To better understand the bioenergy workforce development landscape, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) would like assistance from its academic and industry partners to identify existing bioenergy workforce successes within the bioenergy industry and academic learning environment, as well as gaps that impede skill development and/or the recruitment of qualified individuals.

BETO is seeking direct input through a Bioeconomy Workforce/Career-Development Request for Information (RFI), open through November 2. The evidence-based workforce development data BETO receives will assist in preparing the nation’s current and future bioenergy workforce for the rapidly and continually changing workforce demands to reskill and upskill in the bioenergy industry.

Exciting, first-of-its-kind opportunities await those who enter the bioenergy workforce. One example is the groundbreaking collaboration between the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, LanzaTech, and Virgin Atlantic. This collaboration led to Virgin Atlantic’s first commercial flight fueled by recycled waste gas from a steel mill. You can read more here.

The RFI seeks information on existing bioenergy workforce development assets and gaps in the bioenergy industry and academia. BETO supports groundbreaking technologies to produce biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower (bioenergy) from non-food sources of biomass and waste resources. 

The RFI can be found on the BETO website. Feel free to use the RFI Template Word document to respond to the RFI questions. Additional comments and recommendations are welcomed.

Submit your response to bioenergizeMe@ee.doe.gov by no later than 5 p.m. ET, November 2, 2020.