Long timelines for cities and institutions to adopt climate and workforce strategies: Workforce shifts are slowed by bureaucratic processes and long planning horizons. Cities can take years to adopt climate workforce strategies, making it hard to align training timelines. A disconnect between state-level goals and local planning capacity compounds delays, leaving smaller cities especially behind.

Communities and youth often lack awareness that “green jobs are good jobs,” reflecting a persistent branding and marketing gap. Many young people and workers don’t view climate-related careers—such as solar design, retrofitting, or energy management—as stable or lucrative pathways compared to fields like tech or engineering. Participants emphasized the need to make green jobs “sexy, cool, and urgent” by investing in storytelling, branding, and outreach campaigns that tap into youth passion for climate action. Stronger marketing, comparable to private-sector examples like Tesla, is essential to elevate the visibility and appeal of green careers.

Union entry barriers and limited participation in residential work compared to commercial: Union pathways remain a major roadblock, particularly in residential sectors. Stakeholders flagged that union jobs concentrate in commercial work, leaving residential retrofits under-supported. State-level oversight was suggested to ensure more equitable union participation in the residential market.

Inconsistent job descriptions and lack of industry codes for emerging green jobs: Workforce advocates reported inconsistent titles and unclear role definitions, making it difficult for workers, educators, and employers to align expectations. The state currently lacks standardized industry codes for many green jobs, hindering tracking, funding, and workforce planning.

Training programs often fail to align with actual job availability or timing, creating gaps between the skills being taught and real market demand. Many programs launch before jobs are available, leaving participants trained but unable to find work immediately. Others focus too narrowly—such as on solar installation—without offering pathways to high-paying, long-term careers, resulting in short-term gains but limited stability.