A key objective of EPIXC is to determine the ways that aspiring research institutes along with working class communities who historically have served as hosts to industrial complexes, can have beneficial engagement in the electrification efficiency improvements and economic growth of manufacturing sectors in the institute’s 5 Key Application Areas (KAAs). To ensure positive outcomes, in addition to developing special community-based programs and collaborations with aspiring research enterprises, EPIXC will create measurable approaches that can be used to demonstrate a multiplicity of co-benefits for students and faculty members from the ARIs as well as tracking: community organizational engagement; types of programs developed to target specific needs of income constrained communities;  number of neighborhood program participants; volunteer self-reported demographic and economic  breakdown data; micro survey results; type of jobs trained for and obtained, average salaries and employment impact in each sector over a 1 to 3 year period; types of small business services utilized etc.

This can be achieved for example through:

• Meaningful involvement of industry or industrial trade association(s) in developing  or expanding upon industry recognized/certified training-to-jobs programs  designed  to meet the needs of limited income host communities (suggested metrics: clear identification of partnering industrial organizations, number of trainees, wrap around services offered; number and types of actual local jobs created; number of local community members to complete training and receive jobs and number and types of potential direct and indirect future local jobs saved or gained).
• Thoughtful community engagement in development and implementation of  workforce development registered training-to-jobs/apprenticeships programs (suggested metrics: identification of participating local workforce development organizations and community colleges developers of paid industry recognized apprenticeships, wrap around services provided, internships and certification programs that lead to employment; number of local program participants, program graduates along with jobs obtained; program quality feedback).
• Meaningful inclusion of localized small and veteran-owned businesses within below average  host communities (suggested metrics: number of small and veteran owned business participants; identification of active local small business participants; services provided, dollars spent on local small and veterans owned businesses; quality of services received; mentorship provided to businesses; program quality feedback).
• Creation of industrial bootcamps for graduating high school seniors from working class communities (suggested metrics: number of bootcamps, types of bootcamps, number of working-class and first generation industry student participants; completion rate; investment dollars spent;  internships/jobs obtained; career advancement 1-3 years post the program; survey program quality feedback).
• Meaningful inclusion of aspiring research enterprises including colleges and universities servicing students and veterans from primarily working class communities and first generation college participants (suggested metrics: number of faculty, student and veteran participants; graduation rate among income constrained and first generation college participants; jobs obtained; career progression 1-3 years post-graduation; survey program quality feedback).