Job Training

“I’m very grateful and very blessed to be part of this program,” said Homeowner Pamela, “…and I’m happy to have the sun!” followed up Homeowner Wade. The two Baltimore neighbors stood beaming, on one of the hottest days of the August, talking about their experience going solar with GRID Alternatives.
It was June 29, and Dexter Rawlings had finished his first day of on-the-job training, installing solar panels on the rooftops of Washington. After hours under the unforgiving summer sun, he arrived home, exhausted. But an email was waiting for him with an encouraging message: The work he had done was projected to save local homeowners more than $11,000 in energy bills over the lifetime of the panels.

Students from across the Central Valley region got a crash course in solar energy last month thanks to our longtime partner, SunPower! SunPower Solar Academies were held in the communities of Lemoore, Cutler-Orosi and Bakersfield, giving students the opportunity to learn about the solar industry, explore career options, and develop team projects to present to their peers. GRID Central Valley staff also participated in the events, presenting to students about our Solar Futures program, designed to provide classroom and hands-on solar education to high schools.

Enter GRID Alternatives; a non-profit that provides solar energy installations to low income families, free of charge! Listen to volunteers and employees of GRID explain why they chose to set up office in the Mid-Atlantic, the valuable experience volunteering has, and why they’re so charged up about solar energy!
Do you know someone who is considering changing careers? If so, one of the fastest growing segments of the Inland Empire economy is solar. According a study commissioned by Next 10 and reported by the Riverside Press Enterprise, state climate policies have driven $9 billion in direct economic benefits and supported 41,000 jobs in the Inland Empire over the last seven years. The demand continues for skilled workers as there are currently over 80 positions for solar related jobs open in the Inland Empire.