Our expertise · RESNET Providership, QA & Training

Tribal Energy Workforce Development

Build the skills on your own projects. Keep the expertise in the community.

The most durable energy workforce is the one trained on the housing, facilities and energy work the community is already preparing to do. Green Summit is a Cherokee-TERO certified consulting partner, and we work with Tribal Nations, housing organizations, colleges and workforce partners to develop project-connected energy training. We connect the skills people learn with the projects in front of the Nation, from building-science fundamentals and diagnostic testing to HERS Rater and Rating Field Inspector pathways, so the capability stays in the community after the project is finished. Your Nation sets the priorities; we bring the engineering, the training equipment and the credential pathways to meet them.

Cherokee-TERO certified
RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221
Licensed engineering firm
Founded 2014

Who this is for

Tribal housing, energy and workforce leaders, Tribal colleges and enterprises, and the public agencies and utility programs that fund or partner in community energy workforce development.

Government & Public Institutions Tribal Nations & Tribal Organizations Utilities & Energy Program Administrators

What we do

Build building-science and diagnostic skills. We use practical instruction, modular training units and supervised field experience to give participants a technical foundation they can use on the next house.
Open HERS Rater and RFI pathways. We help participants understand the role-specific training, mentoring, evaluation and credential requirements, and we walk the pathway with them.
Develop energy-project skills. We plan learning around solar, storage, HVAC, performance verification and the other work the community's projects will call for.
Plan longer-term workforce pathways. We work with your partners to develop mentorship and the future solar, battery and thermal-storage apprenticeship arrangements now in development.

Our process

Start with local priorities. We identify the projects, the participants, the host partners and the workforce resources the Nation already has.
Design the pathway. Together we settle the learning goals, instructors, equipment, participant support and credential steps.
Train through the work. We combine classroom or lab instruction with supervised practice on the Nation's own projects, under the supervision each role requires.
Support continuity. We plan mentoring, further evaluation and the skills the next project will need, so the program outlasts the engagement.

What your Nation receives

A workforce program designed around your projects and approved through your own process: a defined progression from introductory skills to qualified roles, instruction and supervised practice delivered on real work, documented evaluations for each participant and a plan for the mentoring and follow-on skills that keep the capability local.

What your Nation gains

Training shaped around the community's actual projects, not a curriculum imported from somewhere else.
Clearer pathways from introductory skills to qualified roles, with each credential step named in advance.
Local knowledge and capability that continue beyond a single engagement.

Why Green Summit

Green Summit is a Cherokee-TERO certified consulting partner delivering end-to-end compliance solutions: licensed engineering, building performance, field verification and technical education in one coordinated team. Founded in 2014, we also hold RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221, which means the HERS Rater and RFI pathways we teach are the same ones our own quality-assurance team reviews. We work with Tribal leadership and institutions to define the program rather than assume one curriculum fits every community, and we respect the Nation's sovereignty, governance and procurement decisions at every step.

Solar, battery and thermal-storage apprenticeship pathways are in development. Hosting, funding, employer commitments, registration and enrollment depend on the specific program, and we never imply that a registered or currently enrolling apprenticeship exists before it does.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tribal energy workforce development?

It is project-connected training that builds building-science, diagnostic, rating and energy-system skills in community members around the housing, facilities and energy work the Nation is preparing to undertake. The pathway runs from introductory skills toward qualified roles such as Rating Field Inspector and HERS Rater, with mentoring and evaluation along the way. The goal is capability that stays in the community.

Who shapes the workforce program?

The Tribal partner. Your Nation establishes its priorities and the outcomes it wants; Green Summit connects those priorities with a practical technical scope, a training environment and a progression of skills.

Which pathways can be included?

Building science, diagnostic testing, HERS Rater and RFI development, quality practices and energy-system education. Solar, battery and thermal-storage apprenticeship pathways are in development and are identified separately from what is available today.

Can training stay connected to local projects?

Yes. Program design can begin with the housing, rehabilitation or energy work the community needs, then identify the instruction, supervised practice and mentorship that fit that work.

Does participation guarantee certification or employment?

No. Credentials require their own examinations and evaluations, and employment depends on employers and opportunities. We distinguish training outcomes from promises that are not ours to make.

What does Cherokee-TERO mean for the relationship?

Green Summit's Cherokee-TERO certification is part of our commitment to responsible Tribal partnering. It never replaces the Nation's governance, its procurement decisions or a funding program's requirements.

Let's start with your Nation's workforce priorities.

Tell us about the housing, facilities or energy projects ahead, the people you want to train and the partners who should be part of the conversation.