Please join Energy Trust of Oregon’s in welcoming Joy Jerome Turtola (he/him) to the Communications and Customer Service group. Joy recently joined Energy Trust’s trade ally team in the role of workforce development manager. In this new role, Joy will support trade allies in identifying workforce gaps in Energy Trust’s service regions and help facilitate solutions to build the pipeline of workers providing energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for Oregon and Southwest Washington customers.
Joy’s new position encompasses Home Retrofits and EPS New Construction, and he will also manage the Contractor Development Pathway. Joy will work with local community-based organizations to raise awareness of Energy Trust workforce development initiatives, building workforce pipelines for trade allies. Joy will also work with community colleges, workforce investment boards, and local training providers to help build the right kinds of training for in-demand occupations in the clean energy sector.
The majority of Joy’s professional experience is in directing workforce development programs and post-secondary education skills development (ESL, GED), along with career and technical education programs. For more than 11 years, he directed the U.S. Department of Labor-funded WorkSource programs in Oregon, collaborating with the Oregon Employment Department to deliver high-quality job search and training services to unemployed and underemployed Oregonians. At both Mt. Hood Community College and Portland Community College, Joy managed career pathways programs, building talent pipelines in health, manufacturing, early education, and the trades. His comprehensive understanding of the public workforce system, and how secondary and post-secondary education systems feed the workforce pipeline, will enable him to effectively support Energy Trust’s workforce initiatives and build robust partnerships.
As an adult educator, Joy understands that adults vary in their learning styles, which makes workforce development as much of an art as it is a science. He recognizes that successful workforce development endeavors require close collaboration between industry and community partners.
When he isn’t working, Joy is engaged with his two adult children who live in Portland. Joy also keeps busy with his two dogs.
Please congratulate Joy on his new role with Energy Trust! You can reach him at 503.459.4062 or joyjerome.turtola@energytrust.org.