in my life to take on the risk for something better.’”
To help overcome these challenges, the Climate Careers Fund is pooling $10 million from the Commonwealth and Social Finance to cover expenses beyond tuition, such as childcare, transportation, and housing. The fund offers zero-interest loans, that require repayment only when a worker secures a stable job earning at least $47,000 annually.
In one success story, four students from a recent HVAC training cohort used the fund to meet essential needs such as purchasing used cars for transportation, covering rent to secure housing, and paying for childcare. According to Cole, these supports made “all the difference in them being able to remain in that program.”
The event concluded with a hopeful message. Julia Howard, Senior Program Officer of Climate, The Boston Foundation, shared a quote from the late Dr. Jane Goodall: “Don't lose hope. If you lose hope, you become apathetic and do nothing. And if you want to save what is still beautiful in this world… then think about the actions you take each day because multiplied in a million, a billion times, even small actions will make great change.”