To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: GreenForce Training, Inc. Contract
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to execute a contract with GreenForce Training, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $500,000 to design, pilot, and implement the Battery Technology and Clean Energy Career Pathways Program for the period May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
80% State funded by the Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Fund (DOGWF), of which 33% is budgeted in FY2025-26 and 67% will be budgeted in FY2026-27; and 20% Federally funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Dislocated Worker Program, of which 17% is budgeted in FY2025-26 and 83% will be budgeted in FY2026-27.
BACKGROUND:
GreenForce Training, Inc. is the workforce training arm of Viridi, a clean-energy developer located in Richmond, California, specializing in utility-scale battery storage and renewable-energy systems. Together, Viridi and GreenForce support workforce development in clean-energy and battery-technology fields.
The Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC) is leveraging this local expertise to launch the Battery Technology and Clean Energy Career Pathways Program, a new pilot that will provide participants with industry-recognized credentials and hands-on experience in emerging clean-energy technologies. The initiative aligns with California’s Just Transition strategy and supports the County’s economic diversification goals by preparing displaced workers for high-growth clean-energy careers.
Under WDBCCC oversight, GreenForce will implement the program, serving 20 displaced oil, gas, and adjacent-industry workers through a combination of technical instruction, work-based learning, and paid on-the-job training (OJT) placements with local employers. Program outcomes will be tracked and reported in accordance with applicable DOGWF and WIOA reporting requirements. The pilot also establishes a scalable model for future workforce initiatives, advancing the County’s long-term goals for equitable economic development and sustainable employment.
This vendor was selected per procurement requirements outlined in Administrative Bulletin 600.3.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the proposed action not be approved by the Board of Supervisors, the County will not be able to implement the Battery Technology and Clean Energy Career Pathways Program and forfeit the opportunity to establish a new clean-energy training framework in the region.
CHILDREN’S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This contract supports all five community outcomes established in the Children’s Report Card: 1) “Children Ready for and Succeeding in School”; 2) “Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood”; 3) “Families that are Economically Self Sufficient”; 4) Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing”; and 5) “Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families”.