Why Clean Tech Is Different

What We Found

M-SPIRE’s research found that many workforce skills transfer across Minnesota’s advanced manufacturing industries, but Clean Tech stands out as a partial exception. Among roles requiring a high school diploma/GED or less, Clean Tech had the largest number of unique top skills, including agriculture, professionalism, safety culture, forklift operation, and Microsoft Office.

At the associate-degree level, the research also found that Clean Tech had a high concentration of unique top skills, suggesting that workforce preparation for this sector may need to be more tailored than for some other advanced manufacturing industries.

Why It Matters

This matters because Clean Tech is not simply “traditional manufacturing with a sustainability label.” It draws on manufacturing capabilities, but also connects to agriculture, energy, environmental practices, safety, logistics, and emerging technologies.

For educators and workforce organizations, this suggests that broad manufacturing programs may provide a useful foundation, but Clean Tech may also require more specialized training pathways. For employers and economic development leaders, it highlights the importance of understanding where Clean Tech talent needs overlap with other sectors — and where they do not.

Questions Leaders Should Consider

  • Which Clean Tech skills can be developed through existing manufacturing programs, and which require new or specialized training?

  • Are education and workforce programs preparing learners for the sector’s unique mix of technical, operational, safety, and workplace skills?

  • How can Clean Tech employers better define the skills they need so educators can respond more effectively?

  • What partnerships are needed to build a workforce strategy that reflects Clean Tech’s distinct role in Minnesota’s economy?